cffile action = "upload"

Description

Copies a file to a directory on the server.

Syntax

<cffile 
  action = "upload"
  fileField = "formfield"
  destination = "full_path_name"
  nameConflict = "behavior"
  accept = "mime_type/file_type"
  mode = "permission"
  attributes = "file_attribute_or_list">

History

New in ColdFusion MX: A directory path that you specify in the destination attribute does not require a trailing slash.

New in ColdFusion MX: on Windows platforms, the temporary, archive, and system options of the attributes attribute are deprecated. Do not use them in new applications. They might not work, and might cause an error, in later releases.

Attributes

Attribute Req/Opt Default Description

action
Required

Type of file manipulation that the tag performs.

fileField
Required

Name of form field used to select the file.
Do not use pound signs (#) to specify the field name.

destination
Required

Absolute pathname of directory or file on web server.
ColdFusion 5 and earlier: trailing slash in directory path is required. ColdFusion MX: trailing slash in directory path is optional. On Windows, use backward slashes; on UNIX, use forward slashes.

nameConflict
Optional
Error
Action to take if filename is the same as that of a file in the directory.

Error: file is not saved. ColdFusion stops processing the page and returns an error.

Skip: file is not saved. This option permits custom behavior based on file properties.

Overwrite: replaces file.

MakeUnique: forms a unique filename for the upload; name is stored in the file object variable serverFile.

accept
Optional

Limits the MIME types to accept. Comma-delimited list. For example, to permit JPG and Microsoft Word file uploads:
accept = "image/jpg, application/msword"
The browser uses file extension to determine file type.

mode
Optional

Applies only to Solaris and HP-UX. Permissions. Octal values of chmod command. Assigned to owner, group, and other, respectively. For example:

644: Assigns read/write permission to owner; read permission to group and other

777: Assigns read/write/execute permission to all

attributes
Optional

One attribute (Windows) or a comma-delimited list of attributes (other platforms) to set on the file.
If omitted, the file's attributes are maintained.
Each value must be specified explicitly. For example, if you specify attributes = "readOnly", all other attributes are overwritten.

readOnly

hidden

normal (if you use this option with other attributes, it is overridden by them)

Attribute	Req/Opt	Default	Description
action	Required		Type of file manipulation that the tag performs.
fileField	Required		Name of form field used to select the file. Do not use pound signs (#) to specify the field name.
destination	Required		Absolute pathname of directory or file on web server. ColdFusion 5 and earlier: trailing slash in directory path is required. ColdFusion MX: trailing slash in directory path is optional. On Windows, use backward slashes; on UNIX, use forward slashes.
nameConflict	Optional	Error	Action to take if filename is the same as that of a file in the directory. Error: file is not saved. ColdFusion stops processing the page and returns an error. Skip: file is not saved. This option permits custom behavior based on file properties. Overwrite: replaces file. MakeUnique: forms a unique filename for the upload; name is stored in the file object variable `serverFile`.
accept	Optional		Limits the MIME types to accept. Comma-delimited list. For example, to permit JPG and Microsoft Word file uploads: `accept = "image/jpg, application/msword"` The browser uses file extension to determine file type.
mode	Optional		Applies only to Solaris and HP-UX. Permissions. Octal values of chmod command. Assigned to owner, group, and other, respectively. For example: 644: Assigns read/write permission to owner; read permission to group and other 777: Assigns read/write/execute permission to all
attributes	Optional		One attribute (Windows) or a comma-delimited list of attributes (other platforms) to set on the file. If omitted, the file's attributes are maintained. Each value must be specified explicitly. For example, if you specify `attributes = "readOnly"`, all other attributes are overwritten. readOnly hidden normal (if you use this option with other attributes, it is overridden by them)

Usage

After a file upload is completed, you can get status information using file upload parameters. The status parameters use the cffile prefix; for example, cffile.clientDirectory. Status parameters can be used anywhere other ColdFusion parameters can be used.

