getting the full file path from a FileUpload control

Question

User2069758653 posted

When I browse to select a file using the FileUpload control, the file's full path is displayed in the accompanying textbox but when I try to get at the full path in my code, the path to the file is stripped off automatically and i can't find it.  I need to perform different actions depending on what directory the file is from, so i need to get at the path.  I seem to run into the same problem with the simple html file input control as well.

It seems like I must be overlooking something very simple.  Does anyone know how I can get at the full path?

 thanks so much,
   Rob
 

Answer 1

User1439985827 posted
You can't. For security purposes, the browser will never post the full file's path.

Answer 2

User1477435862 posted

When I browse to select a file using the FileUpload control, the file's full path is displayed in the accompanying textbox but when I try to get at the full path in my code, the path to the file is stripped off automatically and i can't find it.  I need to perform different actions depending on what directory the file is from, so i need to get at the path.  I seem to run into the same problem with the simple html file input control as well.

It seems like I must be overlooking something very simple.  Does anyone know how I can get at the full path?

 thanks so much,
   Rob

As Kevin has said, you can't get the path of the file. The reason for this is that the path is only relative to the client computer and once the file is uploaded to the server it is no longer relevant. You can't depend on knowing the file structure of the client machine, as it may change without you knowing, which would then break your code. You will need some other method of determining what action to perform. 

Answer 3

User2069758653 posted

In this situation, the page is part of our company's intranet, and there's a standard set of named shared directories for everyone.  If the file uploaded comes from the H drive, handle it one way, if it comes from the V drive, handle it another, and so on.  The directory structure is known beforehand.

I figured out the basis of a work-around:

A CustomValidator control runs a client-side script in which I set the value of an html element to the full path.  I' know how to set the innerHTML of an element in javascript, but I don't know how to read in that value in a server method (or even if that's possible ).  I also am not sure how/if it's possible to set the vale of a .NET element using javascript.

Any ideas on either of these or maybe about some other kind of potential work-around?
 

 

Answer 4

User-1087479560 posted
Hi,

Whether the full path of the posted file will be trimmed or not depends on the browser.
If you are using ie, the path will not be trimmed, while for opera, only the file name is retrievable.

The work around is to store the full path in somewhere else and then retrieve it on the server. You can use a hidden Textbox to store it, and use TextBox.Text on the server to get it.

Hope it helps.

Answer 5

User1158023974 posted

 Can you please explain that. Sorry I am very new. I need to pass the full file path as an argument to a function. How can I do it. In IE I will get the full file path but not in Mozilla

Please Help

Regards

Hanimv 

Answer 6

User-1087479560 posted

 You can use javascript to achieve this before submit.

For instance<asp:button onClientClick="document.getElementById('hiddenField1').value = document.getElementById('fileUpload1').value"  ... 

Then the path can be retrieved on server side via hiddenField1.Value 

Answer 7

User1158023974 posted

Thank you very much Wen . That helped 

Answer 8

User28029742 posted

There is another thread that's pretty similar to this that has another solution that does not require a hidden field.  http://forums.asp.net/p/1170634/1959688.aspx

it uses the PostedFile piece of the FileUpload control.

Answer 9

User269897107 posted

 I am using the hidden textbox, but still in Firefox I get only the file name. It works in anyway in IE...but not in Firefox. Is there anyway that accross different browsers I could just get the path and be able to save it in a variable of any kind?

This is the way I am using it:

ID="SendBtn" onClientClick="document.getElementById('HiddenTextBox').value = document.getElementById('AttachFileUpload').value" runat="server"...

 Thanks in advance!

Answer 10

User1648218563 posted

I Solved the Problem

 lbltext.Text = FileUpload1.PostedFile.FileName

Answer 11

User-2059028967 posted

Hi all!

I got problem with full path of FileUpload control:

    When i use Attachment object in order to attach one file to EmailMessage. An error was occured " file not found " - Fileupload control only has a short filename not full path and even if it has full path, the file still not exist . Please help me! How to attach a file to EmailMessage?

 Thanks all!

Answer 12

User1116733743 posted

Thanks, this helped me.

lbltext.Text = FileUpload1.PostedFile.FileName 

The reason I wanted this, was to import a set of data using excel sheet. I did not want to upload the file to server and then read it. For now it is working fine. I am able to read it from the local path and then import the data. Not sure if this will work in the hosted env. Will there be any security issues in readin the contect diectly from the clint.

Manju 

 

 

Answer 13

User-1757185021 posted

 

I Solved the Problem

 lbltext.Text = FileUpload1.PostedFile.FileName

 

Can you pls elaborate on this. I didn't understand what you mean. I am facing a similar problem of getting the full path, not just the file name.

Answer 14

User-156926311 posted

FileUpload1.PostedFile.FileName -> this actually returns the client filename. Meaning the path to the specified file.

Supposed you have a file text1.txt stored in your C:/ drive.

Selecting it in the FileUpload1 control and then accessing the FileUpload1.PostedFile.FileName attribute, would return:

C:\\text1.txt