Display message while uploading

Question

This is been talked about forever in this forum, but none the less, I can't find a satisfactory answer.
My situation is the following:
My webapp requires users to upload files to the server (actually, it is a file sharing app).
The uploading itself I have solved (jspSmartUpload or O'Reilly, or whatever, they do pretty much the same).
The problem is this: When users submit the form (for uploading) they do not get an answer from the server until the transfer is complete. For small files, this is now problem, as the answer comes fast. For bigger files it becomes an issue because the user (no matter how much I tell them not to) think that nothing is happening and push the stop button or close the browser.
I want to display an animated gif with a please wait message during the transfer process. The problem is how? The most promising idea I read about in my extensive search is using frames, one display's the message, the other processes the transfer but I can not make it work because the post is made to the html page wich has the frameset, not to the jsp that uploads itself, and since the pageContext changes, the uploading fails.
If anybody has figured out how to do it or has any idea, I will greatly appreciate it.
Ylan

Answer 1

Hello.
If you are not familiar with layers you will find difficult to implemented what i have just suggested...
However, i have implemented it and it works so here it is...
Use this javascript...
<script language="javascript">
<!--
function uploadWithMsg(){
     document.all["Layer1"].style.visibility = "visible";
     document.forms["theform"].submit();
</script>
here is the code for the layer
<div id="Layer1" style="position:absolute; width:200px; height:115px; left: 26px; top: 45; background-color: #FF3333; layer-background-color: #FF3333; border: 1px none #000000; visibility: hidden">Wait!!,
would you?</div>
Note that you can change its position and shape with left, top, width and height properties. Instead of that unpolite message you can please your gifs, tables, or any other common html code.
finnaly the form would look like this
<form name="theform" method="post" action="http://www.javasoft.com" enctype="multipart/form-data">
<p>
<input type="file" name="file">
</p>
<p>
<input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit" onclick="javascript: uploadWithMsg(); return;">
</p>
</form>
do not forget the return; it allows the function to submit the form.
... thats it.
If your wish to use the popUp window... you will have to place a button in it that close it.
Hope that helps
Bye
Otto