Main Tutorials

Download text file from JAX-RS

In JAX-RS, for user to download a file, annotate the method with @Produces("text/plain") :

  1. Put @Produces(“text/plain”) on service method, with a Response return type. It means the output is a text file.
  2. Set “Content-Disposition” in Response header to tell browser pop up a download box for user to download.

1. Download File in JAX-RS

See a full example to download a text file in JAX-RS.


import java.io.File;
import javax.ws.rs.GET;
import javax.ws.rs.Path;
import javax.ws.rs.Produces;
import javax.ws.rs.core.Response;
import javax.ws.rs.core.Response.ResponseBuilder;

@Path("/file")
public class FileService {

	private static final String FILE_PATH = "c:\\file.log";

	@GET
	@Path("/get")
	@Produces("text/plain")
	public Response getFile() {

		File file = new File(FILE_PATH);

		ResponseBuilder response = Response.ok((Object) file);
		response.header("Content-Disposition",
			"attachment; filename=\"file_from_server.log\"");
		return response.build();

	}

}

2. Demo

Deploy above JAX-RS service, access this URI pattern : “/file/get“.

Figure : Text file “c:\\test.log” from server is prompt for user to download, with a new file name “file_from_server.log

download file from server

Download Source Code

Download it – JAX-RS-Download-TextFile-Example.zip (6 KB)

References

  1. JAX-RS @Produces JavaDoc
  2. Wiki , complete list of MIME

About Author

author image
Founder of Mkyong.com, love Java and open source stuff. Follow him on Twitter. If you like my tutorials, consider make a donation to these charities.

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
4 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
temp
10 years ago

unable to hit the uri MKyong

dsrini.open
9 years ago

I am generating the file for serving the user request, how do I delete the temp file, after response is served ? any ideas ?

Rahman
9 years ago

if you access the uri (http://localhost:8081/jaxrs/rest/file/get) from the browser within ide, it will just display the contents of the file. If you access the same uri from a different browser that is installed on your machine, it will download directly with the name “file_from_server.log”.

Sivam
11 years ago

I have learnt so many things from your website. This is one among them.

Thank You Mkyong.