How to customize <input type=“file”>?

Question

Is it possible to change the appearance of <input type="file">?

Answer 1

If you're using bootstrap here is a better solution :

<label class="btn btn-default btn-file">
    Browse <input type="file" style="display: none;">
</label>

For IE8 and below http://www.abeautifulsite.net/whipping-file-inputs-into-shape-with-bootstrap-3/

Source : https://stackoverflow.com/a/18164555/625952

Answer 2

first of all it's a container:

<div class="upload_file_container">
    Select file!
    <input type="file" name="photo" />
</div>

The second, it's a CSS style, if you want to real more customization, just keeping your eyes is open :)

.upload_file_container{
   width:100px;
   height:40px;
   position:relative;
   background(your img);
}

.upload_file_container input{
   width:100px;
   height:40px;
   position:absolute;
   left:0;
   top:0;
   cursor:pointer;
}

This example hasn't style for text inside the button, it depends on font-size, just correct the height and padding-top values for container

Answer 3

 $(document).ready(function () {
        $(document).mousemove(function () {
        $('#myList').css('display', 'block');
        $("#seebtn").css('display', 'none');
        $("#hidebtn").css('display', 'none');
        $('#displayFileNames').html('');
        $("#myList").html('');
        var fileArray1 = document.getElementsByClassName('file-input');
        for (var i = 0; i < fileArray1.length; i++) {
            var files = fileArray1[i].files;
            for (var j = 0; j < files.length; j++) {
                $("#myList").append("<li style='color:black'>" + files[j].name + "</li>");
            }
        };

        if (($("#myList").html()) != '') {
            $('#unselect').css('display', 'block');
            $('#divforfile').css('color', 'green');
            $('#attach').css('color', 'green');
            $('#displayFileNames').html($("#myList").children().length + ' ' + 'files selezionato');

        };

        if (($("#myList").html()) == '') {
            $('#divforfile').css('color', 'black');
            $('#attach').css('color', 'black');
            $('#displayFileNames').append('Nessun File Selezionato');
        };
    });

  });

  function choosefiles(obj) {
        $(obj).hide();
        $('#myList').css('display', 'none');
        $('#hidebtn').css('display', 'none');
        $("#seebtn").css('display', 'none');
        $('#unselect').css('display', 'none');
        $("#upload-form").append("<input class='file-input inputs' type='file' onclick='choosefiles(this)' name='file[]' multiple='multiple' />");
        $('#displayFileNames').html('');
    }

  $(document).ready(function () {
        $('#unselect').click(function () {
            $('#hidebtn').css('display', 'none');
            $("#seebtn").css('display', 'none');
            $('#displayFileNames').html('');
            $("#myList").html('');
            $('#myFileInput').val('');
            document.getElementById('upload-form').reset();         
            $('#unselect').css('display', 'none');
            $('#divforfile').css('color', 'black');
            $('#attach').css('color', 'black');

        });
    });

<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/icon?family=Material+Icons" rel="stylesheet">

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/4.7.0/css/font-awesome.min.css">
<style>
  .divs {
        position: absolute;
        display: inline-block;
        background-color: #fff;
    }

    .inputs {
        position: absolute;
        left: 0px;
        height: 2%;
        width: 15%;
        opacity: 0;
        background: #00f;
        z-index: 100;
    }

    .icons {
        position: absolute;
    }

 </style>

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
            <div>
                <form id='upload-form' action='' method='post' enctype='multipart/form-data'>
                   
                    <div class="divs" id="divforfile" style="color:black">
                        <input id='myFileInput' class='file-input inputs' type='file' name='file[]' onclick="choosefiles(this)" multiple='multiple' />
                        <i class="material-icons" id="attach" style="font-size:21px;color:black">attach_file</i><label>Allegati</label>
                    </div>
                </form>
                <br />
            </div>
            <br />  
            <div>
                <button style="border:none; background-color:white; color:black; display:none" id="seebtn"><p>Files &#9660;</p></button>
                <button style="border:none; background-color:white; color:black; display:none" id="hidebtn"><p>Files &#9650;</p></button>
                <button type="button" class="close" aria-label="Close" id="unselect" style="display:none;float:left">
                    <span style="color:red">&times;</span>
                </button>
                <div id="displayFileNames">
                </div>
                <ul id="myList"></ul>
            </div>

This is my fully functional customerized file upload/Attachment using jquery & javascript (Visual studio). This will be useful !

Code will be available at the comment section !

Link : https://youtu.be/It38OzMAeig

Enjoy :)

 $(document).ready(function () {
        $(document).mousemove(function () {
        $('#myList').css('display', 'block');
        $("#seebtn").css('display', 'none');
        $("#hidebtn").css('display', 'none');
        $('#displayFileNames').html('');
        $("#myList").html('');
        var fileArray1 = document.getElementsByClassName('file-input');
        for (var i = 0; i < fileArray1.length; i++) {
            var files = fileArray1[i].files;
            for (var j = 0; j < files.length; j++) {
                $("#myList").append("<li style='color:black'>" + files[j].name + "</li>");
            }
        };

        if (($("#myList").html()) != '') {
            $('#unselect').css('display', 'block');
            $('#divforfile').css('color', 'green');
            $('#attach').css('color', 'green');
            $('#displayFileNames').html($("#myList").children().length + ' ' + 'files selezionato');

