Image Upload problem - tearing hair out here!!

[Neo Geshel]

I am doing something wrong, but I cannot tell what. Either the web
browser is failing to upload the file, or the script is failing to catch
it. Either way, PostedFile is ending up empty.

First of all, I must specify a few things.

EVERYTHING IS SET UP IN THE CODE-BEHIND. THAT INCLUDES WRITING OUT ALL
OF THE HTML, AND ALL OF THE PAGE ELEMENTS. THERE IS NOTHING WHATSOEVER
IS THE WEB PAGE ITSELF, ASIDE FROM THE LINK TO THE CODE-BEHIND .VB FILE.

ALSO, CODE IS ONLY SNIPPETS; IT IS NOT THE COMPLETE SCRIPT. THE COMPLETE
SCRIPT RUNS AT OVER 3600 LINES, I DOUBT YOU WANT TO SEE THAT HERE. SO
DON'T BITCH THAT MY CODE IS NOT "COMPLETE", AS IT ACTUALLY IS, I'M JUST
LEAVING OUT REDUNDANT CODE.

Sorry for the shouting text, but some people just won't read the
details, and get bent out of shape when I have to repeat myself.

I have set up the form as follows:

myForm.ID = "myForm"
myForm.EncType = "multipart/form-data"
Controls.Add(myForm)
inputfile.id = "ImageUpload"
inputfile.Accept = "image/jpg"
myForm.Controls.Add(inputfile)

when I submit a fully-filled out form, other form elements (such as
textareas and input fields) can be easily recovered using
"inputfield.value", but using "inputfile.PostedFile" doesn't get me
anything back. That is, it is completely empty. When I try to get its
contents written out

ltrlPreview.Text = inputfile.PostedFile.ContentLength

I get "0"

When I use

ltrlPreview.Text = inputfile.PostedFile.ToString()

I get "System.Web.HttpPostedFile"

When I try "ImageUpload.PostedFile.ToString()" instead, the script
claims that ImageUpload has not been defined (even though it's clearly
used as the ID for the inputfile element). When I add:

Protected WithEvents ImageUpload As System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlInputFile

to appease the script (which doesn't make sense, since I don't have any
raw HTML, everything is created in the code-behind, so this shouldn't
have to be implemented) I get:


Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Exception Details: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not
set to an instance of an object.
Stack Trace:

[NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an
object.]
TeamMetz.Add30_Preview(Object sender, EventArgs e) +395
System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlInputButton.OnServerClick(EventArgs
e) +108

System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlInputButton.System.Web.UI.IPostBackEventHandler.RaisePostBackEvent(String
eventArgument) +57
System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(IPostBackEventHandler
sourceControl, String eventArgument) +18
System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(NameValueCollection postData) +33
System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain() +1292


(In fact, when trying about a dozen other methods to retrieve the
contents of the uploaded file, the same error occurs. WHY??? What the
*fucking hell* does this error really mean?? Everything on the 'Net
about this error seems to make use of doublespeak, smoke & mirrors and
20-syllable tech words that are probably only found in PhD dissertions)

The really strange thing is that every other form field element can be
easily retrieved by calling its .value content. That is, if I add a text
field using:

inputtext.id = "Name"
inputtext.MaxLength = 50
myForm.Controls.Add(inputtext)

all I have to use to access the value I put in the field is:

inputtext.value

I don't even have to do a Request.Form("Name") to access it (unless I
have used more than one inputtext in a form). However, the inputfile
field seems to have resisted all attempts to retrieve data from it. I
select a proper file, attempt to upload it, and *poof*; nothing happens.
Nothing *appears* to have been uploaded, because inputfile.PostedFile is
empty.

Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated.

