Posting a Word document for download

lyndonlegend · #1 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 06:20 PM

I need to attach a word document tournament registration form to my site for download. How do I do this?

redcircle · #2 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 06:29 PM

just creating a normal link to the file.

[a href="file.doc"]filename[/a]
(NOTE: change [ to <)

carbonize · #3 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 07:12 PM

Best idea would be to zip it up that way it would be a smaller file and be faster to download, not to mention using less of your valuble bandwidth.

mikmik · #4 (**permalink**) 11-08-2003, 05:51 AM

Yes, Zip because if they have Word installed(wordpad to?) then wont it just open? You can also instruct them to 'right click' on the link and choose "Save as" to download the .doc document.

minstrel · #5 (**permalink**) 11-17-2003, 11:00 PM

If it's a single page (or even 2-page) form, you're better off just using redcircle's method - mikmik is correct that in Internet Explorer and probably other browsers if the visitor left-clicks on the link, the form will open within the browser, but that's not necessarily a bad thing - your visitor can print it from there or save it to a .doc file to open from Word, and if the visitor doesn't have Word, it eliminates the need to provide a Word viewer. You can also print instructions for right-clicking on the link to download and save the document to disk.

The problem with using a ZIP file is that inexperienced users won't know what to do with it - believe me, that's not guesswork: I put class notes for my university courses on the net and you would be amazed at how many people don't know what a ZIP file is or what to do with it.
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matauri · #6 (**permalink**) 11-17-2003, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by minstrel

The problem with using a ZIP file is that inexperienced users won't know what to do with it - believe me, that's not guesswork: I put class notes for my university courses on the net and you would be amazed at how many people don't know what a ZIP file is or what to do with it.

Or know that they need a program like Winzip, etc to open it. So I agree Dave.

Cindy

carbonize · #7 (**permalink**) 11-18-2003, 08:40 AM

hate to argue with Minstrel and Matuari, honest I do hate it, but XP, which is what most people will be using, handles zip files just like a normal folder. I have yet to find anybody that didn't have a zip program installed as it is hard to go a month without requiring one.

matauri · #8 (**permalink**) 11-18-2003, 09:34 AM

And you know how I hate to argue with you too Carbonize ;-) But...in fact there are many people out there that don't have XP, and have no idea about zip programs. I set up a lot of people on their comps & teach them. I always install Winzip because I think it is a necessity. But without a doubt, I will get phone calls saying that they downloaded a file & opened it, winzip opened, and they have no idea what to do after that.

There are a lot of inexperienced users out there. Bit arogant to think that everyone has the same basic degree of knowledge about them.

Cindy

minstrel · #9 (**permalink**) 11-18-2003, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carbonize

XP, which is what most people will be using, handles zip files just like a normal folder. I have yet to find anybody that didn't have a zip program installed as it is hard to go a month without requiring one.

To be honest, as a long time WinZip fan who disabled XP's built-in zip functions (including searching zip files - who has a week to wait for THAT search to finish?), I'd forgotten that the XP version existed.

However, I would debate the other two assumptions in your post:
(1) most people I know do NOT yet have XP - government offices around here are mostly using Win2000 or WIn98SE - and most personal friends, family, and acquaintances are still using 98 or ME.
(2) it may be hard for you and I to go a month without using a zip function (I use it as part of my compress-and-backup routine), but I can tell you that I strongly doubt that my father has ever unzipped a file in his life and if he ever did, to confirm Cindy's last point, I know I would be getting a phone call saying, "okay - I can see a list of filenames - now what?".

carbonize · #10 (**permalink**) 11-18-2003, 11:25 AM

I use winrar myself. I remember using a compression utility about 10 years ago on the Amiga. Windows took it's time in copying the Linux idea of having the compression software as part of the Operating Sysytem otherwise the world would be a zip happier place.

mikmik · #11 (**permalink**) 11-30-2003, 04:40 AM

Zip. Unzip. May I remind you people that this is a public forum.

In other news: now I hear that PKzip(i think) is going to introduce a new compression algo' that is incompatable with existing .zip utilities!

carbonize · #12 (**permalink**) 11-30-2003, 08:37 AM

Yes but there are lots of alternatives to zipping that can only be done by certain programs. WinRar can make rar files which are actually better compressed than ZIPs. There are also thinks like .ace, .gz, .tar and so on.