How do I download a file with Angular2

Question

I have a WebApi / MVC app for which I am developing an angular2 client (to replace MVC). I am having some troubles understanding how Angular saves a file.

The request is ok (works fine with MVC, and we can log the data received) but I can't figure out how to save the downloaded data (I am mostly following the same logic as in this post). I am sure it is stupidly simple, but so far I am simply not grasping it.

The code of the component function is below. I've tried different alternatives, the blob way should be the way to go as far as I understood, but there is no function createObjectURL in URL. I can't even find the definition of URL in window, but apparently it exists. If I use the FileSaver.js module I get the same error. So I guess this is something that changed recently or is not yet implemented. How can I trigger the file save in A2?

downloadfile(type: string){

    let thefile = {};
    this.pservice.downloadfile(this.rundata.name, type)
        .subscribe(data => thefile = new Blob([data], { type: "application/octet-stream" }), //console.log(data),
                    error => console.log("Error downloading the file."),
                    () => console.log('Completed file download.'));

    let url = window.URL.createObjectURL(thefile);
    window.open(url);
}

For the sake of completeness, the service that fetches the data is below, but the only thing it does is to issue the request and pass on the data without mapping if it succeeds:

downloadfile(runname: string, type: string){
   return this.authHttp.get( this.files_api + this.title +"/"+ runname + "/?file="+ type)
            .catch(this.logAndPassOn);
}

Answer 1

Here's something I did in my case -

// service method
downloadFiles(vendorName, fileName) {
    return this.http.get(this.appconstants.filesDownloadUrl, { params: { vendorName: vendorName, fileName: fileName }, responseType: 'arraybuffer' }).map((res: ArrayBuffer) => { return res; })
        .catch((error: any) => _throw('Server error: ' + error));
}

// a controller function which actually downloads the file
saveData(data, fileName) {
    var a = document.createElement("a");
    document.body.appendChild(a);
    a.style = "display: none";
    let blob = new Blob([data], { type: "octet/stream" }),
        url = window.URL.createObjectURL(blob);
    a.href = url;
    a.download = fileName;
    a.click();
    window.URL.revokeObjectURL(url);
}

// a controller function to be called on requesting a download
downloadFiles() {
    this.service.downloadFiles(this.vendorName, this.fileName).subscribe(data => this.saveData(data, this.fileName), error => console.log("Error downloading the file."),
        () => console.info("OK"));
}

The solution is referenced from - here

Answer 2

For those using Redux Pattern

I added in the file-saver as @Hector Cuevas named in his answer. Using Angular2 v. 2.3.1, I didn't need to add in the @types/file-saver.

The following example is to download a journal as PDF.

The journal actions

public static DOWNLOAD_JOURNALS = '[Journals] Download as PDF';
public downloadJournals(referenceId: string): Action {
 return {
   type: JournalActions.DOWNLOAD_JOURNALS,
   payload: { referenceId: referenceId }
 };
}

public static DOWNLOAD_JOURNALS_SUCCESS = '[Journals] Download as PDF Success';
public downloadJournalsSuccess(blob: Blob): Action {
 return {
   type: JournalActions.DOWNLOAD_JOURNALS_SUCCESS,
   payload: { blob: blob }
 };
}

The journal effects

@Effect() download$ = this.actions$
    .ofType(JournalActions.DOWNLOAD_JOURNALS)
    .switchMap(({payload}) =>
        this._journalApiService.downloadJournal(payload.referenceId)
        .map((blob) => this._actions.downloadJournalsSuccess(blob))
        .catch((err) => handleError(err, this._actions.downloadJournalsFail(err)))
    );

@Effect() downloadJournalSuccess$ = this.actions$
    .ofType(JournalActions.DOWNLOAD_JOURNALS_SUCCESS)
    .map(({payload}) => saveBlobAs(payload.blob, 'journal.pdf'))

The journal service

public downloadJournal(referenceId: string): Observable<any> {
    const url = `${this._config.momentumApi}/api/journals/${referenceId}/download`;
    return this._http.getBlob(url);
}

The HTTP service

public getBlob = (url: string): Observable<any> => {
    return this.request({
        method: RequestMethod.Get,
        url: url,
        responseType: ResponseContentType.Blob
    });
};

The journal reducer Though this only sets the correct states used in our application I still wanted to add it in to show the complete pattern.

case JournalActions.DOWNLOAD_JOURNALS: {
  return Object.assign({}, state, <IJournalState>{ downloading: true, hasValidationErrors: false, errors: [] });
}

case JournalActions.DOWNLOAD_JOURNALS_SUCCESS: {
  return Object.assign({}, state, <IJournalState>{ downloading: false, hasValidationErrors: false, errors: [] });
}

I hope this is helpful.