TIA,
...Geshel
--
***********************************************************************
* My reply-to is an automatically monitored spam honeypot. Do not use *
* it unless you want to be blacklisted by SpamCop. Please reply to my *
* first name at my last name dot org. *
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* god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other *
* possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.†*
* - Stephen F. Roberts *
***********************************************************************
* “Anyone who believes in Intelligent Design (“creationismâ€) is just *
* as ignorant, irrational and ill-educated as someone who believes *
* that the world is a flat disc, that the Sun circles the Earth or *
* that there really is a tooth fairy. Darwinism has an overwhelming *
* foundation of evidence that can be tested and reproduced. *
* *
* “Intelligent Design, on the other hand, has no evidence at all;not *
* one single shred of testable proof. As such, Intelligent Design is *
* Religious Mythology, and has no right whatsoever to be in our *
* Science classrooms.†- 99.99+% of Scientists *
***********************************************************************
Mignon McLaughlin once said that “A nymphomaniac is a woman [who is] as
obsessed with sex as the average man.†Unfortunately, since true
nymphomaniacs are so rare, this means that it takes an extraordinary
woman to keep up with an ordinary man.
***********************************************************************

 

[Tony B]

I am doing something wrong, but I cannot tell what. Either the web
browser is failing to upload the file, or the script is failing to catch
it. Either way, PostedFile is ending up empty.

First of all, I must specify a few things.

EVERYTHING IS SET UP IN THE CODE-BEHIND. THAT INCLUDES WRITING OUT ALL
OF THE HTML, AND ALL OF THE PAGE ELEMENTS. THERE IS NOTHING WHATSOEVER
IS THE WEB PAGE ITSELF, ASIDE FROM THE LINK TO THE CODE-BEHIND .VB FILE.

ALSO, CODE IS ONLY SNIPPETS; IT IS NOT THE COMPLETE SCRIPT. THE COMPLETE
SCRIPT RUNS AT OVER 3600 LINES, I DOUBT YOU WANT TO SEE THAT HERE. SO
DON'T BITCH THAT MY CODE IS NOT "COMPLETE", AS IT ACTUALLY IS, I'M JUST
LEAVING OUT REDUNDANT CODE.

Sorry for the shouting text, but some people just won't read the
details, and get bent out of shape when I have to repeat myself.

I have set up the form as follows:

myForm.ID = "myForm"
myForm.EncType = "multipart/form-data"
Controls.Add(myForm)
inputfile.id = "ImageUpload"
inputfile.Accept = "image/jpg"
myForm.Controls.Add(inputfile)

when I submit a fully-filled out form, other form elements (such as
textareas and input fields) can be easily recovered using
"inputfield.value", but using "inputfile.PostedFile" doesn't get me
anything back. That is, it is completely empty. When I try to get its
contents written out

ltrlPreview.Text = inputfile.PostedFile.ContentLength

I get "0"

When I use

ltrlPreview.Text = inputfile.PostedFile.ToString()

I get "System.Web.HttpPostedFile"

When I try "ImageUpload.PostedFile.ToString()" instead, the script
claims that ImageUpload has not been defined (even though it's clearly
used as the ID for the inputfile element). When I add:

Protected WithEvents ImageUpload As
System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlInputFile

to appease the script (which doesn't make sense, since I don't have any
raw HTML, everything is created in the code-behind, so this shouldn't
have to be implemented) I get:


Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Exception Details: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not
set to an instance of an object.
Stack Trace:

[NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an
object.]
TeamMetz.Add30_Preview(Object sender, EventArgs e) +395
System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlInputButton.OnServerClick(EventArgs e)
+108

System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlInputButton.System.Web.UI.IPostBackEventHandler.RaisePostBackEvent(String
eventArgument) +57
System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(IPostBackEventHandler
sourceControl, String eventArgument) +18
System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(NameValueCollection postData) +33
System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain() +1292


(In fact, when trying about a dozen other methods to retrieve the
contents of the uploaded file, the same error occurs. WHY??? What the
*fucking hell* does this error really mean?? Everything on the 'Net
about this error seems to make use of doublespeak, smoke & mirrors and
20-syllable tech words that are probably only found in PhD dissertions)

The really strange thing is that every other form field element can be
easily retrieved by calling its .value content. That is, if I add a text
field using:

inputtext.id = "Name"
inputtext.MaxLength = 50
myForm.Controls.Add(inputtext)

all I have to use to access the value I put in the field is:

inputtext.value

I don't even have to do a Request.Form("Name") to access it (unless I
have used more than one inputtext in a form). However, the inputfile
field seems to have resisted all attempts to retrieve data from it. I
select a proper file, attempt to upload it, and *poof*; nothing happens.
Nothing *appears* to have been uploaded, because inputfile.PostedFile is
empty.

Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated.

TIA,
...Geshel

Please post your full code.




Only joking.

The error message "Object reference not set to an instance of an object"
usually means you've declared a variable but have not created an
instance of it, for example.

Assuming I have a placeholder on a page called plhTest:

Dim objTextbox As TextBox
objTextbox.Text = "Hello World"
plhTest.Controls.Add(objTextbox)

This would give the object reference error message. I've declared a
variable of type textbox but I haven't created an instance using New:

Dim objTextbox As New TextBox
objTextbox.Text = "Hello World"
plhTest.Controls.Add(objTextbox)

Or if you prefer:

Dim objTextbox As TextBox
objTextbox = New TextBox
objTextbox.Text = "Hello World"
plhTest.Controls.Add(objTextbox)

With regard to the upload, is a file created on the server at all? If
not check the permissions on the folder you are trying to write to.


Here's some simple test code if you want to try this

Protected Sub btnUpload_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As _
System.EventArgs) Handles btnUpload.Click
Dim strUploadPath As String = Server.MapPath("~/imguploads/")
Dim fileOK As Boolean = False
Dim strFileExt As String
Dim strAllowedExt As String() = {".jpg", ".jpeg", ".png", ".gif"}

If fupImage.HasFile Then
strFileExt = System.IO.Path.GetExtension(fupImage.FileName).ToLower()

For i As Integer = 0 To strAllowedExt.Length - 1
If strFileExt = strAllowedExt(i) Then
Try
fupImage.PostedFile.SaveAs(strUploadPath & _
fupImage.FileName)
Catch ex As Exception
lblError.Text = ex.Message.ToString
End Try

End If
Next
End If
End Sub

Just add an upload control (fupImage) a label (lblError) and a button
(btnUpload) to a page and create a folder called imguploads in the root
of the website.

 

[Neo Geshel]

Please post your full code.




Only joking.

The error message "Object reference not set to an instance of an object"
usually means you've declared a variable but have not created an
instance of it, for example.

Assuming I have a placeholder on a page called plhTest:

Dim objTextbox As TextBox
objTextbox.Text = "Hello World"
plhTest.Controls.Add(objTextbox)

This would give the object reference error message. I've declared a
variable of type textbox but I haven't created an instance using New:

Dim objTextbox As New TextBox
objTextbox.Text = "Hello World"
plhTest.Controls.Add(objTextbox)

Or if you prefer:

Dim objTextbox As TextBox
objTextbox = New TextBox
objTextbox.Text = "Hello World"
plhTest.Controls.Add(objTextbox)

With regard to the upload, is a file created on the server at all? If
not check the permissions on the folder you are trying to write to.


Here's some simple test code if you want to try this

Protected Sub btnUpload_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As _
System.EventArgs) Handles btnUpload.Click
Dim strUploadPath As String = Server.MapPath("~/imguploads/")
Dim fileOK As Boolean = False
Dim strFileExt As String
Dim strAllowedExt As String() = {".jpg", ".jpeg", ".png", ".gif"}

If fupImage.HasFile Then
strFileExt = System.IO.Path.GetExtension(fupImage.FileName).ToLower()

For i As Integer = 0 To strAllowedExt.Length - 1
If strFileExt = strAllowedExt(i) Then
Try
fupImage.PostedFile.SaveAs(strUploadPath & _
fupImage.FileName)
Catch ex As Exception
lblError.Text = ex.Message.ToString
End Try

End If
Next
End If
End Sub

Just add an upload control (fupImage) a label (lblError) and a button
(btnUpload) to a page and create a folder called imguploads in the root
of the website.

