php download a file without redirecting

A simple, reliable way to keep the browser on index.php while recording the download server-side is to have the link target a hidden iframe (works with old and modern browsers). That keeps the main page visible, lets the server update the DB, and forces the browser download dialog without showing a blank row of PHP output. This builds on @zippee's idea but avoids reloading the visible page and matches what @bennetjosem wanted; @val542's surprise about the EXE shows the importance of correct headers.

HTML (client):

<iframe name="dlframe" style="display:none"></iframe>
<a href="download.php?fileid=123" target="dlframe">Download</a>

Server (download.php) responsibilities:

• Validate and authorize the fileid (prevent path traversal).
• Increment counters / log to DB.
• Send strict download headers, then stream the file and exit. Example:

// validate $file
header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');
header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($file));
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="123.zip"');
readfile($file);
exit;

Modern alternative: use fetch() with responseType/blob and programmatically click a temporary <a download> to avoid navigation. Caveat: fetch buffers the whole file in memory, so it is unsuitable for very large files and breaks normal range/resume support.

Performance tip: for large/production files, log in PHP but hand the file serving to the webserver (X-Sendfile or X-Accel-Redirect) to avoid PHP memory/time limits and to preserve resume/range behavior. Always suppress any prior output, disable output compression for streams, and test across browsers.