How Can You Seamlessly Upload Files with AJAX in Express.js?

javascript

How Can You Seamlessly Upload Files with AJAX in Express.js?

Express.js and AJAX: A Seamless Dance for Smooth File Uploads

Jan 6, 2023

How Can You Seamlessly Upload Files with AJAX in Express.js?

Alright, let’s talk about setting up file uploads via AJAX in an Express.js app. Super common task for web developers. You want to get those files from users smoothly, right? The go-to middleware for this is express-fileupload. Makes life a lot easier. Here’s the lowdown on setting it up.

So, first things first, you need a basic Express app running. If you don’t have one already, get on it. Create a new directory and initialize with npm init - pretty straightforward.

mkdir file-upload-example
cd file-upload-example
npm init -y

Now, get the required packages. You’re gonna need express and express-fileupload.

npm install express express-fileupload

Next up, create an app.js file to shape your Express server. This will be the backbone of your app. Simple stuff. Check this out:

const express = require("express");
const fileUpload = require("express-fileupload");

const app = express();
const port = 3000;

// File upload middleware enabled
app.use(fileUpload());

// Static files served from public directory
app.use(express.static('public'));

// Root route serving index.html
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
    res.sendFile(__dirname + '/public/index.html');
});

// Start the server
app.listen(port, () => {
    console.log(`App listening on port ${port}`);
});

Cool. Now let’s sort the HTML for the file upload form. Pop an index.html file in a public folder. This form will handle the AJAX side of things.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>File Upload Example</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h3>Upload Section</h3>
    <form id="uploadForm" enctype="multipart/form-data">
        <input type="file" name="uploadFile" id="uploadFile">
        <button type="submit">Upload</button>
    </form>
    <div id="uploadStatus"></div>

    <script>
        const form = document.getElementById('uploadForm');
        const statusDiv = document.getElementById('uploadStatus');

        form.addEventListener('submit', (e) => {
            e.preventDefault();
            const fileInput = document.getElementById('uploadFile');
            const file = fileInput.files[0];

            const formData = new FormData();
            formData.append('uploadFile', file);

            fetch('/upload', {
                method: 'POST',
                body: formData
            })
            .then(response => response.json())
            .then(data => {
                statusDiv.innerText = `File uploaded successfully: ${data.filename}`;
            })
            .catch(error => {
                statusDiv.innerText = 'Error uploading file';
            });
        });
    </script>
</body>
</html>

This sets up a basic form where the user can pick a file to upload. Using AJAX to submit this form avoids those annoying full-page refreshes.

Now, you need a route in your app.js to handle those file uploads. This route will use the express-fileupload middleware to snag the uploaded file.

// Route for file uploads
app.post('/upload', (req, res) => {
    if (!req.files || !req.files.uploadFile) {
        return res.status(400).send('No file was uploaded.');
    }

    const file = req.files.uploadFile;
    const uploadPath = __dirname + '/uploads/' + file.name;

    // Move file to upload directory
    file.mv(uploadPath, (err) => {
        if (err) {
            return res.status(500).send(err);
        }
        res.json({ filename: file.name });
    });
});

Make sure you’ve got an uploads directory at your project’s root. It’s where the files will land. Create it manually or use the following code to create it if it doesn’t exist:

const fs = require('fs');
const uploadDir = __dirname + '/uploads';

if (!fs.existsSync(uploadDir)) {
    fs.mkdirSync(uploadDir);
}

You can amp this up with some security and customization. express-fileupload gives you options like limiting file size, allowing only certain file types, etc. Here’s how you can tweak the middleware:

app.use(fileUpload({
    limits: { fileSize: 50 * 1024 * 1024 }, // 50 MB
    abortOnLimit: true,
    responseOnLimit: 'File size limit exceeded.',
}));

You can also enable debug mode. Handy for logs and troubleshooting:

app.use(fileUpload({
    debug: true,
}));

And there you go. You’ve got a file upload system running with AJAX and Express.js using express-fileupload. This setup ensures your app can handle file uploads smoothly, giving users a great experience and keeping your backend happy and humming. Day-to-day tasks just became a tad more manageable, right? Enjoy coding.