How to create a file and generate a download with JavaScript in the Browser (without a server)

Adding a Save As Button to Web Applications

In this video, the presenter discusses how to add a save as button to web applications for saving files in the browser. Two approaches are demonstrated using JavaScript.

Approach 1: Creating a Hidden Link Element

• Create a hidden <a> element with the desired file URI as its href attribute.

• Set the display style of the element to "none" to hide it.

• Simulate a click on the element to trigger the download.

• This approach works for information that can be embedded into a URL.

Approach 2: Using FileSaver.js Library

• Download and include the FileSaver.js library in your HTML file.

• Attach a listener to a button that creates a Blob object with the desired content and uses the saveAs function from FileSaver.js to generate the download.

• This approach is suitable for larger data up to 800 megabytes.

Conclusion

By following these approaches, you can easily generate file downloads in web applications without relying on a web server.