how do i get file path

Question

4.00/5 (1 vote)

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hi, i want to retrieve the file path of a file when it is being uploaded. When the user clicks browse and selects a file from his computer, i want to be able to retrieve the local path to this file even before it is uploaded. The code am using is below:

C#

string filePath = null;
           //this gets the file location of the excel sheet
           if (uploadFile.ContentLength > 0)
           {
              filePath = Path.Combine(HttpContext.Server.MapPath("../Uploads"), Path.GetFileName(uploadFile.FileName));



           }

it does not seem to work because the file has to be in the Upload folder first. meanwhile the user is suppose to select the file from any location and the system should retrieve the path. Any help is most appreciated

Posted 25-Aug-11 4:52am

Member 7250221

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Comments

Ed Nutting 25-Aug-11 11:08am

Please see: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/aspnet/fileupload.aspx or a similar article if you don't like this one. You need to understand the difference between client side and server side files/script. It scares me that you appear not to understand this basic concept.

Dave Kreskowiak 25-Aug-11 11:13am

Sadly, there is no voting on comments, otherwise I would give you a 5 for this one.

[no name] 25-Aug-11 11:15am

I must be interrupting it wrong. I don't see this as being helpful for the question that was asked

Dave Kreskowiak 25-Aug-11 13:23pm

It's obvious he doesn't know the difference between the two from his code snippet. Edward is correct, this guy needs to understand the differences before spelunking around with guesswork code that he doesn't understand the workings of.

[no name] 25-Aug-11 20:26pm

Sorry I don't see it as guess work code and spelunking about. I see it as someone trying to learn.

[no name] 25-Aug-11 11:13am

That good but the OP is already using a FileUpload control. And it is not a matter of understanding server-side vs. client-side. The question was, how to get the full path.

Ed Nutting 25-Aug-11 11:18am

Yes but he has written server-side code that tries to get the file path...an understanding of client-side/server-side code difference would have stopped him from doing that in the first place as it would be obvious that it would not work. Thus I deem he needs a better understanding. Secondly, I would like to ask why the OP needs such information, I certainly do not want websites collecting information about my file system... :/

[no name] 25-Aug-11 11:24am

Ours is not to wonder why :)

"It scares me that you appear not to understand this basic concept."
Is a bit excessive. I certainly don't know everything. Do you?

Ed Nutting 25-Aug-11 11:28am

Know but basic concepts like that should be learnt, especially before experimenting with file stuff where you can severely muck things up by blundering around. I mean how can anyone succeed in doing web development without learning this concept as well!? It's scary that people can do these sorts of things without really knowing what they're doing :S Anyway... it may not be 'ours' to wonder why' but it is ours' to give advice and my advice here is: don't do it! You should not collect info about someone's file system - that's what hackers and virus spreaders do! If the OP's purpose is not illegal or malicious then I'm sure the OP can find a way around needing the file path.

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Not Active · Answer 1 · 2011-08-25T04:59:00

Solution 1

A user can select a file for upload from any path they have access to, however, because of browser security you will not be able get this path, only the filename in the code-behind

Posted 25-Aug-11 4:59am

Not Active

Updated 25-Aug-11 5:28am

v2

Comments

[no name] 25-Aug-11 11:19am

You can get the path on the client side, store it in a hidden field and pass it back to the server.

[no name] 25-Aug-11 11:27am

I have had the cutesy to not make any further comments to you or about or bother you in the least. Do the same!

[no name] 25-Aug-11 11:51am

Pointing out a real mistake is not really a problem. I have even apologized. Let us be professional Mark. I have nothing against you personally.

[no name] 25-Aug-11 12:00pm

"I have nothing against you personally"
Yet, you called me pervert, moron and suggested I need psychological help. How is that not personal? As I said, if you want to truly and sincerely apologize then do it in the lounge, where these comments were made.

Otherwise, stay away or be reported as abusive, again.

[no name] 25-Aug-11 12:03pm

Apology is personal and I have done it. If you want to make a publicity out of it, then I'm not for the game. You fail to see the other side of the story.

[no name] 25-Aug-11 12:27pm

"Apology is personal" Yet the insults were public and very extensive.

"You fail to see the other side of the story". Neither do you.

One more time. Unless you are truly sincere, stop this nonsense.

[no name] 25-Aug-11 15:11pm

Thanks for the good gesture.

Shameel · Answer 2 · 2011-08-25T05:04:00

You code-behind code executes "after" the file is uploaded, so there is no way you can do it using C#. You may try to do it from jQuery like this:

JavaScript

var filename = $("#fileUploadControl").val();

[EDIT]As I can see, this solution works in IE and not in Firefox. Firefox returns the file name alone. Haven't tested this in other browsers.[/EDIT]