How Can I Download Files in a New Tab or Window Using JavaScript/jQuery Without Replacing the Current Page?

Downloading Files Using JavaScript/jQuery Without Replacing Current Page

Problem:
How do you initiate a file download manually in a separate tab or window, while avoiding the default behavior of replacing the current page with the downloaded file using JavaScript/jQuery?

Solution:

To download a file in a new tab or window without disrupting the current page:

Using an Invisible Iframe:

This method creates an invisible iframe and assigns the download URL to its src attribute:

<iframe>

This triggers the download in the background. To ensure that the browser downloads non-renderable files (e.g., HTML, text), the server must set the file's MIME type to a nonsensical value like application/x-please-download-me or application/octet-stream.

Opening in a New Tab (jQuery):

To open the file in a new tab, use jQuery to set the link's target attribute to _blank and specify the file's URL in the href attribute:

$('a#someID').attr({
  target: '_blank',
  href: 'http://localhost/directory/file.pdf'
});

When the link is clicked, the file will be downloaded in a new tab or window, depending on the browser's settings.

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