File Uploading Class : CodeIgniter User Guide
Author: ExpressionEngine Dev Team
Description: CodeIgniter User Guide

# CodeIgniter User Guide Version 2.2.1

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# File Uploading Class

CodeIgniter's File Uploading Class permits files to be uploaded. You can set various preferences, restricting the type and size of the files.

## The Process

Uploading a file involves the following general process:

- An upload form is displayed, allowing a user to select a file and upload it.
- When the form is submitted, the file is uploaded to the destination you specify.
- Along the way, the file is validated to make sure it is allowed to be uploaded based on the preferences you set.
- Once uploaded, the user will be shown a success message.

To demonstrate this process here is brief tutorial. Afterward you'll find reference information.

## Creating the Upload Form

Using a text editor, create a form called upload_form.php. In it, place this code and save it to your `applications/views/` folder:

<html> <head> <title>Upload Form</title> </head> <body> <?php echo $error;?> <?php echo form_open_multipart('upload/do_upload');?> <input type="file" name="userfile" size="20" /> <br /><br /> <input type="submit" value="upload" /> </form> </body> </html>

You'll notice we are using a form helper to create the opening form tag. File uploads require a multipart form, so the helper creates the proper syntax for you. You'll also notice we have an $error variable. This is so we can show error messages in the event the user does something wrong.

## The Success Page

Using a text editor, create a form called upload_success.php. In it, place this code and save it to your `applications/views/` folder:

<html> <head> <title>Upload Form</title> </head> <body> <h3>Your file was successfully uploaded!</h3> <ul> <?php foreach ($upload_data as $item => $value):?> <li><?php echo $item;?>: <?php echo $value;?></li> <?php endforeach; ?> </ul> <p><?php echo anchor('upload', 'Upload Another File!'); ?></p> </body> </html>

## The Controller

Using a text editor, create a controller called upload.php. In it, place this code and save it to your `applications/controllers/` folder:

<?php class Upload extends CI_Controller { function __construct() { parent::__construct(); $this->load->helper(array('form', 'url')); } function index() { $this->load->view('upload_form', array('error' => ' ' )); } function do_upload() { $config['upload_path'] = './uploads/'; $config['allowed_types'] = 'gif|jpg|png'; $config['max_size'] = '100'; $config['max_width'] = '1024'; $config['max_height'] = '768'; $this->load->library('upload', $config); if ( ! $this->upload->do_upload()) { $error = array('error' => $this->upload->display_errors()); $this->load->view('upload_form', $error); } else { $data = array('upload_data' => $this->upload->data()); $this->load->view('upload_success', $data); } } } ?>

## The Upload Folder

You'll need a destination folder for your uploaded images. Create a folder at the root of your CodeIgniter installation called uploads and set its file permissions to 777.

## Try it!

To try your form, visit your site using a URL similar to this one:

`example.com/index.php/upload/`

You should see an upload form. Try uploading an image file (either a jpg, gif, or png). If the path in your controller is correct it should work.

# Reference Guide

## Initializing the Upload Class

Like most other classes in CodeIgniter, the Upload class is initialized in your controller using the $this->load->library function:

`$this->load->library('upload');`

Once the Upload class is loaded, the object will be available using: $this->upload

## Setting Preferences

Similar to other libraries, you'll control what is allowed to be upload based on your preferences. In the controller you built above you set the following preferences:

`$config['upload_path'] = './uploads/';
$config['allowed_types'] = 'gif|jpg|png';
$config['max_size'] = '100';
$config['max_width'] = '1024';
$config['max_height'] = '768';
$this->load->library('upload', $config);
// Alternately you can set preferences by calling the initialize function. Useful if you auto-load the class:
$this->upload->initialize($config);`

The above preferences should be fairly self-explanatory. Below is a table describing all available preferences.

## Preferences

The following preferences are available. The default value indicates what will be used if you do not specify that preference.

