Subscribe to
the Possibilities Ezine

Subscription Terms of Service
Privacy Policy

Most Recent
Software Additions

Go Short URL

Create short URLs with your own control panel, on your own server, and all your short URLs will have your own domain name.

Secure View and Remove

Remove the data from your secure server safely, without compromising your customer's trust.

Survey Lite

Provides an opportunity for your visitors to give you feedback on the subjects you want to hear about.

Attention Ticker

Scrolling text banner is perfect for special offers... news feeds... syndication to other sites ...

Download and Redirect with One Click

Would you like to provide a download link for your site visitors that begins the download and then sends the browser to a different web page?

If you've never thought about doing such a thing, here are some one-click ideas:

1. Provide a download and a web page of installation instructions.

2. Present a web page with information about a pro version of the the free download.

3. Provide a download of a PDF document, then a web page with an opportunity to subscribe for more of the same kind of information. Paul Myers is providing a "Resources for Starting and Running Your Online Business" download in this way. (Paul provided the idea for this one-click method.)

   Click http://tbrx.com/directory/download.html to see it in action (or /artmyerspdf for more info about the PDF document, first).

It is similar to clicking on a link that takes the visitor to a page at another URL, a normal link. The difference is that a download starts between the time the link is clicked and the time the visitor is taken to a different web page.

How this one-click method works:

1. The download link has two attributes, an "href" and an "onclick."

   The "href" contains the URL of the downloadable file.

   The "onclick" contains that name of a JavaScript function that sets up a delayed redirect to a different web page URL.

2. When the download link is clicked, the delayed redirect is set up and the download commences. At the end of the delay period, the browser is redirected -- whether or not the download has completed.

Here is the JavaScript:

<script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"><!-- function SetUpRedirect() { // The URL between the quotation // marks needs to be changed. var destination = "http://FlowTo.info/"; // Pause can be changed by specifying a // different number of milliseconds. setTimeout("window.location='"+destination+"'",4000); return true; } //--></script>

The destination web page URL and the number of seconds to delay can both be customized. In the above JavaScript, the URL is http://FlowTo.info/ and the delay is 4 seconds (specified as 4000 milliseconds).

Notice that the function returns a value of true. This allows the download to commence even with a redirect delay having been set.

Here is the HTML link:

<!-- The URL of the download link needs to be changed. --> <a href="/test.zip" onclick="SetUpRedirect()"> Click to Download </a>

If using the JavaScript and HTML exactly as provided above, the redirect to http://FlowTo.info/ is set up when the link is clicked. The download of /test.zip then commences. Four seconds after the link was clicked, the browser is redirected to http://FlowTo.info/.

The JavaScript can be anywhere on the page, above or below the link or in the HEAD area.

Now, you can provide your visitors with a download *and* open a web page with more information.

Question: Did you find this article interesting and understandable? How can it be improved? Your response is anonymous. When done typing, click anywhere outside the box. [more info]

Type your response here. Thank you.

Powered by "Real Time Reader Feedback" from WebSite's Secret.

Will Bontrager
©2005 Bontrager Connection, LLC

Please note: Articles on this website are presented "as is". However -

If you have a question about a CGI script, HTML, CSS, PHP, or JavaScript
Ask one of our Experts and you'll have your answer!
Click here for details.

© 1998-2001 William and Mari Bontrager
© 2001-2008 Bontrager Connection, LLC