File Uploader Example

The Trongate PHP Framework

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The Trongate PHP Framework

Working with Files

File Uploader Example

Let's walk through building a document uploader using Trongate's upload_file() method. This example will demonstrate creating a secure PDF document uploader with proper validation and error handling.

The following example pertains to a hypothetical custom module named as 'documents'.

Step 1: Create the Upload Form

Create a view file (e.g., upload_form.php) in your module's views directory:

The 'accept' property is an HTML attribute for specifying acceptable file types for uploads. Here's how you can use it:

Step 2: Create the Controller

Create a controller (e.g., documents.php) in your module's controllers directory:

Step 3: Create the Success View

Create a success view file (e.g., upload_success.php):

Directory Structure

Your module structure should look like this:

Understanding the Configuration Options

Option	Description	Default
`destination`	Directory where files will be uploaded	Required
`upload_to_module`	If true, files are uploaded to the module's assets directory	false
`make_rand_name`	If true, generates a random filename for uploaded files	false

File Upload Validation Rules

Trongate provides several validation rules specifically for file uploads:

required: Ensures a file was selected
allowed_types[type1,type2]: Specify allowed file extensions (e.g., pdf,doc,txt)
max_size[size_in_kb]: Maximum file size in kilobytes

Always validate file types to prevent unauthorized file uploads
Use make_rand_name to prevent filename conflicts and increase security
Set appropriate file size limits to prevent server overload
Ensure your upload directory has correct permissions (typically 755)

Handling the Upload Response

On successful upload, upload_file() returns an array containing:

file_name: The name of the uploaded file
file_path: The complete server path to the uploaded file
file_type: The MIME type of the uploaded file
file_size: The size of the uploaded file in bytes

In the next section, we'll explore using the upload_picture() method, which provides additional features specifically for handling image uploads.