PHP and Ajax file upload - Can't get the tmp_name with $_FILES

Question

I'm trying to upload a file using Ajax, but I'm having troubles handling the file... For test purposes I've build a simple code that looks like this:

JS:

xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
xmlhttp.open("POST",document.getElementById('upload').action,true);
xmlhttp.setRequestHeader("Content-type","application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
var cmdStr="q="+str;
xmlhttp.send(cmdStr);

document.getElementById("ResponseDiv").innerHTML=xmlhttp.responseText;

PHP:

$q=$_POST["q"];
echo $q;

It works fine and xmlhttp.responseText prints [object File].

My problem, however, is that I need to get the temporary file name with $_FILES["q"]['tmp_name']. To do so I have changed the code to the following:

JS:

xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
xmlhttp.open("POST",document.getElementById('upload').action,true);
xmlhttp.setRequestHeader("enctype","multipart/form-data");
var cmdStr="q="+str;
xmlhttp.send(cmdStr);

document.getElementById("ResponseDiv").innerHTML=xmlhttp.responseText;

PHP:

$q=$_FILES["q"]["tmp_name"];
echo $q;

Problem is that now with xmlhttp.responseText I don't get anything. Anyone knows what I'm doing wrong?

do a var_dump on $_POST["q"] and see what your result it. The answer may be there. <?php var_dump($_POST["q"]); ?> — phpisuber01
– phpisuber01, Commented Oct 23, 2012 at 14:48
@Robert checking with var_dump it returns string(13) "[object File]" when using $_POST (i.e. when it returned [object File]), while it returns NULL when using $_FILES (i.e. when it returned nothing). So it means I'm stuck? — don
– don, Commented Oct 23, 2012 at 15:06

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:27:04Z

1

Check out this answer for making file uploads with AJAX. It is possible, but not compatible in all browsers.

jQuery Upload Progress and AJAX file upload

--

Alternatively, if you want on the fly uploads, there is a cool library you can get called 'Uploadify'. It's a flash/jquery (or HTML5 now) rig that allows you to upload files on the fly. In the flash version, last time I used it... you can add in callback functions to make it do essentially anything you want.

Some clever javascript could make this work for you.

http://www.uploadify.com/

edited May 23, 2017 at 12:27

CommunityBot

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answered Oct 23, 2012 at 15:14

phpisuber01

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1 Comment

don Over a year ago

Perfect thank's! I've looked at the other question and realized how to use formData. It has solved the problem, now it gets the file with Ajax as I was trying to do.

Marc B · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-23 14:49:36Z

0

AJAX doesn't do file uploads. It's not designed for that. The standard workaround is to have the JS code build a hidden iframe and do a standard POST-type upload in that. As such, if you try doing echo $_FILES['q']['error'], you'd probably have gotten 4 for "no file".

answered Oct 23, 2012 at 14:49

Marc B

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2 Comments

don Over a year ago

I've tried with $_FILES['q']['error'] but still without any response from the server... My problem is that I would like to implement drag and drop to upload a file, isn't it possible anyhow? I actually don't really need Ajax, but for what I've seen around the only option seemed to be Ajax, but then if you say so I'm a bit confused...

Alex Over a year ago

This answer may have been valid at the time of posting but may not be completely correct today

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