Check if a file is going to be uploaded? CodeIgniter - php

Question

I have a form with few inputs and a file input.
I want to check whethere the file input is empty or not.
If it is empty do not try to upload, if it is not then try to upload it.
I tried something like this:
$upld_file = $this->upload->data();
if(!empty($upld_file))
{
//Upload file
}

Answer 1

you use codeigniter's file uploader class... and call $this->upload->do_upload(); in a conditional statement ahd check if its true.
<?php
if ( ! $this->upload->do_upload()){
$error = array('error' => $this->upload->display_errors());
$this->load->view('upload_form', $error);
}
else{
$data = array('upload_data' => $this->upload->data());
$this->load->view('upload_success', $data);
}
The user_guide explains this in detail: http://codeigniter.com/user_guide/libraries/file_uploading.html
However,
if you are dead set on checking whether a file has been "uploaded" aka.. submitted BEFORE you call this class (not sure why you would). You can access PHPs $_FILES super global.. and use a conditional to check if size is > 0.
http://www.php.net/manual/en/reserved.variables.files.php
Update 2: This is actual working code, i use it on an avatar uploader myself using CI 2.1
<?php
//Just in case you decide to use multiple file uploads for some reason..
//if not, take the code within the foreach statement
foreach($_FILES as $files => $filesValue){
if (!empty($filesValue['name'])){
if ( ! $this->upload->do_upload()){
$error = array('error' => $this->upload->display_errors());
$this->load->view('upload_form', $error);
}else{
$data = array('upload_data' => $this->upload->data());
$this->load->view('upload_success', $data);
}
}//nothing chosen, dont run.
}//end foreach

Answer 2

Probably do need more info. But basically, using the codeigniter upload class do something like this:
$result = $this->upload->do_upload();
if($result === FALSE)
{
// handle error
$message = $this->upload->display_errors();
}
else
{
// continue
}
There is a lot of functionality in codeigniter, probably don't need to re-invent the wheel here.