The file is being placed into a database. Also, when I attempt to parse
the file (either by ID value, ImageUpload.PostedFile.ContentLength or by
control name, uploadfile.PostedFile.ContentLength) it always comes out
to zero, regardless of file. It's as if the browser never uploaded the
file to begin with.

VERY FRUSTRATING!!

TIA
...Geshel
--
***********************************************************************
* My reply-to is an automatically monitored spam honeypot. Do not use *
* it unless you want to be blacklisted by SpamCop. Please reply to my *
* first name at my last name dot org. *
***********************************************************************
* “I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer *
* god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other *
* possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.†*
* - Stephen F. Roberts *
***********************************************************************
* “Anyone who believes in Intelligent Design (“creationismâ€) is just *
* as ignorant, irrational and ill-educated as someone who believes *
* that the world is a flat disc, that the Sun circles the Earth or *
* that there really is a tooth fairy. Darwinism has an overwhelming *
* foundation of evidence that can be tested and reproduced. *
* *
* “Intelligent Design, on the other hand, has no evidence at all;not *
* one single shred of testable proof. As such, Intelligent Design is *
* Religious Mythology, and has no right whatsoever to be in our *
* Science classrooms.†- 99.99+% of Scientists *
***********************************************************************
Mignon McLaughlin once said that “A nymphomaniac is a woman [who is] as
obsessed with sex as the average man.†Unfortunately, since true
nymphomaniacs are so rare, this means that it takes an extraordinary
woman to keep up with an ordinary man.
***********************************************************************

 

[Tony B]

The file is being placed into a database. Also, when I attempt to parse
the file (either by ID value, ImageUpload.PostedFile.ContentLength or by
control name, uploadfile.PostedFile.ContentLength) it always comes out
to zero, regardless of file. It's as if the browser never uploaded the
file to begin with.

VERY FRUSTRATING!!

TIA
...Geshel

it certainly sounds like it could be something wrong with the browser.
Does it have a virus checker/personal firewall that could be blocking
the upload?

Out of interest, try that code I gave you earlier to see if the browser
is uploading files at all.

Tony

 

[Neo Geshel]

it certainly sounds like it could be something wrong with the browser.
Does it have a virus checker/personal firewall that could be blocking
the upload?

Out of interest, try that code I gave you earlier to see if the browser
is uploading files at all.

Tony

Actually, is there any way a Request.Form("ImageUpload") can be tweaked
to provide the uploaded image data?

Just curious.
...Geshel
--
***********************************************************************
* My reply-to is an automatically monitored spam honeypot. Do not use *
* it unless you want to be blacklisted by SpamCop. Please reply to my *
* first name at my last name dot org. *
***********************************************************************
* “I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer *
* god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other *
* possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.†*
* - Stephen F. Roberts *
***********************************************************************
* “Anyone who believes in Intelligent Design (“creationismâ€) is just *
* as ignorant, irrational and ill-educated as someone who believes *
* that the world is a flat disc, that the Sun circles the Earth or *
* that there really is a tooth fairy. Darwinism has an overwhelming *
* foundation of evidence that can be tested and reproduced. *
* *
* “Intelligent Design, on the other hand, has no evidence at all;not *
* one single shred of testable proof. As such, Intelligent Design is *
* Religious Mythology, and has no right whatsoever to be in our *
* Science classrooms.†- 99.99+% of Scientists *
***********************************************************************
Mignon McLaughlin once said that “A nymphomaniac is a woman [who is] as
obsessed with sex as the average man.†Unfortunately, since true
nymphomaniacs are so rare, this means that it takes an extraordinary
woman to keep up with an ordinary man.
***********************************************************************

 

[Neo Geshel]

I think I managed to find out what is going wrong.

