Why is PHP not seeing the file upload through POST and jquery?

Question

I have this HTML:

<form action='uploadhandle.php' method='POST' enctype="multipart/form-data">
<input type='file' class='fileinput' id='photo1' name='photo1'>
<input type='button' id='upload1' name='upload1' value='Upload'>
</form>

My jquery code is:

$('#upload1').click(function(){
    $.ajax({
        url: "uploadhandle.php",
        data: 'photo1='+photo1,
        success: function(data){$('#result_div').html(data)}

        });

In my uploadhandle.php, when I try to display the $_POST['photo1'], nothing comes up, it's "undefined". Does anyone know what I did wrong?

Thanks a lot, Regards

score 6 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 17 '12 at 16:03

6

You cannot upload a file via AJAX. It isn't possible.

What IS possible is using a plugin or another method that "simulates" ajax by creating an iframe and submitting the info in the background. There are several plugins that handle this, some are very complex, some simply extend the ajax function itself.

That being said, your syntax server side is also wrong. You have to deal with $_FILES not $_POST to find and use the submitted file.

Good luck.

answered Mar 17 '12 at 16:03

Tim Withers

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Hi, thanks for your suggestions. I will look into that iframe method. Regards – eric01 Mar 17 '12 at 16:11

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:27

0

You can't upload file data through XHR (i.e. ajax). There is a file upload API in XHR2, but the most practical and cross browser compatible way today seems to use a hidden iframe to do the file upload.

Edit: See How do you post to an iframe?

edited May 23 '17 at 12:27

Community

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answered Mar 17 '12 at 16:04

Linus Thiel

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Thanks for clarifying, I am looking into your link. Regards – eric01 Mar 17 '12 at 16:12

Why is PHP not seeing the file upload through POST and jquery?

2 Answers2