Storing Images in MySQL

Anon

(Please view: http://www.phpbuilder.com/columns/florian19991014.php3?page=2 ).

I implemented this ALMOST successfully - I need a little help. The fopen() function tries to read a file residing on the SERVER and not on the CLIENT's computer... Any idea how to fix this?

[deleted]

If you read the article closely, you'll see that this is about uploading data from the client.

It is ofcourse not possible to use fopen() to open files from the client.

Anon

I know... Why do you think I asked for help? Duh...

[deleted]

So you read the article, you saw they used file uploads, and you know fopen() can't open files from the client.

What the F is your problem?

Anon

I want to know if there is some sort of ALTERNATIVE.

[deleted]

Well there ISN'T.

Anon

Um...yes there is. vBulletin uses it.

[deleted]

They have a way of downloading a file from a client without the client uploading it?

Anon

that's not what i want!!!

Anon

$data = addslashes(fread(fopen($form_data, "r"), filesize($form_data)));

^-- Perhaps you did not understand, vincent. The script in that article is supposed to upload a binary file from the client to the database. As you can see from this code, the author attempted to open a file uploaded by the client. IS THIS POSSIBLE, OR DID THE AUTHOR JUST SCREW UP?

[deleted]

Ofcourse this is possible. What else would be the point of uploading a file in the first place?

The trick is that the when the file is uploaded, it is immediately saved to disk.
PHP does this, and there's nothing you can do about it.
This file is then opened and stored in the database.

So no, the author did not screw up. The only bad thing about the article is that storing binaries in a database is generally a bad idea in the first place.

Anon

No, it is not possible. Look at this error:

Warning: Unable to access C:\My Documents\bart.jpg in /web/sites/269/thunderboltsc/www.thunderboltsc.f2s.com/news/admin.php on line 22

Warning: fopen("C:\My Documents\bart.jpg","r") - No such file or directory in /web/sites/269/thunderboltsc/www.thunderboltsc.f2s.com/news/admin.php on line 22

Warning: Supplied argument is not a valid File-Handle resource in /web/sites/269/thunderboltsc/www.thunderboltsc.f2s.com/news/admin.php on line 22

[deleted]

looks like you have a php script on a unix machine and an image file on a windows machine right?

Anon

yep

[deleted]

I give up... I guess I speak a different language or something.
Didn't your reply to my first post say
"I know... Why do you think I asked for help? Duh..."
confirming that you know that fopen() cannot open files that are not on the same machine? Hello!

The UPLOADED file is stored on disk, and fopen cannot open files on another filesystem. So which disk do you think the uploaded file is store on??
Well just to avoid any more confusion; it's the server's disk.

The method used in the article works, so use it!

PS Go back to the PHP manual and read the bit about handling file uploads.
Then read the bit about fopen().
Then try implementing the article again, WITHOUT changing it.

Thread ends.

Anon

what a funny thread. If there's a faster way of answering messages is that post all your questions the first time, that way they can all be answered at once. not one word at a time. But dont mind me, im just testing this out 🙂

mikeq

Hi icknay,

vincent is absolutely correct in what he is saying.

You can't open a file on the Client computer as your first post implied you are trying to do.

It works like this:

You have a form that allows a user to select a file on their machine.

PHP script runs and saves that file to somewhere on the server

e.g. /serverdisk/uploads/

your PHP script must then pick up the file from the sever location to work with it(/serverdisk/uploads/), not from the users machine i.e. C:\My Documents

Hope this helps
Mike

mdell

This post may not be what I was looking for.
But it is a good Laugh!
Thanks