Links issue when url not linked to a file

Rails
#1

Hello everybody,

I’m trying to allow users to download a file from a server (like a
Sharepoint one) with a link in my application.

Here is the view:

…

<%= link_to image_tag(“up.png”, :alt =>
“Download the document”, :border => 0, :id => “icon”), d.document_url
%>
…

As you can see, i give an url to the link_to method. I would like to
know if the link is valid or not. I mean if it return really a file or
not.

I tried some methods like this one :

def remote_file_exist?(url)
res = Net::HTTP.get_response(URI.parse(URI.encode(url))) rescue
SocketError
res
end

This kind of method return an error for some valide urls and no error
for some invalide urls.

Have you any idea or suggestion ?

#2

On Jan 31, 2011, at 6:27 AM, agathe begault wrote:

%>
SocketError
res
end

This kind of method return an error for some valide urls and no error
for some invalide urls.

Have you any idea or suggestion ?

I don’t have any code for you, but I do have an idea. Why not set up a
cron/rake task to read all the URLs in your database at some interval,
send a HEAD request to each of them to see if they resolve, and then
mark your database with the result of this test. Keep checking –
don’t just write off a bad response, because the server could have
been having a senior moment.

Walter