How to use multiple http headers? - php

Question

I have a php page which downloads zip files. Normally after the download, it automatically revert back the user to a previous page(myfiles.php) using header('location:myfiles.php');.
When I execute the page, it bring me to myfiles.php but the download pop up won't show up, thus preventing me to download my zip file. When I remove the line header('location:myfiles.php');, I am able to download my zip file as expected.
Below is an extract of my code.
//Some codes
if(file_exists($zip_name)){
// push to download the zip
header('Content-type: application/zip');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="'.$zip_name.'"');
readfile($zip_name);
// remove zip file is exists in temp path
unlink($zip_name);
}
session_start();
$_SESSION['correct']="Files downloaded sucessfully";
header('location:myfiles.php');
Can you please help me finding a way to fix it? Thank you.

Answer 1

Think about what those headers are doing
These 2 and the readfile
header('Content-type: application/zip');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="'.$zip_name.'"');
readfile($zip_name);
are sending a file to the current page that is on the browser.
This one, which will run as well as the code above
header('location:myfiles.php');
attempts to tell the browser to go to another page. If it did do that then the file you sent to the browser would just disappear
So basically done together as one flow, they do not make sense!
Also you cannot send a header('location:...) after any actual data has been sent to the browser, which of course you did when you ran the readfile($zip_name);