I need to add a user upload feature to a photostore website...

[ktheobald]

I am still a newbie in the world of web design. I am trying to help a small independent photostore owner add the ability to allow customers to upload images for printing. I am not sure what would be the best method and where I should start looking for information on it.

Here is the exactly what we would like to do...

Create a virutal drop box. Customers would goto the website fill in boxes for their name, address, phone number, the size of prints they want, number of prints they want, and then a place for them to upload the images. We are trying to keep it as simple as possible for the customer, so we are not worried about passwords or login ID. It would be nice if it could select a folder on the customers computer and upload it or allow the custom to pick just certain images to upload.

Any direction or ideas people could give would be greatly appreciated.

[ukgeoff]

What you want to do is both simple and more complex if you want it to operate cross-browser.

You just need to create a form and include this as one of the <form.. tags attributes:

Code: Select all

enctype='multipart/form-data'

This allow the forms to handle file attachments as well as data fields.

Now the reason it gets more complex, for the use you want, is that an input field of type file can only upload one file at a time. As you can't second guess how many files the user is going to want to upload, you would have to get them to select a quanity first and then use JavaScript to provide the necessary number of file input fields.

You are also going to need to cope with this in your script when the files are uploaded. There will also be a limit set in your php.ini file on the server, assuming you are using php, as to the max amount of upload available. You can manipulate this but you need to know what you are doing.

Do you have the ability to cope with this and more?

[ktheobald]

Thanks for the information ukgeoff.

I am going to check my hosting account at GoDaddy and make sure I know exactly what I am working with.

Sounds like uploading a bunch of files maybe a challenge. I will have to ask the store owner how often he gets orders of 10 or more prints from digital print requests. I know for myself, the usual would be few digital images to get printed. The idea of digital is not to print the bad shots, so I am hoping he has not had customers dumping every digital image they take on him.

Outside if the server info, I can tell you the website is very basic and can be totally revamped if it would help make this feature work.