File Uploading: File Types

Anon

Just wondering, I have written a wee form for uploading pdf files through a form box and code for uploading the file:

$filename=$HTTP_POST_FILES['userfile']['name'];
if (is_uploaded_file($userfile)) {
copy($userfile, "/home/sites/www.domain/path/to/folder$filename");
} else {
echo "Upload error!<br>";
}

Problem:
File type: pdf will not upload, but the code works with a .txt file. Assume this is a security thing in php config or Apache config. Can I add permission for .pdf files?

rrijnders

Make sure your form is ENCTYPE="multipart/form-data"

-- Rich Rijnders
-- Irvine, CA US

Anon

Thanks!
However, that has been taken care of, so the problem lies elsewhere?

rrijnders

AFAIK, there is no restriction on uploaded file types, but there may be a restriction on size. Try uploading a small pdf file (<2Mb) and see if that makes a difference.

The only other thing I can think of is there may be a problem with the is_uploaded_file() function. I have never used it. Try taking out that check and see if the file uploads.

HTH

-- Rich Rijnders
-- Irvine, CA US

Anon

Thanks.
I think it was the size issue, tried with a smaller PDF and was successful. Have changed the parameters, back to 2 Mb (had lowered it a bit as I thought that was a bit much).

1) Can one get PHP to echo back the reason for not uploading, i.e. file too big or permissions or such? (A useful type of tool I could apply in otehr debugging!)

2) Looks like PDF files are not as compact as I thought. What is normal for a 20 - 30 page report?

Thanks!

rrijnders

I don't know if there is a way to check the reason why a file does not upload. The size limit can be enforced in a number of ways. If you limit the size with the Apache configuration limit, then php never knows about the file. If you limited the size in the php.ini configuration, I am not sure if you can determine that someone tried to upload a bigger file.

In my pages, I limit the size in my script just by checking the $file_size variable and returning an error if it is more than I want (note the $file_size is actually the name of the form field with "_file" appended).

As for PDF "average" size; that of course depends on your settings when you create the pdf, how many and what types of images, etc. You will need to determine yourself what is "average" for your application.

HTH

-- Rich Rijnders
-- Irvine, CA US

Anon

It sounds more like a file size problem to me. The max on PHP default isn\'t very large, explaining why you can pass a txt file. I would up the MAX file size to something like 50 MB and try again.