Photo upload prevent overwriting

Question

So I've followed this link http://www.w3schools.com/php/php_file_upload.asp to make a photo uploading capability but rather than it saying that the file has already been uploaded when there is another file of the same name, how would i just make it change the file name to something else that hasn't been used before.

in other words, if there is another photo of the same name I still want it to upload but I don't want it to overwrite the existing one.

I basicaly want to replace this with something else to do that

// Check if file already exists
if (file_exists($target_file)) {
echo "Sorry, file already exists.";
$uploadOk = 0;

so that its something like this

// Check if file already exists
if (file_exists($target_file)) {
"do something to change file name"
$uploadOk = 1;

UPDATE: I got it to work. I just made it so that it renames every image to a unique id like stated bellow. thanks

also in that suggestion it should be this

$newTarget_file = $target_dir . uniqid() . "." . end($target_file);

Just check `file_exists($target_file)` if so then rename and upload your file — Sulthan Allaudeen, Feb 23 '15 at 06:03
but can I do that automaticaly? I don't want them to have to rename it just to find out that name was also taken and then have to do it again — Jacob Kelley, Feb 23 '15 at 06:07
Randomly generate the file-name on the sever after the upload? — Jon, Feb 23 '15 at 06:08
yes that is mainly what i want, but I do not know how to do that and is why I am asking — Jacob Kelley, Feb 23 '15 at 06:10

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 23 '15 at 06:18

1

add random numers to rename file

$name = explode(".",$_FILES["file"]["name"]);
$newName = rand(1,99999) . '.' .end($name);
move_uploaded_file($_FILES["file"]["tmp_name"], "../img/imageDirectory/" . $newName );

Or you also put if condition to verify if file name is exist or not. And if file is available add something to rename your file.

answered Feb 23 '15 at 06:18

Parag Soni

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Should use [uniqid](http://php.net/uniqid) instead of a random between 1-9999 ^^ – Jon Feb 23 '15 at 06:20
if you want to add uniq id then it should be use as $newName =uniqid().end($name); or $newName =end($name).uniqid(); – Parag Soni Feb 23 '15 at 06:27
this still just overwrites it – Jacob Kelley Feb 23 '15 at 06:37
So generate another one if it exists? – Jon Feb 23 '15 at 06:52
never mind I got it to work I spelled something wrong when I put the suggestion in. – Jacob Kelley Feb 25 '15 at 00:13

Photo upload prevent overwriting

1 Answers1