Preference | Default Value | Options | Description
--- | --- | --- | ---
upload_path | None | None | The path to the folder where the upload should be placed. The folder must be writable and the path can be absolute or relative.
allowed_types | None | None | The mime types corresponding to the types of files you allow to be uploaded. Usually the file extension can be used as the mime type. Separate multiple types with a pipe.
file_name | None | Desired file name | If set CodeIgniter will rename the uploaded file to this name. The extension provided in the file name must also be an allowed file type.
overwrite | FALSE | TRUE/FALSE (boolean) | If set to true, if a file with the same name as the one you are uploading exists, it will be overwritten. If set to false, a number will be appended to the filename if another with the same name exists.
max_size | 0 | None | The maximum size (in kilobytes) that the file can be. Set to zero for no limit. Note: Most PHP installations have their own limit, as specified in the php.ini file. Usually 2 MB (or 2048 KB) by default.
max_width | 0 | None | The maximum width (in pixels) that the file can be. Set to zero for no limit.
max_height | 0 | None | The maximum height (in pixels) that the file can be. Set to zero for no limit.
max_filename | 0 | None | The maximum length that a file name can be. Set to zero for no limit.
encrypt_name | FALSE | TRUE/FALSE (boolean) | If set to TRUE the file name will be converted to a random encrypted string. This can be useful if you would like the file saved with a name that can not be discerned by the person uploading it.
remove_spaces | TRUE | TRUE/FALSE (boolean) | If set to TRUE, any spaces in the file name will be converted to underscores. This is recommended.

## Setting preferences in a config file

If you prefer not to set preferences using the above method, you can instead put them into a config file. Simply create a new file called the upload.php, add the $config array in that file. Then save the file in: config/upload.php and it will be used automatically. You will NOT need to use the $this->upload->initialize function if you save your preferences in a config file.

## Function Reference

The following functions are available

## $this->upload->do_upload()

Performs the upload based on the preferences you've set. Note: By default the upload routine expects the file to come from a form field called userfile, and the form must be a "multipart type:

`<form method="post" action="some_action" enctype="multipart/form-data" />`

If you would like to set your own field name simply pass its value to the do_upload function:

`$field_name = "some_field_name";
$this->upload->do_upload($field_name)`

## $this->upload->display_errors()

Retrieves any error messages if the do_upload() function returned false. The function does not echo automatically, it returns the data so you can assign it however you need.

### Formatting Errors

By default the above function wraps any errors within <p> tags. You can set your own delimiters like this:

`$this->upload->display_errors('<p>', '</p>');`

## $this->upload->data()

This is a helper function that returns an array containing all of the data related to the file you uploaded. Here is the array prototype:

`Array
(
[file_name] => mypic.jpg
[file_type] => image/jpeg
[file_path] => /path/to/your/upload/
[full_path] => /path/to/your/upload/jpg.jpg
[raw_name] => mypic
[orig_name] => mypic.jpg
[client_name] => mypic.jpg
[file_ext] => .jpg
[file_size] => 22.2
[is_image] => 1
[image_width] => 800
[image_height] => 600
[image_type] => jpeg
[image_size_str] => width="800" height="200"
)`

### Explanation

Here is an explanation of the above array items.

Item | Description
--- | ---
file_name | The name of the file that was uploaded including the file extension.
file_type | The file's Mime type
file_path | The absolute server path to the file
full_path | The absolute server path including the file name
raw_name | The file name without the extension
orig_name | The original file name. This is only useful if you use the encrypted name option.
client_name | The file name as supplied by the client user agent, prior to any file name preparation or incrementing.
file_ext | The file extension with period
file_size | The file size in kilobytes
is_image | Whether the file is an image or not. 1 = image. 0 = not.
image_width | Image width.
image_height | Image height
image_type | Image type. Typically the file extension without the period.
image_size_str | A string containing the width and height. Useful to put into an image tag.