I would like to allow users to upload pictures to my server

Question

hello;
I would like for users to be able to upload jpgs from a HTML
interface;
the pictures will then be available to be dynamically loaded
into the website;
PROBLEM 1 : can a HTML webpage access a user's computer to
get the picture?
PROBLEM 2 : how to upload it to the server? Javascript does
not have access to the server, PHP does not have access to the
webpage;
PROBLEM 3 : checking for filetypes of pictures;
any thoughts?
thanks
dsdsdsdsd

Answer 1

dsdsdsdsd wrote:
> David, thank you very much; I was not expecting that
HTML would have a
> form.input type that would do this;
It's even available with a single click in Dreamweaver. Just
select File
Field from the Forms category of the Insert bar. It's
completely
cross-browser, and automatically generates the Browser
button.
> would you please check your "PHP Solutions" link; I
would like to read it but
> I am getting an Error 404;
The link is fine. I had a temporary problem logging onto my
mail account
a little earlier, so it's possible that the server might have
been down
for a short while.
> but might you tell me in a nutshell about the security
issue? seems to me that
> the PHP developer does not need to be concerned about
security, but instead
> only the innocent websurfer needs to be concerned about
the security of their
> pc's directory structure;
There is absolutely nothing for the innocent websurfer to
worry about,
and everything for the PHP developer to guard against. The
form is
entirely under the control of the user. The browse facility
simply lets
the user select the file to be uploaded.
You, as the PHP developer, on the other hand, need to make
sure that
what's being uploaded doesn't exceed a maximum size, that
it's of an
acceptable MIME type, that it doesn't contain a script that
attempts to
probe the file system on your server, and that it doesn't
contain
offensive or illegal material. Letting unknown people upload
files to
your server makes you vulnerable to a whole slew of malicious
attacks.
You probably cannot eliminate all potential problems
(particularly
regarding obscene or illegal material), but you can take a
lot of
precautions to minimize your risk.
David Powers, Adobe Community Expert
Author, "The Essential Guide to Dreamweaver CS3" (friends of
ED)
Author, "PHP Solutions" (friends of ED)
http://foundationphp.com/