Tech Tip: How to send non-html files using SEND HTML BLOB

PRODUCT: 4D | VERSION: 11 | PLATFORM: Mac & Win

Published On: July 16, 2009

Here is a wrapper method for SEND HTML BLOB that will automatically detect the MIME type of the file. If the mime type cannot be detected, the file is sent to the browser with the mime type of "application/x-unknown". The list of mime types was obtained from documentation page for SEND HTML BLOB. It is necessary because SEND HTML FILE only sends HTML files, you can use SEND HTML BLOB to send all kinds of files to the browser.

  ` METHOD: wwwSendFile
  `
  ` Parameters: 1
  `
  ` $1: path to file being sent
  `
  ` Notes: Essentially this is a wrapper SEND HTML BLOB that will
  `        make it easier to send non HTML files with this command

Case of
  : (Count parameters=1)

    C_BOOLEAN($fQuit)
    C_TEXT($1;$request;$tmp;$mime;$extension)
    C_LONGINT($count;$pos)

    $request:=$1
    $tmp:=$request
    $count:=0
    $fQuit:=False
    $mime:=""

    Repeat
      $pos:=Position(".";$tmp;2)
      $tmp:=Substring($tmp;$pos)
      $extension:=$tmp
      Case of
        :($extension=".htm")
            $mime:="text/html"
        :($extension=".html")
            $mime:="text/html"
        :($extension=".shtml")
            $mime:="text/html"
        :($extension=".shtm")
            $mime:="text/html"
        :($extension=".css")
            $mime:="text/css"
        :($extension=".pdf")
            $mime:="application/pdf"
        :($extension=".rtf")
            $mime:="application/rtf"
        :($extension=".ps")
            $mime:="application/postscript"
        :($extension=".eps")
            $mime:="application/postscript"
        :($extension=".hqx")
            $mime:="application/mac-binhex40"
        :($extension=".js")
            $mime:="application/javascript"
        :($extension=".txt")
            $mime:="text/Plain"
        :($extension=".text")
            $mime:="text/Plain"
        :($extension=".gif")
            $mime:="image/gif"
        :($extension=".png")
            $mime:="image/png"
        :($extension=".jpg")
            $mime:="image/jpeg"
        :($extension=".jpeg")
            $mime:="image/jpeg"
        :($extension=".jpe")
            $mime:="image/jpeg"
        :($extension=".jfif")
            $mime:="image/jpeg"
        :($extension=".pic")
            $mime:="image/pict"
        :($extension=".pict")
            $mime:="image/pict"
        :($extension=".tif")
            $mime:="image/tiff"
        :($extension=".tiff")
            $mime:="image/tiff"
        :($extension=".mpeg")
            $mime:="video/mpeg"
        :($extension=".mpg")
            $mime:="video/mpeg"
        :($extension=".mov")
            $mime:="video/quicktime"
        :($extension=".moov")
            $mime:="video/quicktime"
        :($extension=".aif")
            $mime:="audio/aiff"
        :($extension=".aiff")
            $mime:="audio/aiff"
        :($extension=".wav")
            $mime:="audio/wav"
        :($extension=".ram")
            $mime:="audio/x-pn-realaudio"
        :($extension=".sit")
            $mime:="application/x-stuffit"
        :($extension=".bin")
            $mime:="application/x-stuffit"
        :($extension=".z")
            $mime:="application/x-zip"
        :($extension=".zip")
            $mime:="application/x-zip"
        : ($extension=".gz")
            $mime:="application/x-gzip"
        : ($extension=".tar")
            $mime:="application/x-tar"
        Else
          $mime:=""
          $count:=$count+1
          If ($count > 19)
            $mime:="application/x-unknown"
            $fQuit:=True
          End if
      End case

    Until (($mime#"") | ($fQuit=True))

      If ($mime#"")
        C_BLOB($blob)
        DOCUMENT TO BLOB($request;$blob)
        SEND HTML BLOB($blob;$mime)
      End if

  End case

See Also:

Commented by Timothy Penner on July 16, 2009 at 6:09 PM

This wrapper method becomes very useful when using a "web decoy"