How can I let a user upload multiple text files and then loop through them and echo the contents of each one in PHP?

Question

I have a simple HTML form that allows a user to select multiple text files. I want to loop through them and echo each one. I have the following code:

Upload text document: <br/><br>
<form action="output.php" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
    <input type="file" name="documents[]" size="50" multiple="multiple" />
    <br />
    <input type="submit" value="Upload File" />
</form>

Then in output.php when I want to echo through each file and echo its contents. I tried this code:

$filenames = array();

if(isset($_FILES["documents"]))
{
   for($i=0; $_FILES['documents']['name'][$i] != '' ; $i++)
   {
       $filenames[$i] = $_FILES['documents']['name'][$i];

       $myfile = fopen("$_FILES['documents']['name'][$i]", "r") or die("Unable to open file!");

       echo fread($myfile,filesize("$_FILES['documents']['name'][$i]"));

       fclose($myfile);

    }

}

I get the following error:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected '' (T_ENCAPSED_AND_WHITESPACE), expecting identifier (T_STRING) or variable (T_VARIABLE) or number (T_NUM_STRING) in C:\wamp\www\php_sandbox\ValenceV1\ValenceV1_output.php

How can I fix this code, or if there is a better way to do this please do provide it. Thanks.

ditch the wrapping double quotes "$_FILES['documents']['name'][$i]" it doesn't make sense having that — Kevin
– Kevin, Commented Dec 5, 2014 at 2:29

Kevin · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-05 02:54:42Z

1

In you code, that error was triggered on those lines which has been wrapped with double quotes and then wrapping array indices with the single one. If you expect to read those files without using move_upload_file(), use the tmp_name index instead to read the temp file:

<?php

$contents = '';
if(isset($_FILES['documents'])) {
    $num_of_files = count($_FILES['documents']['name']);
    for($i = 0; $i < $num_of_files; $i++) {
        $tmp = $_FILES['documents']['tmp_name'][$i];
        $contents .= file_get_contents($tmp);
    }
    echo $contents;
}

?>

If you decided the foreach flavor directly pointing to tmp_name:

$contents = '';
if(isset($_FILES['documents'])) {
    foreach($_FILES['documents']['tmp_name'] as $tmp) {
        $contents .= file_get_contents($tmp);
    }
    echo $contents;
}

edited Dec 5, 2014 at 2:54

answered Dec 5, 2014 at 2:43

Kevin

41.9k12 gold badges57 silver badges72 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

4 Comments

modarwish Over a year ago

worked like a charm. thanks for that. this is more straightforward. @Ghost

Kevin Over a year ago

@modarwish sure no prob glad this helped

StackSlave Over a year ago

Why use count(), and not just a foreach loop?

Kevin Over a year ago

@PHPglue im just feeding off from what the OP has used, could use foreach, no harm in using this anyways

MH2K9 · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-05 02:28:59Z

1

Why you enclosed the vars by double quotes? Remove the quotes & can try what I posted.

$filenames = array();
if(isset($_FILES["documents"]))
{
    for($i=0; $_FILES['documents']['name'][$i] != '' ; $i++)
    {
        $filenames[$i] = $_FILES['documents']['name'][$i];
        $myfile = fopen($_FILES['documents']['name'][$i], "r") or die("Unable to open file!");
                       /*^^^*/                       /*^^^*/ 
        echo fread($myfile,filesize($_FILES['documents']['name'][$i]));
        fclose($myfile);
    }
}

answered Dec 5, 2014 at 2:28

MH2K9

12.1k7 gold badges34 silver badges49 bronze badges

1 Comment

modarwish Over a year ago

Thanks! I am getting warning: fopen(file1.txt): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in C:\wamp\www\php_sandbox\ValenceV1\output.php. I selected two text files, clicked upload, and then the error I got. Any idea why? @void main

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How can I let a user upload multiple text files and then loop through them and echo the contents of each one in PHP?

2 Answers 2

4 Comments

1 Comment

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

4 Comments

1 Comment

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related