PHP - Download cURL result - php

Question

I wrote function below:
function download_xfs($url)
{
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIE, 'login=michael; xfss=08ruiweu4tuhb5xqs8');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, 1);
$string = curl_exec ($ch);
curl_close ($ch);
// Set headers
}
When I use download_xfs("http://address.com/file.html"); it returns binary of file instead of actual file. Can anyone re-write this code to handle file for download?

Answer 1

Your error is not in downloading a file, PNG is propably downloaded OK, but you propably just echo'ing it to screen. You must set HTTP header proper for this file mime type:
header( 'Content-type: image/png' );
But remember do do not echo any other strings/characters before and after image contents (absolutelly nothing, even invisible BOM info about UTF created by Windows notepad on a begining of a php file). If you want to include a image downloadable by your server in your HTML page, you must create another .php with this header and image contents and include it by:
<img src="image_from_download.php">
if you want to receive plain text, but have a unexpected binary
There can be some unknown solution on remote serverer, that sends something different or redirects you to a image dependly on user agent.
Try to set user agent in cUrl to same as your original browser.
Also, make sure that content served by remote server is not gzipped or chunked (i don't know, that curl unzip it automatically?) by sending proper Accept header in HTTP request.
This problem can be also state-depended, maybe you need some cookies set or be logged in remote web application from where you are retreiving .html
Try to turn off your FOLLOWLOCATION, maybe you received a 30x redirect to a image.