Reading blob data using PHP and JavaScript - php

Question

I have an application where a user is allowed to save some text data into a MYSQL database through a web interface. In addition, they can also attach a file to this text and I save this into a blob field. The file types that get attached are simple .txt files.
I am able to save this data into the database but I am having trouble retrieving it. This is what I am doing to retrieve it right now:
//Events that take place when trying to retreive an attached file
function getFile(rowid){
//Make an AJAX Request to fetch the file
$.ajax({
type: 'get',
url: 'point-of-contact.php',
data: 'page=attachment&row='+rowid,
dataType: 'text',
success: function(data) {
console.log (data);
}
});
}
The AJAX request above leads to the following PHP code:
$attachments = $poc -> getPOC($_GET['row']);
header('Content-type: text/plain');
echo $attachments;
The problem I face is that when I console log the data received from the AJAX request I get this:
How do I go about getting the data in simple text format?
Could it be that the way I am uploading the file to the database is incorrect? This is how the file is uploaded to the DB:
//File upload code
var fileInput = document.getElementById('upload');
var file = fileInput.files[0];
//Hide the save button
$("#save-button-1").hide();
//Make the AJAX request
$.ajax({
type: 'post',
url: 'point-of-contact.php?page=add',
data: 'point_of_contact=' + $("#textarea1").val() + '&point_of_contact_attachment=' + file,
success: function(data) {
$('#done-1').show();
setTimeout(function() {
$('#done-1').fadeOut();
}, 2500);
$('.loader').fadeOut();
}
});

Answer 1

There is problem in your upload section. The line
var file = fileInput.files[0];
assignes file object into file variable. Later, when you add it to
"point_of_contact_attachment="
it gets converted to string. So you will have
"point_of_contact_attachment=[object file]"
And that is it.

Answer 2

try pointing the browser directly to the file instead of using ajax.
Like this
document.location = point-of-contact.php?page=attachment&row='+rowid;
Since it is not a file the browser can read, it will just download it.
However you will still need to get the TXT via ajax, because document.location redirect to the user to a plain text page.