Added support for stream-like downloads of existing files to force_download()

Based on code/ideas from PR #365, #1254

1 files changed, 7 insertions, 5 deletions

diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/helpers/download_helper.rst b/user_guide_src/source/helpers/download_helper.rst
index 1e9ec21ea..860c568b9 100644
--- a/user_guide_src/source/helpers/download_helper.rst
+++ b/user_guide_src/source/helpers/download_helper.rst
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ force_download()
 .. php:function:: force_download($filename = '', $data = '', $set_mime = FALSE)
 
 	:param	string	$filename: Filename
-	:param	string	$data: File contents
+	:param	mixed	$data: File contents
 	:param	bool	$set_mime: Whether to try to send the actual MIME type
 	:returns:	void
 
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ desktop. Useful with file downloads. The first parameter is the **name
 you want the downloaded file to be named**, the second parameter is the
 file data.
 
+If you set the second parameter to NULL and ``$filename`` is an existing, readable
+file path, then its content will be read instead.
+
 If you set the third parameter to boolean TRUE, then the actual file MIME type
 (based on the filename extension) will be sent, so that if your browser has a
 handler for that type - it can use it.
@@ -41,8 +44,7 @@ Example::
 	force_download($name, $data);
 
 If you want to download an existing file from your server you'll need to
-read the file into a string::
+do the following::
 
-	$data = file_get_contents('/path/to/photo.jpg'); // Read the file's contents
-	$name = 'myphoto.jpg';
-	force_download($name, $data);
\ No newline at end of file
+	// Contents of photo.jpg will be automatically read
+	force_download('/path/to/photo.jpg', NULL);
\ No newline at end of file