Unsetting empty array elements

Question

I'm working with $_FILES and sometimes the array has empty array elements due to empty file inputs on my form. I'm trying to unset these elements.

I've tried these code snippets:

foreach($_FILES['images']['name'] as $image)
{
    if(empty($image))
    {
        unset($image);
    }
}

foreach($_FILES['images']['name'] as $image)
{
    if($image == "")
    {
        unset($image);
    }
}

foreach($_FILES['images']['name'] as $image)
{
    if(!$image)
    {
        unset($image);
    }
}

But the array always comes back with empty elements. Is there actually a sane way of deleting empty $_FILES array elements with PHP?

Could you add a print of the array with the empty elements? The result of a print_r($_FILES); would do. — IOrlandoni
– IOrlandoni, Commented Aug 23, 2011 at 22:34

nobody · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-23 23:09:15Z

5

When you use foreach($_FILES['images']['name'] as $image) statement $image becomes a copy of the actual element in the array, what you are doing is unsetting that copy, this is how you should do it:

foreach( $_FILES['images']['name'] as $key => $value ) {
    if( empty($value) ) {
        unset( $_FILES['images']['name'][$key] );
    }
}

edited Aug 23, 2011 at 23:09

answered Aug 23, 2011 at 22:31

nobody

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Comments

bolaji · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-23 22:43:18Z

to start with, your question is not specific because if u are working with asingle file there is no need of foreach( ($_FILES['images']['name'] as $image). again u metioned empty fields in your form, this ought to trigger case 4 error. That is no file was uploaded. so with ur error method set like this

if($_FILES['upload']['error'] > 0){
echo 'the file couldnt be uploaded because';
 switch($_FILES['upload']['error']){
  case 1:
 print 'the file exceeds max size in php.ini';
 break;
 case 2:
  print 'the file exceeds max size in html settings';
 break;
  case 3:
 print 'the file was partially uploaded';
 break;
 case 4:
 print 'no file was uploaded';
 break;
 case 6:
 print 'no temporary folder available';
 break;
 case 7:
  print 'unable to write to disk';
 break;
 case 8:
print 'file upload stopped';
 break;
default:
print 'a sys error occured';
break;

With this an error is notified and u know that an empty image as been uploaded. to save urself the stress of UNSET(). if it is multi uploads you will have something like

foreach ($_FILES['upload']['name'] as $number => $filename)

JohnK · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-16 20:25:56Z

1

How about this non-loopy answer?

$in = $_FILES['images']['name'];
$out = array_filter($in);

Or if you prefer one line:

$out = array_filter($_FILES['images']['name']);

From the manual page for array_filter:

"If no callback is supplied, all entries of input equal to FALSE (see converting to boolean) will be removed."

answered Apr 16, 2013 at 20:25

JohnK

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Comments

Paul · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-23 22:42:58Z

0

In addition to nobody's answer, if you also want to strip the element from the type, tmp_name, size etc. arrays use:

// Before stripping
print_r($_FILES);

$length = count($_FILES['images']['name']);
for($i = 0; $i < $length; $i++){
    if(empty($_FILES['images']['name'][$i]))
        foreach($_FILES['images'] as $key => $value)
        unset($_FILES['images'][$key][$i]);
}

// After stripping
print_r($_FILES);

edited Aug 23, 2011 at 22:42

answered Aug 23, 2011 at 22:32

Paul

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1 Comment

John Over a year ago

Sorry, I should have been more specific. $_FILES['images']['name'] is an array, as shown by this print_r: pastebin.com/JYmCvYBU

amigura · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-23 22:49:17Z

0

using error code would be best

foreach( $_FILES['images']['error'] as $key => $value ) {

    if($value==0) { 
      // file good do code
    } else { 
    unset( $_FILES['images']['name'][$key] );
    }

    }

answered Aug 23, 2011 at 22:49

amigura

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