[SOLVED] Letting users upload multiple images testing for null fields

[TGWSE_GY]

Hi guys,

 

I have my table setup in mysql for storing the base64_encode() string for images. I am wanting to allow the user to upload 5 images at a time, however I know I am going to need to test to make sure of which fields return a actual value to script before storing the base64 results in the table. I am wondering what would be the best method for testing for "NULL" value passed to the script because of an empty field and omitting that item obviously because it is NULL. Any help would be very helpful.

 

Thanks

[PFMaBiSmAd]

A) Don't use base64_encode() to store binary information anywhere, because that will increase the storage requirements by 33% more space than the original data. base64_encode() is intended when you must transmit binary data through a method that does not support binary transfer.

 

B) Add the following debugging code so that you can see what you do get when a file upload field is left blank -

 

echo "<pre>";
echo "FILES:";
print_r($_FILES);
echo "</pre>";

[TGWSE_GY]

here is the code that I run

 

session_start();
if (isset($_SESSION['Usr'])) {
// Grab Images from image_upload.php form
$Image1 = $_FILES['formImage1'];
$Image2 = $_FILES['formImage2'];
$Image3 = $_FILES['formImage3'];
$Image4 = $_FILES['formImage4'];
$Image5 = $_FILES['formImage5'];

echo "<pre>";
echo "FILES:";
print_r($_FILES);
echo "</pre>";
die();

 

 

and this is the response I get, I uploaded 4 files and left the 5th null.

 

FILES:Array
(
    [formImage1] => Array
        (
            [name] => 3293041108_5133a1c0fa.jpg
            [type] => 
            [tmp_name] => 
            [error] => 2
            [size] => 0
        )

    [formImage2] => Array
        (
            [name] => head.jpg
            [type] => image/jpeg
            [tmp_name] => /tmp/php5Oq6gT
            [error] => 0
            [size] => 7583
        )

    [formImage3] => Array
        (
            [name] => little-men3.png
            [type] => image/png
            [tmp_name] => /tmp/phpuxye6W
            [error] => 0
            [size] => 6293
        )

    [formImage4] => Array
        (
            [name] => header_green_geo.png
            [type] => image/png
            [tmp_name] => /tmp/phpIf1vrZ
            [error] => 0
            [size] => 8712
        )

    [formImage5] => Array
        (
            [name] => 
            [type] => 
            [tmp_name] => 
            [error] => 4
            [size] => 0
        )

)

[TGWSE_GY]

So do I test the size value for greater than 0 and if its true insert it into the database? and also if its not a good idea to use base64_encode because of space requirements to store the images in the MYSQL DB, then how do I store them into a MYSQL table.

 

Thanks

[PFMaBiSmAd]

Only the 2nd, and 3rd files actually uploaded. The 1st and 4th have errors - http://www.php.net/manual/en/features.file-upload.errors.php

 

You must test the ['error'] element before you attempt to use any of the uploaded file information.

 

You should also use an array for the field name so that you can simply loop to process all the files instead of repeating code for each file - http://www.php.net/manual/en/features.file-upload.multiple.php

 

Databases are not file storage engines. Operating system file systems are. There is additional overhead and several limitations when storing and retrieving files in a database. Store files in an operating system file system, that is what it was designed to be efficient at doing.

 

If you must store binary data in a database, use a BLOB data type.