Working with Uploaded Files

CodeIgniter makes working with files uploaded through a form much simpler and more secure than using PHP’s $_FILES array directly. This extends the File class and thus gains all of the features of that class.

Note

This is not the same as the File Uploading class in CodeIgniter v3.x. This provides a raw interface to the uploaded files with a few small features.

The Process
Accessing Files
Working With the File

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 app/Views/ directory:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <title>Upload Form</title>
</head>
<body>

<?php foreach ($errors as $error): ?>
    <li><?= esc($error) ?></li>
<?php endforeach ?>

<?= form_open_multipart('upload/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 $errors 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 app/Views/ directory:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <title>Upload Form</title>
</head>
<body>

<h3>Your file was successfully uploaded!</h3>

<ul>
    <li>name: <?= esc($uploaded_flleinfo->getBasename()) ?></li>
    <li>size: <?= esc($uploaded_flleinfo->getSizeByUnit('kb')) ?> KB</li>
    <li>extension: <?= esc($uploaded_flleinfo->guessExtension()) ?></li>
</ul>

<p><?= 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 app/Controllers/ directory:

<?php

namespace App\Controllers;

use CodeIgniter\Files\File;

class Upload extends BaseController
{
    protected $helpers = ['form'];

    public function index()
    {
        return view('upload_form', ['errors' => []]);
    }

    public function upload()
    {
        $validationRule = [
            'userfile' => [
                'label' => 'Image File',
                'rules' => 'uploaded[userfile]'
                    . '|is_image[userfile]'
                    . '|mime_in[userfile,image/jpg,image/jpeg,image/gif,image/png,image/webp]'
                    . '|max_size[userfile,100]'
                    . '|max_dims[userfile,1024,768]',
            ],
        ];
        if (! $this->validate($validationRule)) {
            $data = ['errors' => $this->validator->getErrors()];

            return view('upload_form', $data);
        }

        $img = $this->request->getFile('userfile');

        if (! $img->hasMoved()) {
            $filepath = WRITEPATH . 'uploads/' . $img->store();

            $data = ['uploaded_flleinfo' => new File($filepath)];

            return view('upload_success', $data);
        }
        $data = ['errors' => 'The file has already been moved.'];

        return view('upload_form', $data);
    }
}

Note

Since the value of a file upload HTML field doesn’t exist, and is stored in the $_FILES global, only Rules for File Uploads can be used to validate upload file with Validation. The rule required also can’t be used, so use uploaded instead.

The Upload Directory 

The uploaded files are stored in the writable/uploads/ directory.

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, png, or webp). If the path in your controller is correct it should work.

Accessing Files 

All Files 

When you upload files they can be accessed natively in PHP through the $_FILES superglobal. This array has some major shortcomings when working with multiple files uploaded at once, and has potential security flaws many developers are not aware of. CodeIgniter helps with both of these situations by standardizing your usage of files behind a common interface.

Files are accessed through the current IncomingRequest instance. To retrieve all files that were uploaded with this request, use getFiles(). This will return an array of files represented by instances of CodeIgniter\HTTP\Files\UploadedFile:

<?php

$files = $this->request->getFiles();

Of course, there are multiple ways to name the file input, and anything but the simplest can create strange results. The array returns in a manner that you would expect. With the simplest usage, a single file might be submitted like:

<input type="file" name="avatar" />

Which would return a simple array like:

[
    'avatar' => // UploadedFile instance,
];

Note

The UploadedFile instance corresponds to $_FILES. Even if a user just clicks the submit button and does not upload any file, the instance will still exist. You can check that the file was actually uploaded by the isValid() method in UploadedFile. See Verify a File.

If you used an array notation for the name, the input would look something like:

<input type="file" name="my-form[details][avatar]" />

The array returned by getFiles() would look more like this:

[
     'my-form' => [
        'details' => [
            'avatar' => // UploadedFile instance
        ],
    ],
]

In some cases, you may specify an array of files to upload:

Upload an avatar: <input type="file" name="my-form[details][avatars][]" />
Upload an avatar: <input type="file" name="my-form[details][avatars][]" />

In this case, the returned array of files would be more like:

[
    'my-form' => [
        'details' => [
            'avatar' => [
                0 => // UploadedFile instance,
                1 => // UploadedFile instance,
            ],
        ],
    ],
]

Single File 

If you just need to access a single file, you can use getFile() to retrieve the file instance directly. This will return an instance of CodeIgniter\HTTP\Files\UploadedFile:

Simplest usage

With the simplest usage, a single file might be submitted like:

