Currently the web services framework support 3 data type, "external_multiple_structure", "external_single_structure", and "external_value". In order to create a web service function to download files it is currently necessary to:

• In the web service function - Create the logic to get the files and place them in the user's file area
• Have the client call webservice/pluginfile.php to download the file

In order to simplify this process for web service clients we are proposing to create a new web services data type called external_file.

The new "external_file" will contain the filename and file itself for webservice's return().

We then change the webservices handling logic to check when the return type is of external_file and generate a binary file streaming HTTP Response as opposed to generating the regular Response data structure.

This requires 2 implementations, 1 for REST and 1 for the other protocols (as all AMF/XmlRPC/SOAP used 1 implementation based on Zend). This Tracker issue will address implementation of REST protocol only.

See also http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=199866