How to Handle File Downloads and Inline Viewing in ASP.NET MVC?

Serving Files in ASP.NET MVC: Download or Inline Display

Managing file downloads and inline viewing within ASP.NET MVC applications can present difficulties, particularly when dealing with diverse file types. This guide outlines a robust solution.

The FileStreamResult approach, while seemingly simple, has limitations. A more effective method leverages the System.Net.Http.Headers.ContentDispositionHeaderValue class, providing better control and addressing international character encoding issues. Consider this improved code example:

public ActionResult ServeFile(string fileName)
{
    var document = ... // Retrieve file data from your data source (database, file system, etc.)

    var cd = new System.Net.Http.Headers.ContentDispositionHeaderValue("attachment"); // Or "inline" for inline viewing
    cd.FileNameStar = fileName; // Use FileNameStar for proper international character handling

    return File(document.Data, document.ContentType, fileName, cd);
}

This enhanced approach uses ContentDispositionHeaderValue to specify the file disposition (attachment for download, inline for inline viewing) and FileNameStar ensures correct handling of filenames containing international characters. The File method now directly accepts the ContentDispositionHeaderValue object, simplifying the process. Remember to adjust the file retrieval logic (var document = ...) to suit your specific data storage mechanism. This method offers a cleaner, more reliable, and future-proof solution compared to older approaches.

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