[PROGRAMMING TIPS] Using content-type: application/octet-stream HTTP header preventing browser opening a document automatically

Some browsers such as MSIE opening a document automatically without asking to save or open the document. Some people including me it is very annoying. So how to make an application which acts to send a document to a web client such as web browser always download the document rather open it?

There is a simple way to do that by using content-type: application/octet-stream HTTP header instead of using proper MIME-TYPE content-type for a web document to be sent. Most web browsers will downloaded a web document with this content-type including MSIE.