Uploading file and saving filename to database

Like most of the questions I post here, this is another where I'm in the process of figuring it all out but just want to make sure I'm not missing anything. And even if it doesn't seem like it, I do do my home work and read the documentation and search the forum.

I applied a file field to an update page, replacing a text field that contained the image name. I kept the field name the smae and did not change the update record behavior. This actually worked as I was able to upload and replace the file. But when I went to update another item on the form it deleted my image name from the database. So after my research I made the following changes and so far so good. Please confirm that I have everything correctly cofigured.

1. In the upload Files behavor, the File field is bound to the File Field form element
2. The default file is bound to the column from the recordset that contains the filename
3. In the Data Assist update behavior, the database column is bound to the "Server File Name". found in the section called "Upload Files (myFileFieldName). I imagine the other options in this section are used for whatever they represent and what may be written to other database fields if needed, but for now I"m keeping it simple.

you should have a hidden form element in your form, bind the value of the hidden form element to the file column in your recordset.

in the upload file behavior, bind the Default file field to the hidden element.

Jason, I'm a little confused by this. My form has a file field and a hidden field. The contents of the hidden field will be inserted into the database. On the page, the sequence of functions is:

1. Upload image
2. Write the record to the database
3. Populate the hidden field

So, the record is written to the database before the hidden field is populated so that its value would appear in $_POST. What am I missing?

is this an insert page or update page?

The hidden field is only needed on the update page.

On an update page, the hidden field is used to store the name that exists in the database for that record already, so that if no file is uploaded, the default file name will use the already existing one.


on an insert page, you need only the file filed.

in the insert record behavior, bind the file column to the Wa Uploaded Files (File Field Name) -> Server File name variable.

But ... unless I'm missing something ... there's no way to delete the file. Once a file is uploaded, it can be replaced but not removed. Would making the hidden field a text field work? In other words, deleting the file name from the text field, then pressing the update button, would remove the thing from the database?

There is a "Delete Files" server behavior you can use to delete a file from the server. You would just have to add a check to see if the file name had changed and delete the old one if it was updated.

Thanks, Ray! I know you're busy.

I wasn't speaking of deleting the file. I was talking about deleting the file name from the record, which isn't possible with the hidden field scenario. I tried it with a visible text field, as I suggested above. It works. Deleting the file name from the text field, then pressing Update, removes the file name from the record.

You can use the "Delete Record" server behavior to delete a record from the table.

Mine was working, or so I thought, by using the steps I had in the original post and without the hidden field. This is an update page. I noticed that the file name being written to the database duplicated the file extension, such as "imagename.jpg.jpg"

So, first I added the hidden form element. I didn't think I needed that as I had bound the default file in the Upload behavior directly to the file column from the recordset. With the hidden form element, I can visualize the process and I know it works. Even though the direct bind to recordset also seemed to work, I still can't visualize the process with that method. So I'm keeping the hidden field.

Still, it didn't solve my duplicate extension problem. Not by itself anyway. Now that I had the hidden field, and the original file name safely bound to a form element, it just made sense to change the update record behavior to the file field, and not the server file name like I had originally.

Works great now! Now I just have to go back to my insert page which also contains and upload and see what crazy things I did on that one.