Downloading a file via Location bar (possible can of worms)

[Faux Pass]

<i>Please imagine the following typical scenario:</i>

1. You receive the URL of a file you need. Example URL: (http://www.monstertrucks.ca/video/jurassicwheelie.wmv) Maybe somebody sent it to you in an email, or you have it written down, or it was on a webpage unlinked.

2. You enter the URL in the Location bar and hit enter (or click "Go") but-- oh no!-- your browser fills with gibberish. (I've heard this happens because of misconfigured servers.)

<b>Q: What is the easiest way to get this file?</b>

<i>For extra credit: </i><b>Q: What is the easiest way to get this file without leaving the browser?</b>

<i>*COUGH*</i>alt-enter<i>*COUGH*</i>

(Disclaimer: I Googled "right click" & "save as" for the above example. I have no affinity towards monster trucks.)

[laszlo]

As soon as the page starts filling with "gibberish", stop the transfer, go to "File > Save Page as...", save it, et voilà... you can view it locally (I did read your disclaimer; what a nice clip ).

[Faux Pass]

As soon as the page starts filling with "gibberish", stop the transfer, go to "File > Save Page as..."

Huh. I didn't think of that. And you don't have to wait for the whole page to load? Neat. Thanks.

[old momokatte]

And now for something completely different. Throw this in a bookmark:

javascript:var uri=(prompt('Enter the address of the file you wish to download.',''));if(uri){document.write='<a href="'+uri+'">Download '+uri+'</a>';}

Click the bookmark, paste the URL in the dialog box, and right-click on the generated link to save it to disk.

Points for creativity?

[Faux Pass]

Points for creativity? :)

Definitely. And for style.

[Ted Mielczarek]

wget -nd url

Maybe that's cheating, but it works for me. ;-)

[Faux Pass]

wget -nd url

You realize, of course, that you forfeit your extra credit with that answer? (And, in fact, <i>lose points</i> for making me <a href="http://space.tin.it/computer/hherold/">download wget</a>!)

[alanjstr]

wget -nd url

Maybe that's cheating, but it works for me. ;-)

Damn, you took my answer.

My other option was to whip up a quick html page so I could right click the link.

Or email the link to myself and let Yahoo make it clickable.

I don't fiddle with the keyboard modifiers usually.

[Faux Pass]

My other option was to whip up a quick html page so I could right click the link.

That's what I'm used to doing.

[old momokatte]

My other option was to whip up a quick html page so I could right click the link.

That's what I'm used to doing.

That's what I'm used to doing too...until I realized I could do it with javascript. I'll be using the javascript method from now on.

[thebabelfish]

And now for something completely different. Throw this in a bookmark:

javascript:var uri=(prompt('Enter the address of the file you wish to download.',''));if(uri){document.write='<a href="'+uri+'">Download '+uri+'</a>';}

Click the bookmark, paste the URL in the dialog box, and right-click on the generated link to save it to disk.

Here's a custom keyword version of that. Put this in a bookmark with a custom keyword and then type the keyword, a space, and the URI of the file.

javascript:var uri='%s';document.write='<a href="'+uri+'">'+uri+'</a>';