Multiple file uploader (whole directory)

[arbitter]

This has probably been asked here tons of times, and yes I've searched on google but I can't find a decently explained method.

 

What I want is to be able to upload a whole directory of pictures at once. These pictures must go through the following:

• Be cropped in size (about 600px width/height)
  
• This must be stored in a folder under a random name
  
• A thumbnail must be made, with the same name, in another folder
  
• The location of each picture should be stored in a database
  

 

What I've said here is all PHP I presume, and that I can take care of, I think.

 

The problem is the multiuploader. I understand it can't be done in PHP, since PHP lets only 1 file per input tag, so you cannot select a directory. So this should be done with javascript/java/???

 

 

Additional questions:

• if I do mkdir('/pictures/$mapname/thumbs');, the 'pictures' already exists but the rest doesn't. Does it create the $mapname dir and the thumbs, or should I use 2 different mkdir's?
  
• What width is best to save the images to?
  
• What with is the best to save the thumbs to?
  
• So many more, but I'll keep it at this!
  

 

I know it's a lot of questions, but it would really be handy if I could do this!

 

Thanks in advance!