HTML -please help

zag

Hi,

I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to web design. I'm putting a site together in dreamweaver, and I'm not great on the ould HTML commands.

I have placed a two links on one of the pages, one is to download a Word file, the other to download an Excel file. But, I don't know how to get the link to download the file, it just opens it.

Anyone know what the HTML string for this is?

Seth Brundle

this is standard. If the users browser allows it, then the file will automatically open.

Ph3n0m

the simplest way is to leave it up to the user.


give them to options - the doc format, which usually opens up or put the file in a zip file and link to that

Seth Brundle

The other thing is that your visitors may not have MS Word so maybe provide an HTML or PDF version also

mneylon

RTF is quite universal as well.

Never assume that people have MS Office installed.

Webmonkey

Place a note at the download link - "Right click and click save as" to download the file, if you don't have word it will automatically pop up download box. Of course the note only works for IE, but they will get the idea with other browsers as well

hostyle

Add an attribute to the link. I'm drunk ATM, but something like: <a href="ms-word.doc" content-type="application/octet-stream">word.doc</a> may work. Failing that, you'll have to run links through a server-side script. I can give you exact details if you can tell me that the above doesnt work (bearing in mind that I am drunk and someone may correct my code) and tell me what server OS / scripting language is available.

p

If you zip them up then they'll download.

Not ideal, but easy.