Answer 3

It will be better if you try to call the new method inside you subscribe

this._reportService.getReport()
    .subscribe((data: any) => {
        this.downloadFile(data);
    },
        (error: any) => onsole.log(error),
        () => console.log('Complete')
    );

Inside downloadFile(data) function we need to make block, link, href and file name

downloadFile(data: any, type: number, name: string) {
    const blob = new Blob([data], {type: 'text/csv'});
    const dataURL = window.URL.createObjectURL(blob);

    // IE doesn't allow using a blob object directly as link href
    // instead it is necessary to use msSaveOrOpenBlob
    if (window.navigator && window.navigator.msSaveOrOpenBlob) {
      window.navigator.msSaveOrOpenBlob(blob);
      return;
    }

    const link = document.createElement('a');
    link.href = dataURL;
    link.download = 'export file.csv';
    link.click();

    setTimeout(() => {

      // For Firefox it is necessary to delay revoking the ObjectURL
      window.URL.revokeObjectURL(dataURL);
      }, 100);
    }
}

Answer 4

Downloading file through ajax is always a painful process and In my view it is best to let server and browser do this work of content type negotiation.

I think its best to have

<a href="api/sample/download"></a> 

to do it. This doesn't even require any new windows opening and stuff like that.

The MVC controller as in your sample can be like the one below:

[HttpGet("[action]")]
public async Task<FileContentResult> DownloadFile()
{
    // ...
    return File(dataStream.ToArray(), "text/plain", "myblob.txt");
}

Answer 5

As mentioned by Alejandro Corredor it is a simple scope error. The subscribe is run asynchronously and the open must be placed in that context, so that the data finished loading when we trigger the download.

That said, there are two ways of doing it. As the docs recommend the service takes care of getting and mapping the data:

//On the service:
downloadfile(runname: string, type: string){
  var headers = new Headers();
  headers.append('responseType', 'arraybuffer');
  return this.authHttp.get( this.files_api + this.title +"/"+ runname + "/?file="+ type)
            .map(res => new Blob([res],{ type: 'application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet' }))
            .catch(this.logAndPassOn);
}

Then, on the component we just subscribe and deal with the mapped data. There are two possibilities. The first, as suggested in the original post, but needs a small correction as noted by Alejandro:

//On the component
downloadfile(type: string){
  this.pservice.downloadfile(this.rundata.name, type)
      .subscribe(data => window.open(window.URL.createObjectURL(data)),
                  error => console.log("Error downloading the file."),
                  () => console.log('Completed file download.'));
  }

The second way would be to use FileReader. The logic is the same but we can explicitly wait for FileReader to load the data, avoiding the nesting, and solving the async problem.

//On the component using FileReader
downloadfile(type: string){
    var reader = new FileReader();
    this.pservice.downloadfile(this.rundata.name, type)
        .subscribe(res => reader.readAsDataURL(res), 
                    error => console.log("Error downloading the file."),
                    () => console.log('Completed file download.'));

    reader.onloadend = function (e) {
        window.open(reader.result, 'Excel', 'width=20,height=10,toolbar=0,menubar=0,scrollbars=no');
  }
}

Note: I am trying to download an Excel file, and even though the download is triggered (so this answers the question), the file is corrupt. See the answer to this post for avoiding the corrupt file.

Answer 6

 let headers = new Headers({
                'Content-Type': 'application/json',
                'MyApp-Application': 'AppName',
                'Accept': 'application/vnd.ms-excel'
            });
            let options = new RequestOptions({
                headers: headers,
                responseType: ResponseContentType.Blob
            });


this.http.post(this.urlName + '/services/exportNewUpc', localStorageValue, options)
                .subscribe(data => {
                    if (navigator.appVersion.toString().indexOf('.NET') > 0)
                    window.navigator.msSaveBlob(data.blob(), "Export_NewUPC-Items_" + this.selectedcategory + "_" + this.retailname +"_Report_"+this.myDate+".xlsx");

                    else {
                        var a = document.createElement("a");
                        a.href = URL.createObjectURL(data.blob());
                        a.download = "Export_NewUPC-Items_" + this.selectedcategory + "_" + this.retailname +"_Report_"+this.myDate+ ".xlsx";
                        a.click();
                    }
                    this.ui_loader = false;
                    this.selectedexport = 0;
                }, error => {
                    console.log(error.json());
                    this.ui_loader = false;
                    document.getElementById("exceptionerror").click();
                });