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How To Get Full Path Of Selected File On Change Of Using Javascript Jquery Ajax

Are you working on a web project and need to retrieve the full path of a file selected by a user on change? In this article, we'll guide you through the process of achieving this using JavaScript, jQuery, and Ajax.

One common scenario where you may need to get the full path of a selected file is when you want to perform operations like uploading the file to a server or processing its content dynamically. Fortunately, with the right approach, you can easily obtain the full path information you need.

To begin, let's set up a basic HTML file input element where users can select a file:

Html

Next, let's write the JavaScript code that captures the full path of the selected file when it changes:

Javascript

$('#fileInput').on('change', function() {
    var fullPath = $(this).val();
    console.log('Full path of the selected file: ' + fullPath);
    // You can now send this path to the server using Ajax for further processing
});

In this code snippet, we're using jQuery to listen for the 'change' event on the file input element. When a user selects a file, the event is triggered, and we capture the full path of the selected file using `$(this).val()`.

It's essential to note that for security reasons, modern browsers do not provide the full path of a selected file due to privacy concerns. Instead, they only return the filename. This is a measure to protect users' personal information.

If you need to upload the selected file to a server using Ajax, you can pass the file object itself rather than the full path. Here's how you can achieve this:

Javascript

$('#fileInput').on('change', function() {
    var file = $(this)[0].files[0];
    
    // Perform Ajax request to upload the file
    var formData = new FormData();
    formData.append('file', file);
    
    $.ajax({
        url: 'your_upload_endpoint',
        type: 'POST',
        data: formData,
        processData: false,
        contentType: false,
        success: function(response) {
            console.log('File uploaded successfully');
        },
        error: function(error) {
            console.error('Error uploading file');
        }
    });
});

In this updated code snippet, we're accessing the selected file object using `$(this)[0].files[0]` and creating a `FormData` object to send the file via Ajax. Remember to replace `'your_upload_endpoint'` with the actual URL endpoint of your server-side script that handles file uploads.

By following these steps, you can effectively work with selected files in your web applications using JavaScript, jQuery, and Ajax. Remember to always focus on user privacy and security when handling file-related operations in your projects.

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