Sending or linking files between a JavaScript/HTML front-end and a PHP/MySQL back-end

Question

I'm looking to create a "file generator", for want of a better word. However, I'm open to creative suggestions as to how to do this.

Essentially what I want is this:

• Input: User fills out a few text-boxes
• Process: System stores text information in a DB, formats the text in to some nice boxes with headers etc.
• Output: System makes formatted text available to users.. somehow

However, what I'll settle for, is something like this:

• Input: User fills out a few text-boxes.
• Process: System stores text information in a DB for future edit/retrieve actions
• Output: System generates a PDF file for the user to download

That sounds fairly straightforward. In PHP alone, it would be.

Unfortunately, I'm working with a school Virtual Learning Environment. I have to create Netvibes UWA Format widgets (in JavaScript) and use AJAX (AHAH, strictly speaking) calls to communicate with the PHP.

Presuming I thus can't create the documents I want with JavaScript (can't appear to find any half-decent PDF libraries, and I don't want to be limited to one file format anyway), is there any way I can make a call to my PHP script then have it send a file back for the JavaScript code to in some way deal with?

I'm not sure I can make the PHP script directories accessible to all users via the VLE, so simply sending a link back after creating the file with PHP won't work.

Thanks in advance,

Answer 1

To expand on my comment;

1. send the php-created file back as the ajax response
2. btoa the data to make a base64 string (alternatively do this server side and send this back, bigger internet usage but I'm not sure how well XMLHttpRequest handles binary data)
3. Append this string to 'data:application/octet-stream;base64,' to get a data URI
4. Set window.location.href (or some iframe) to this URI, page won't change as it will do download behaviour.