jDownload is a jQuery plugin which aims to provide more details to the end users about the file to be downloaded.

Once a download link is clicked, it sends an Ajax query to a PHP file which returns the name, type and size of the file in a modal window.

User can choose to get the file or cancel the request which is specially a good experience for knowing the size of the file before downloading it.

The plugin requires jQuery UI besides the jQuery itself for the modal dialog and comes with various options for customization including the dimensions of the dialog, event to trigger it (click, hover, etc.), and more.

Also, based on the same idea, functionality can be improved further by adding “zipped downloads” or “send as e-mail” types of options to the end users.

Requirements: jQuery & jQuery UI
Compatibility: All Major Browsers
Website: http://jdownloadplugin.com/
Download: http://code.google.com/p/jquery-jdownload/downloads/list