How to upload files using Codeigniter?

Question

I use this strange code to upload files:

        if (!empty($_FILES['file']['name']) && count(array_filter($_FILES['file']['name'])) > 0) {
            $filesCount = count($_FILES['file']['name']);
            for ($i = 0; $i < $filesCount; $i++) {
                $_FILES['file']['name']     = $_FILES['file']['name'][$i];
                $_FILES['file']['type']     = $_FILES['file']['type'][$i];
                $_FILES['file']['tmp_name'] = $_FILES['file']['tmp_name'][$i];
                $_FILES['file']['error']     = $_FILES['file']['error'][$i];
                $_FILES['file']['size']     = $_FILES['file']['size'][$i];

                /* File upload configuration */
                $uploadPath = 'uploads/reviews/';
                $config['upload_path'] = $uploadPath;
                $config['allowed_types'] = 'jpg|jpeg|png|gif';
                /* $config['max_size']    = '100'; */
                /* $config['max_width'] = '1024'; */
                /* $config['max_height'] = '768'; */

                /* Load and initialize upload library */
                $this->load->library('upload', $config);
                $this->upload->initialize($config);

                /* Upload file to server */
                if ($this->upload->do_upload('file')) {
                    /* Uploaded file data */
                    $fileData = $this->upload->data();
                    $uploadData[$i]['file_name'] = $fileData['file_name'];
                    $uploadData[$i]['uploaded_on'] = date("Y-m-d H:i:s");
                } else {
                }
            }
        }

But I wonder why it rewrites a $_FILES and why I get error on line:

    `$_FILES['file']['error']     = $_FILES['file']['error'][$i];`

Error is:

Message: Trying to access array offset on value of type int

why do you use *this strange code*, write the code new by following the [file upload class tutorial](https://codeigniter.com/userguide3/libraries/file_uploading.html). In your example you do in each loop an overwrite the $_FILES array, load and initialize the library over and over again? that code is just wrong and needs to be re-written — Vickel, May 02 '22 at 19:40

Marleen · Accepted Answer · 2022-05-04T17:19:57.007

You're getting the error because you're looping over an array and modifying that same array within the loop.

$_FILES['file']['error'][$i] is an integer, so in the first iteration of the loop $_FILES['file']['error'] becomes an integer.

In the second iteration of the loop, when you try to access $_FILES['file']['error'][$i], it is trying to treat the integer that is now at $_FILES['file']['error'] as an array and get element [$i], which is impossible.

(You're not getting this error on $_FILES['file']['name'][$i], $_FILES['file']['type'][$i] and $_FILES['file']['tmp_name'][$i] because the file name, type and tmp_name are string values.

And when you try to treat a string value as an array, it will get the character at position [$i]. Which probably isn't what you were looking for either, but it does not give an error.)

The solution is to copy the $_FILES array and loop over the copy while assigning the values back to the $_FILES array, as in the accepted answer here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/11539061/3960296

How to upload files using Codeigniter?

1 Answers1