Note: The file prefix is deprecated, in favor of the cffile prefix. Do not use the file prefix in new applications.

The following file upload status parameters are available after an upload.

Parameter Description

attemptedServerFile
Initial name ColdFusion used when attempting to save a file

clientDirectory
Directory location of the file uploaded from the client's system

clientFile
Name of the file uploaded from the client's system

clientFileExt
Extension of the uploaded file on the client system (without a period)

clientFileName
Name of the uploaded file on the client system (without an extension)

contentSubType
MIME content subtype of the saved file

contentType
MIME content type of the saved file

dateLastAccessed
Date and time the uploaded file was last accessed

fileExisted
Whether the file already existed with the same path (Yes or No)

fileSize
Size of the uploaded file

fileWasAppended
Whether ColdFusion appended uploaded file to a file (Yes or No)

fileWasOverwritten
Whether ColdFusion overwrote a file (Yes or No)

fileWasRenamed
Whether uploaded file renamed to avoid a name conflict (Yes or No)

fileWasSaved
Whether Cold Fusion saves a file (Yes or No)

oldFileSize
Size of a file that was overwritten in the file upload operation

serverDirectory
Directory of the file saved on the server

serverFile
Filename of the file saved on the server

serverFileExt
Extension of the uploaded file on the server (without a period)

serverFileName
Name of the uploaded file on the server (without an extension)

timeCreated
Time the uploaded file was created

timeLastModified
Date and time of the last modification to the uploaded file

Parameter	Description
attemptedServerFile	Initial name ColdFusion used when attempting to save a file
clientDirectory	Directory location of the file uploaded from the client's system
clientFile	Name of the file uploaded from the client's system
clientFileExt	Extension of the uploaded file on the client system (without a period)
clientFileName	Name of the uploaded file on the client system (without an extension)
contentSubType	MIME content subtype of the saved file
contentType	MIME content type of the saved file
dateLastAccessed	Date and time the uploaded file was last accessed
fileExisted	Whether the file already existed with the same path (Yes or No)
fileSize	Size of the uploaded file
fileWasAppended	Whether ColdFusion appended uploaded file to a file (Yes or No)
fileWasOverwritten	Whether ColdFusion overwrote a file (Yes or No)
fileWasRenamed	Whether uploaded file renamed to avoid a name conflict (Yes or No)
fileWasSaved	Whether Cold Fusion saves a file (Yes or No)
oldFileSize	Size of a file that was overwritten in the file upload operation
serverDirectory	Directory of the file saved on the server
serverFile	Filename of the file saved on the server
serverFileExt	Extension of the uploaded file on the server (without a period)
serverFileName	Name of the uploaded file on the server (without an extension)
timeCreated	Time the uploaded file was created
timeLastModified	Date and time of the last modification to the uploaded file

Tip: To refer to parameters, use the cffile prefix: for example, #cffile.fileExisted#.

Note: File status parameters are read-only. They are set to the results of the most recent cffile operation. (If two cffile tags execute, the results of the second overwrite the first.)

Example

The following example creates a unique filename, if there is a name conflict when the file is uploaded on Windows:

<cffile action = "upload"

  fileField = "FileContents" 
  destination = "c:\web\uploads\" 
  accept = "text/html" 
  nameConflict = "MakeUnique">

The following examples show the use of the mode attribute. The first example creates the file /tmp/foo with permissions defined as: owner=read/write, group=read, other=read.

<cffile action = "write"
file = "/tmp/foo" 
mode = 644
output = "some text">

This example appends to a file and sets permissions to read/write (rw) for all.

<cffile action = "append" 
destination = "/home/tomj/testing.txt" 
mode = 666 
output = "Is this a test?">

This example uploads a file and sets permissions to owner/group/other = read/write/execute.

<cffile action = "upload" 
fileField = "fieldname" 
destination = "/tmp/program.exe" 
mode = 777>