DOWNLOAD Function (File)

Sends a file from a Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server computer to the client computer. The client computer is the computer that is running the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client or the computer that is running a browser that accesses the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web client.

Syntax

  
[Ok :=] DOWNLOAD(FromFile, DialogTitle, ToFolder, ToFilter, ToFile)  

Parameters

FromFile
Type: Text

The name of the file on the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server computer that you want to download to the client computer.

DialogTitle
Type: Text

The title that you want to display in the dialog box for downloading the file.

Note

This parameter is not supported by the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web client. The title is determined by the end-user's browser.

ToFolder
Type: Text

The default folder in which to save the file to be downloaded. The folder name is displayed in the dialog box for downloading the file. The folder can be changed by the user.

Note

This parameter is not supported by the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web client. By default, files are saved to the default download location that is configured in the end-user's browser.

ToFilter
Type: Text

The type of file that can be downloaded to the client computer. The type is displayed in the dialog box for downloading the file.

Note

This parameter is not supported by the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web client.

ToFile
Type: Variant

The name to give the downloaded file. This is the default file name that is shown in the dialog box for downloading the file. This value can be changed by the user.

Property Value/Return Value

Type: Boolean

If you omit this optional return value, then a run-time error occurs if the file cannot be found. If you include a return value, then it is assumed that you will handle any errors.

true if the file was downloaded; otherwise, false.

Remarks

Note

This function is not fully supported by the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web client on devices that run Apple iOS, such as iPad. You can only download a file if the Apple iOS device on which you are downloading the file has an application that supports the file type.

In Dynamics NAV, the business logic is run on the computer that is running Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server and not on the client. Files are created on the computer that is running Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server and not locally on the client computer.

UPLOAD Function (File) and UPLOADINTOSTREAM Function (File) are used to send a file from the client to a Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server instance.

DOWNLOAD Function (FILE) and DOWNLOADFROMSTREAM Function (File) are used to send a file from a Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server instance to the client.

We recommend that you use the functions in codeunit 419 File Management to upload and download files.

Note

Internet browsers can only handle one file per request. Therefore, with the Web client, if this method is called in a repetitive statement (or loop) that generates multiple files, only the last file will be sent to the browser. Alternatively, when designing for the Web client, bundle the files in an archive file (.zip), for example, by using the methods found in codeunit 419 File Management. For more details about this design pattern, see Multi-File Download.

Example

This example shows how to use the DOWNLOAD function. It requires that you create the following variable.

Variable name DataType
ToFile Text
ToFile := 'ToFile.txt';  
DOWNLOAD('FromFile.txt','Download file','C:\','Text file(*.txt)|*.txt',ToFile);  

See Also

File Data Type