CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phpapachelaravellaravel-4
Jason Spick
Jason Spick

Reputation: 6098

Accesing files outside of public folder

I want to store files (pdfs, images, videos) that can only be accessed by Laravel. This would force a user to use the website rather than a url.

How can I achieve this? And are there best practices to doing this?

thank you!

Here is my code:

public static function downloadFile($id){
        $file = FileManager::find($id);
        //$file->location = ../app/storage/file/dam04/2-2/manual.pdf
        //file->type = pdf
        //file->name = instructor manual
        $headers = array(
              'Content-Type:'.mime_content_type($file->location),
            );
        return Response::download($file->location, $file->name.'.'.$file->type, $headers);

        //exit;
     }

I cannot get this to fire. the files are located in app/storage/.

I could really use some advice as to why this won't work. Thanks,

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1702

Answers (1)

Antonio Carlos Ribeiro
Antonio Carlos Ribeiro

Reputation: 87789

You can use Response::download():

Create a router:

Route::get('/files/{fileName}', 'FileServerController@download');

And in your controller you do 

class FileServerController extends Controller {

    public function download($fileName)
    {
        if (file_exists("$basepath/$fileName"))
        {
            return Response::download("$basepath/$fileName");
        }

        return Redirect::route('home')->withMessage('file not found');

        // or return Response::make('File not found', 404);
    }

}

You can auth filter your route:

Route::get('/files/{fileName}', ['before' => 'auth', 'uses' => 'FileServerController@download']);

And you can use intended() to start downloading a file as soon as your user is logged in:

if (Auth::attempt(...))
{
   return Redirect::intended('home');
}

Upvotes: 2

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