[Resolved] uploading multiple files

Dinesh14

Hi,

I have a website and I would like the users to upload multiple images (only jpg files). My investigation has found most websites allow their users to upload images using a form with <INPUT type ="File" name ="userfile" size="30"> but I want my users to be able to upload 50 or more images at one time. It would not be viable to have 50 or more file input boxes.

The only way I can think this can be done is to archive the images into a tar file and then upload the single tar file. The problem I am having is, how do I untar the tar file once it is uploaded to the web server using php. Is there anyway?

I would really appreciate any advice.

Regards,
Dinesh. PHP newbie.

stolzyboy

so you are gonna make the user tar/zip the file, then upload that?

Dinesh14

yes,

that's not a problem because the user is going to export the images from one of our other programs (c++ application). So instead of exporting an image at a time, the application will export a tar file containing the selected images.

Though, we will work on the c++ application once we know that we can upload the images to our site.

regards,
Dinesh.

stolzyboy

well once you have the tar up there you could run a execute function with the

tar -xzf filename.tar

command, that may be a way for you to try

Oersoep

If TAR doesn't work you can also export all the images in one file with a delimiter.... kinda like an e-mail with attachment

Like this:

FILENAME: filename
FILETYPE: filetype
====binary_BS====

----DELIM----

FILENAME: filename
FILETYPE: filetype
====more_binary_BS====

----DELIM----

even_more_binary_BS

When the file is posted you just cut it to pieces with the usual string functions and save to disk...

Dinesh14

I assume I have to do something like

exec('tar -xzf filename.tar');

once I have copied the tar file from the upload_tmp_dir to my permenant directory, then I can delete the tar file.

Sorry to sound stupid but I dont really understand your post Oersoep ( I am kind of new). Is it possible you could explain further, it would be useful in case the tar method doesnt work.

What type of file would the export file be containing the images?

regards,
Dinesh.

stolzyboy

yep i would try what you have with the exec etc...

feldon23

Any reason why you can't just have

Oersoep

@
He said it would simply be to much. Filling out a form with 50 images one by one.

You said:

that's not a problem because the user is going to export the images from one of our other programs (c++ application). So instead of exporting an image at a time, the application will export a tar file containing the selected images.

Though, we will work on the c++ application once we know that we can upload the images to our site.

So I figured: You have all freedom in saving the images. An image is no more than a blob of binary data. Why not make a plain-text database?
If the C++ application is not built yet, you can make your own "Dinesh Image Library"
Just save the data you need, and place some string between the data. When you read in the file, after a file-upload, just cut the string into pieces...

Does anyone know if the file-upload field does a binary, ascii or automatic upload?

Dinesh14

Hi,

I have been trying to use the exec() within the php code to extract the tar file but it doesnt seem to work.

Heres my code

<?php

$uploaddir = '/var/www/html/uploads/';

print "<pre>";
if (move_uploaded_file($HTTP_POST_FILES['userfile']['tmp_name'], $uploaddir . $HTTP_POST_FILES['userfile']['name']))
{
print "File is valid, and was successfully uploaded. Here's some more debugging info:\n";
print_r($HTTP_POST_FILES);
exec('tar -xf /var/www/html/uploads/images.tar');
}
else
{
print "Here's some debugging info:\n";
print_r($HTTP_POST_FILES);
}

It does upload the tar file into the /var/www/html/uploads folder but doesnt extract the files. However, if I navigate to /var/www/html/uploads with the command prompt and then manually run tar -xf /var/www/html/uploads/images.tar a new directory structure is created within the upload folder -/var/www/html/uploads/ containing 9 images (the contents of the tar file).

Could there be a problem with user/folder permissions? Since the orginal "var" folder as the following permissions.

Owner : Read Write Execute
Group : Read Write Execute
Others : Read Execute

But I dont think it's wise to allow Others to write. Dont Know?

Also, I was wondering is there any performance and security issues using exec() on the server?

I would be grateful for any help, thanks and regards.

Dinesh

Dinesh14

I figured it out.

yes, it was due to permissions. The folder containing the php files needed to allow the user "others" to write.

Thanks for all your help.

Dinesh.