Retain File Upload Field Data

[teerock]

Hello fellow PHPers,

I am relatively new to PHP but have come a long way in a short time and consider myself a fast learner. My application requires the user to enter information into forms on a website. One form requires the user to upload two or more files on the same form along with text information and check boxes. Should the user encounter an error I have designed the form to echo the posted values along with appropriate error messages. My challenge is how to echo the previously selected files in the file fields on my form when the form reloads with error messages. I have the text fields and check boxes behaving accordingly but cannot figure how to retain the valid data in the file fields.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated and will earn naming rights for my next recipe.

Regards,
Teerock.

[pbmods]

Heya, Teerock. Welcome to TSDN!

You can save the value of $_FILES[]['tmp_name'] into the $_SESSION.

Alternatively, you can move_uploaded_file() each file into a User-specific directory (e.g., '/var/uploads/{userid}/').

[kovik]

You can save the value of $_FILES[]['tmp_name'] into the $_SESSION.

Actually, you would probably which to save $_FILES[]['name'], as it would be the filename of the original file. The 'tmp_name' index contains the temporary file's name, which will look like complete nonsense to the user.

Since you do both uploads on the same form, using a session would be wasteful. Upon failure, just print $_FILES['fieldName']['name'] in the error message for the appropriate field.

[pbmods]

Forgot to mention, you'll want to use the name of the file input as the primary index in $_FILES.

E.g., if your file input looks like this:

<input name="theFile" type="file" ... />
 

Then you would access $_FILES['theFile'].

[Jankie]

Am a newbie but from my modest knowledge so far,you cannot retain selected files upon reload .

This is because they are not under your immediate control as the rest of the inputs;they are still in the users' local directory(which for security reasons you cannot have fair access to manipulate them).
On a positive note,it is possible that you can store the name of the file,hide it and redisplay it on reload using javascript.

It'll be a learning surprise to me if it can be done with php.
You mentioned "retain upload data",then "echo previously selected files" . I built my response assuming the former.If you meant just echoing file names(not data),then it can be done with sessions as suggested to you above.
Sorry if I have misunderstood you !

[pbmods]

Heya, Teerock.

I apologize; I misunderstood your intentions.

You cannot set the value of a file input.

(can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if websites could set the value of a file input to any file on your hard drive and then immediately submit the form?)

But the good news is, once a User uploads a file once, he no longer has to upload it again!

If any of the files are valid, but the rest of the form is not, you can retain the uploaded files, and only require that the User fix the other data.