Upload Files

In this tutorial, we'll explore how to upload files to your Node.js server using the Formidable module.

The Formidable Module

The "Formidable" module is an excellent tool for handling file uploads in Node.js applications. To use Formidable, you can install it via NPM:

C:\Users\Your Name>npm install formidable

Once installed, you can include Formidable in your application:

var formidable = require('formidable');

Upload Files

Now, let's create a web page in Node.js that allows users to upload files to your server.

Step 1: Create an Upload Form

First, create a Node.js file that generates an HTML form with an upload field:

var http = require('http');

http.createServer(function (req, res) {
  res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/html'});
  res.write('<form action="fileupload" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">');
  res.write('<input type="file" name="filetoupload"><br>');
  res.write('<input type="submit">');
  res.write('</form>');
  return res.end();
}).listen(8080);

Step 2: Parse the Uploaded File

To handle the uploaded file, include the Formidable module:

var formidable = require('formidable');

Then, parse the uploaded file:

var form = new formidable.IncomingForm();
form.parse(req, function (err, fields, files) {
  res.write('File uploaded');
  res.end();
});

Step 3: Save the File

Once the file is uploaded and parsed, it's placed in a temporary folder on your server. To move it to a permanent location, you can use the File System module:

var fs = require('fs');

var oldpath = files.filetoupload.path;
var newpath = 'C:/Users/Your Name/' + files.filetoupload.name;
fs.rename(oldpath, newpath, function (err) {
  if (err) throw err;
  res.write('File uploaded and moved!');
  res.end();
});