<input type="file" name="userfile" />

Which would return a simple file instance like:

<?php

$file = $this->request->getFile('userfile');

Array notation

If you used an array notation for the name, the input would look something like:

<input type="file" name="my-form[details][avatar]" />

For get the file instance:

<?php

$file = $this->request->getFile('my-form.details.avatar');

Multiple files 

<input type="file" name="images[]" multiple />

In controller:

<?php

if ($imagefile = $this->request->getFiles()) {
    foreach ($imagefile['images'] as $img) {
        if ($img->isValid() && ! $img->hasMoved()) {
            $newName = $img->getRandomName();
            $img->move(WRITEPATH . 'uploads', $newName);
        }
    }
}

where the images is a loop from the form field name.

If there are multiple files with the same name you can use getFile() to retrieve every file individually.

In controller:

<?php

$file1 = $this->request->getFile('images.0');
$file2 = $this->request->getFile('images.1');

You might find it easier to use getFileMultiple(), to get an array of uploaded files with the same name:

<?php

$files = $this->request->getFileMultiple('images');

Another example:

Upload an avatar: <input type="file" name="my-form[details][avatars][]" />
Upload an avatar: <input type="file" name="my-form[details][avatars][]" />

In controller:

<?php

$file1 = $this->request->getFile('my-form.details.avatars.0');
$file2 = $this->request->getFile('my-form.details.avatars.1');

Note

Using getFiles() is more appropriate.

Working With the File 

Once you’ve retrieved the UploadedFile instance, you can retrieve information about the file in safe ways, as well as move the file to a new location.

Verify a File 

You can check that a file was actually uploaded via HTTP with no errors by calling the isValid() method:

<?php

if (! $file->isValid()) {
    throw new \RuntimeException($file->getErrorString() . '(' . $file->getError() . ')');
}

As seen in this example, if a file had an upload error, you can retrieve the error code (an integer) and the error message with the getError() and getErrorString() methods. The following errors can be discovered through this method:

The file exceeds your upload_max_filesize ini directive.
The file exceeds the upload limit defined in your form.
The file was only partially uploaded.
No file was uploaded.
The file could not be written on disk.
File could not be uploaded: missing temporary directory.
File upload was stopped by a PHP extension.

File Names 

getName()

You can retrieve the original filename provided by the client with the getName() method. This will typically be the filename sent by the client, and should not be trusted. If the file has been moved, this will return the final name of the moved file:

<?php

$name = $file->getName();

getClientName()

Always returns the original name of the uploaded file as sent by the client, even if the file has been moved:

<?php

$originalName = $file->getClientName();

getTempName()

To get the full path of the temp file that was created during the upload, you can use the getTempName() method:

<?php

$tempfile = $file->getTempName();

Other File Info 

getClientExtension()

Returns the original file extension, based on the file name that was uploaded:

<?php

$ext = $file->getClientExtension();

Warning

This is NOT a trusted source. For a trusted version, use guessExtension() instead.

getClientMimeType()

Returns the mime type (mime type) of the file as provided by the client. This is NOT a trusted value. For a trusted version, use getMimeType() instead:

<?php

$type = $file->getClientMimeType();

echo $type; // image/png

Moving Files 

Each file can be moved to its new location with the aptly named move() method. This takes the directory to move the file to as the first parameter:

<?php

$file->move(WRITEPATH . 'uploads');

By default, the original filename was used. You can specify a new filename by passing it as the second parameter:

<?php

$newName = $file->getRandomName();
$file->move(WRITEPATH . 'uploads', $newName);

Once the file has been removed the temporary file is deleted. You can check if a file has been moved already with the hasMoved() method, which returns a boolean:

<?php

if ($file->isValid() && ! $file->hasMoved()) {
    $file->move($path);
}

Moving an uploaded file can fail, with an HTTPException, under several circumstances:

the file has already been moved
the file did not upload successfully
the file move operation fails (e.g., improper permissions)

Store Files 

Each file can be moved to its new location with the aptly named store() method.

With the simplest usage, a single file might be submitted like:

<input type="file" name="userfile" />

By default, upload files are saved in writable/uploads directory. The YYYYMMDD folder and random file name will be created. Returns a file path:

<?php

$path = $this->request->getFile('userfile')->store();

You can specify a directory to move the file to as the first parameter. A new filename by passing it as the second parameter:

<?php

$path = $this->request->getFile('userfile')->store('head_img/', 'user_name.jpg');

Moving an uploaded file can fail, with an HTTPException, under several circumstances:

the file has already been moved
the file did not upload successfully
the file move operation fails (e.g., improper permissions)