How to intercept download request

[Mandar Vaze]

I want to audit the downloads - things like "which file was downloaded, by whom and when" etc - and then allow the download to proceed.

I looked at auth.settings.download_url - which is pointing to /app/default/download

So I put debugger (import ipdb;ipdb.set_trace()) in download() function in default controller.

But when I click on the file link to download - the execution does not stop in the debugger

I have several controllers - I assume for all the controllers - the download_url is same (since it is controlled via auth.settings)

But just to try - I added "download" function in my other controller as well (and put debugger) - still didn't help

What am I missing ?

-Mandar

[Niphlod]

don't know if it's a problem with the debugger but if you're using only on download() function all your "inspection" MUST be done in that function ^_^

[Mandar Vaze]

I don't think the debugger is the problem (yet)
If I put a "print" statement before "return response.download(request, db)" in default/download - that also doesn't work (Nothing gets printed on web2py console)

To clarify my question further :

1. Is it possible to intercept the download() call ?
2. If yes, then which is the correct place to intercept the download() call ?
Is it app/default/download

OR

app/controller/download

-Mandar

[Niphlod]

let's ask another question then. Can you post a link generated by your app that "downloads" something ? just the part after the domain is enough.

[Mandar Vaze / मंदार वझे]

Sorry for the delayed response.

On Wed, May 14, 2014 at 12:14 PM, Niphlod <nip...@gmail.com> wrote:

let's ask another question then. Can you post a link generated by your app that "downloads" something ? just the part after the domain is enough.

This question definitely helped.

Turns out "download" is request.args(0) (just like "new" "edit" etc.)

I am now able to intercept the download request.

Next Question :

So checking request.args(0) only tells me that someone "attempted" the download.

Is there a way to find out if they "cancelled" or actually completed the downloaded ?

-Mandar

[Derek]

no, i don't see how you could. web2py leaves it up to the webserver to send the file. you'd need to modify the webserver, but since the webserver is handed off the path of the file then you have no way of raising an error, unless you want transfers to block the web2py process...

[Mandar Vaze / मंदार वझे]

Derek,

On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 1:29 AM, Derek <sp1...@gmail.com> wrote:

no, i don't see how you could. web2py leaves it up to the webserver to send the file. you'd need to modify the webserver, but since the webserver is handed off the path of the file then you have no way of raising an error, unless you want transfers to block the web2py process...

"Not possible" is acceptable answer (to me).

The explanation helps answer "why not"

Thanks !!

-Mandar

 

On Thursday, May 22, 2014 10:46:00 AM UTC-7, Mandar Vaze wrote:

Sorry for the delayed response.

On Wed, May 14, 2014 at 12:14 PM, Niphlod <nip...@gmail.com> wrote:

let's ask another question then. Can you post a link generated by your app that "downloads" something ? just the part after the domain is enough.

This question definitely helped.

Turns out "download" is request.args(0) (just like "new" "edit" etc.)

I am now able to intercept the download request.

Next Question :

So checking request.args(0) only tells me that someone "attempted" the download.

Is there a way to find out if they "cancelled" or actually completed the downloaded ?

-Mandar

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[Niphlod]

because there's not native "event" on a completed download nor a "callback" to use in ANY browser. 

Simply put, there aren't tools in the HTML word to report back a finished download.