It appears that Firefox is the problem. I can't check it on IE, because
the method of previewing the images prior to submission into the
database is too advanced for IE to use (that is, I use <img
src="data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEAY.... to preview the
form contents prior to a formal database submission, which IE is to
primitive and out-of-date to handle). However, everything works fine
with Opera. I can upload images, no problem.

Any ideas if 1.5.0.2 is the culprit??

TIA.
...Geshel
--
***********************************************************************
* My reply-to is an automatically monitored spam honeypot. Do not use *
* it unless you want to be blacklisted by SpamCop. Please reply to my *
* first name at my last name dot org. *
***********************************************************************
* “I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer *
* god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other *
* possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.†*
* - Stephen F. Roberts *
***********************************************************************
* “Anyone who believes in Intelligent Design (“creationismâ€) is just *
* as ignorant, irrational and ill-educated as someone who believes *
* that the world is a flat disc, that the Sun circles the Earth or *
* that there really is a tooth fairy. Darwinism has an overwhelming *
* foundation of evidence that can be tested and reproduced. *
* *
* “Intelligent Design, on the other hand, has no evidence at all;not *
* one single shred of testable proof. As such, Intelligent Design is *
* Religious Mythology, and has no right whatsoever to be in our *
* Science classrooms.†- 99.99+% of Scientists *
***********************************************************************
Mignon McLaughlin once said that “A nymphomaniac is a woman [who is] as
obsessed with sex as the average man.†Unfortunately, since true
nymphomaniacs are so rare, this means that it takes an extraordinary
woman to keep up with an ordinary man.
***********************************************************************

 

[Neo Geshel]

I think I managed to find out what is going wrong.

It appears that Firefox is the problem. I can't check it on IE, because
the method of previewing the images prior to submission into the
database is too advanced for IE to use (that is, I use <img
src="data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEAY.... to preview the
form contents prior to a formal database submission, which IE is to
primitive and out-of-date to handle). However, everything works fine
with Opera. I can upload images, no problem.

Any ideas if 1.5.0.2 is the culprit??

TIA.
...Geshel

Confirmed. It is either 1.5.0.2 or one of the extensions I have
installed. I just tested it from my server using 1.5.0.1, and everything
worked out perfectly.

Any ideas if it *is* 1.5.0.2, or if I have to look at my extensions?

TIA
...Geshel
--
***********************************************************************
* My reply-to is an automatically monitored spam honeypot. Do not use *
* it unless you want to be blacklisted by SpamCop. Please reply to my *
* first name at my last name dot org. *
***********************************************************************
* “I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer *
* god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other *
* possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.†*
* - Stephen F. Roberts *
***********************************************************************
* “Anyone who believes in Intelligent Design (“creationismâ€) is just *
* as ignorant, irrational and ill-educated as someone who believes *
* that the world is a flat disc, that the Sun circles the Earth or *
* that there really is a tooth fairy. Darwinism has an overwhelming *
* foundation of evidence that can be tested and reproduced. *
* *
* “Intelligent Design, on the other hand, has no evidence at all;not *
* one single shred of testable proof. As such, Intelligent Design is *
* Religious Mythology, and has no right whatsoever to be in our *
* Science classrooms.†- 99.99+% of Scientists *
***********************************************************************
Mignon McLaughlin once said that “A nymphomaniac is a woman [who is] as
obsessed with sex as the average man.†Unfortunately, since true
nymphomaniacs are so rare, this means that it takes an extraordinary
woman to keep up with an ordinary man.
***********************************************************************

 

[Neo Geshel]

I think I managed to find out what is going wrong.

It appears that Firefox is the problem. I can't check it on IE, because
the method of previewing the images prior to submission into the
database is too advanced for IE to use (that is, I use <img
src="data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEAY.... to preview the
form contents prior to a formal database submission, which IE is to
primitive and out-of-date to handle). However, everything works fine
with Opera. I can upload images, no problem.

Any ideas if 1.5.0.2 is the culprit??

