Laravel Remember Uploads

Middleware Package

About this package

This middleware solves the issue of unrelated form validation errors redirecting the user back and loosing the files that had been uploaded. It does this by temporarily caching server-side the file fields that have passed validation so that they may be processed once the whole form has been submitted passing validation.

Install

Add to your project with composer via composer require photogabble/laravel-remember-uploads.

Laravel Version >= 5.5

This library supports package auto-discovery in Laravel >= 5.5.

Laravel Versions 5.2 - 5.5

To enable the package you will need to add its service provider to your app providers configuration in Laravel.

'providers' => [
    // ...
    
    Photogabble\LaravelRememberUploads\RememberUploadsServiceProvider::class,
    
    // ...
],

Usage

You need to assign the middleware remember.files to routes that process uploaded files; in the case of CRUD terminology that would be the create and update methods.

So that the middleware is aware of remembered files from the previous request you need to include a reference by way of using a hidden input field with the name _rememberedFiles.

@if( $oldFile = rememberedFile('file'))
    <input type="hidden" name="_rememberedFiles[file]" value="{{ $oldFile->getFilename() }}">
@else
    <input type="file" name="file">
@endif

Then within your controller code you can obtain the file via the rememberedFile helper:

function store(Illuminate\Http\Request $request) {    
    if ($file = $request->file('img', rememberedFile('img')) {
        // ... File exists ...
    }
}

The $file variable will equal an instance of Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\File\UploadedFile if the file has been posted during the current request or remembered.

This example is viewable as a test case within this libaries tests.

Array File Fields

In the case where you have multiple upload fields sharing the same name for example image[0], image[1]; the helper rememberedFile('image') will return an array of Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\File\UploadedFile.

The reference _rememberedFiles will also need to match the array syntax of the file inputs it mirrors:

@if( $oldFile = rememberedFile('image'))
    <!-- $oldFile is now an array of Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\File\UploadedFile -->
    <input type="hidden" name="_rememberedFiles[image][0]" value="{{ $oldFile[0]->getFilename() }}">
    <input type="hidden" name="_rememberedFiles[image][1]" value="{{ $oldFile[1]->getFilename() }}">
@else
    <input type="file" name="image[0]">
    <input type="file" name="image[1]">
@endif