TIA.
...Geshel

Just updated Firefox on my server to 1.5.0.2 - and no problemo. Looks
like it's gotta be the Extensions that I've got installed. Which really
sux, because my client has got a few of the same. At least I can rule a
few out (which my server has as well), but that still leaves a good
half-dozen or more. =(

Thanks for all the help. Does anyone know the extensions well enough to
pick the culprit out of a list if I give it to them? The ones that my
workstation has (that my server doesn't) are:

Adblock
Adblock filterset.g updater
add bookmark here
DOM inspector
Google pagerank status
image toolbar
mozilla spellcheck libraries (forced install)
MR Tech local install
Popups Must Die (forced install)
Popup Sound
Rankquest SEO toolbar
Resize search box
SoundDialog (forced install)
Web Developer

Granted, about half wouldn't interfere, but it could be any of the rest.

TIA
...Geshel
--
***********************************************************************
* My reply-to is an automatically monitored spam honeypot. Do not use *
* it unless you want to be blacklisted by SpamCop. Please reply to my *
* first name at my last name dot org. *
***********************************************************************
* “I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer *
* god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other *
* possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.†*
* - Stephen F. Roberts *
***********************************************************************
* “Anyone who believes in Intelligent Design (“creationismâ€) is just *
* as ignorant, irrational and ill-educated as someone who believes *
* that the world is a flat disc, that the Sun circles the Earth or *
* that there really is a tooth fairy. Darwinism has an overwhelming *
* foundation of evidence that can be tested and reproduced. *
* *
* “Intelligent Design, on the other hand, has no evidence at all;not *
* one single shred of testable proof. As such, Intelligent Design is *
* Religious Mythology, and has no right whatsoever to be in our *
* Science classrooms.†- 99.99+% of Scientists *
***********************************************************************
Mignon McLaughlin once said that “A nymphomaniac is a woman [who is] as
obsessed with sex as the average man.†Unfortunately, since true
nymphomaniacs are so rare, this means that it takes an extraordinary
woman to keep up with an ordinary man.
***********************************************************************

 

[Neo Geshel]

I am doing something wrong, but I cannot tell what. Either the web
browser is failing to upload the file, or the script is failing to catch
it. Either way, PostedFile is ending up empty.

Okay, I feel like a real, grade-a fucking n00b. Turns out it *is* the
fault of Firefox, but only because it can't read directories properly.

At least, not when it's an English install, on an English system, but
the directories that contain the images it is trying to upload contain
non-English (in this case, Japanese Hiragana and Kanji) characters.

When I try directories that have normal characters in their names, the
upload proceeds properly. When there are non-English characters in the
directory name (such as ã‚ã‚ã£å¥³ç¥žã•ã¾ã£), the upload craps out.

I should have suspected this as being the cause, because Firefox cannot
*download* anything into directories with non-English characters anyhow.

Cheers.
...Geshel
--
***********************************************************************
* My reply-to is an automatically monitored spam honeypot. Do not use *
* it unless you want to be blacklisted by SpamCop. Please reply to my *
* first name at my last name dot org. *
***********************************************************************
* “I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer *
* god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other *
* possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.†*
* - Stephen F. Roberts *
***********************************************************************
* “Anyone who believes in Intelligent Design (“creationismâ€) is just *
* as ignorant, irrational and ill-educated as someone who believes *
* that the world is a flat disc, that the Sun circles the Earth or *
* that there really is a tooth fairy. Darwinism has an overwhelming *
* foundation of evidence that can be tested and reproduced. *
* *
* “Intelligent Design, on the other hand, has no evidence at all;not *
* one single shred of testable proof. As such, Intelligent Design is *
* Religious Mythology, and has no right whatsoever to be in our *
* Science classrooms.†- 99.99+% of Scientists *
***********************************************************************
Mignon McLaughlin once said that “A nymphomaniac is a woman [who is] as
obsessed with sex as the average man.†Unfortunately, since true
nymphomaniacs are so rare, this means that it takes an extraordinary
woman to keep up with an ordinary man.
***********************************************************************