        };

        if (($("#myList").html()) == '') {
            $('#divforfile').css('color', 'black');
            $('#attach').css('color', 'black');
            $('#displayFileNames').append('Nessun File Selezionato');
        };
    });

  });

  function choosefiles(obj) {
        $(obj).hide();
        $('#myList').css('display', 'none');
        $('#hidebtn').css('display', 'none');
        $("#seebtn").css('display', 'none');
        $('#unselect').css('display', 'none');
        $("#upload-form").append("<input class='file-input inputs' type='file' onclick='choosefiles(this)' name='file[]' multiple='multiple' />");
        $('#displayFileNames').html('');
    }

  $(document).ready(function () {
        $('#unselect').click(function () {
            $('#hidebtn').css('display', 'none');
            $("#seebtn").css('display', 'none');
            $('#displayFileNames').html('');
            $("#myList").html('');
            $('#myFileInput').val('');
            document.getElementById('upload-form').reset();         
            $('#unselect').css('display', 'none');
            $('#divforfile').css('color', 'black');
            $('#attach').css('color', 'black');

        });
    });

<style>
  .divs {
        position: absolute;
        display: inline-block;
        background-color: #fff;
    }

    .inputs {
        position: absolute;
        left: 0px;
        height: 2%;
        width: 15%;
        opacity: 0;
        background: #00f;
        z-index: 100;
    }

    .icons {
        position: absolute;
    }

 </style>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/4.7.0/css/font-awesome.min.css">

   <div>
                <form id='upload-form' action='' method='post' enctype='multipart/form-data'>
                   
                    <div class="divs" id="divforfile" style="color:black">
                        <input id='myFileInput' class='file-input inputs' type='file' name='file[]' onclick="choosefiles(this)" multiple='multiple' />
                        <i class="material-icons" id="attach" style="font-size:21px;color:black">attach_file</i><label>Allegati</label>
                    </div>
                </form>
                <br />
            </div>
            <br />  
            <div>
                <button style="border:none; background-color:white; color:black; display:none" id="seebtn"><p>Files &#9660;</p></button>
                <button style="border:none; background-color:white; color:black; display:none" id="hidebtn"><p>Files &#9650;</p></button>
                <button type="button" class="close" aria-label="Close" id="unselect" style="display:none;float:left">
                    <span style="color:red">&times;</span>
                </button>
                <div id="displayFileNames">
                </div>
                <ul id="myList"></ul>
            </div>

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
 $(document).ready(function () {
        $(document).mousemove(function () {
        $('#myList').css('display', 'block');
        $("#seebtn").css('display', 'none');
        $("#hidebtn").css('display', 'none');
        $('#displayFileNames').html('');
        $("#myList").html('');
        var fileArray1 = document.getElementsByClassName('file-input');
        for (var i = 0; i < fileArray1.length; i++) {
            var files = fileArray1[i].files;
            for (var j = 0; j < files.length; j++) {
                $("#myList").append("<li style='color:black'>" + files[j].name + "</li>");
            }
        };

        if (($("#myList").html()) != '') {
            $('#unselect').css('display', 'block');
            $('#divforfile').css('color', 'green');
            $('#attach').css('color', 'green');
            $('#displayFileNames').html($("#myList").children().length + ' ' + 'files selezionato');

        };

        if (($("#myList").html()) == '') {
            $('#divforfile').css('color', 'black');
            $('#attach').css('color', 'black');
            $('#displayFileNames').append('Nessun File Selezionato');
        };
    });

  });

  function choosefiles(obj) {
        $(obj).hide();
        $('#myList').css('display', 'none');
        $('#hidebtn').css('display', 'none');
        $("#seebtn").css('display', 'none');
        $('#unselect').css('display', 'none');
        $("#upload-form").append("<input class='file-input inputs' type='file' onclick='choosefiles(this)' name='file[]' multiple='multiple' />");
        $('#displayFileNames').html('');
    }

  $(document).ready(function () {
        $('#unselect').click(function () {
            $('#hidebtn').css('display', 'none');
            $("#seebtn").css('display', 'none');
            $('#displayFileNames').html('');
            $("#myList").html('');
            $('#myFileInput').val('');
            document.getElementById('upload-form').reset();         
            $('#unselect').css('display', 'none');
            $('#divforfile').css('color', 'black');
            $('#attach').css('color', 'black');

        });
    });

<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/icon?family=Material+Icons" rel="stylesheet">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/4.7.0/css/font-awesome.min.css">
<style>
  .divs {
        position: absolute;
        display: inline-block;
        background-color: #fff;
    }

    .inputs {
        position: absolute;
        left: 0px;
        height: 2%;
        width: 15%;
        opacity: 0;
        background: #00f;
        z-index: 100;
    }

    .icons {
        position: absolute;
    }

 </style>

 <div>
                <form id='upload-form' action='' method='post' enctype='multipart/form-data'>
                   
                    <div class="divs" id="divforfile" style="color:black">
                        <input id='myFileInput' class='file-input inputs' type='file' name='file[]' onclick="choosefiles(this)" multiple='multiple' />
                        <i class="material-icons" id="attach" style="font-size:21px;color:black">attach_file</i><label>Allegati</label>
                    </div>
                </form>
                <br />
            </div>
            <br />  
            <div>
                <button style="border:none; background-color:white; color:black; display:none" id="seebtn"><p>Files &#9660;</p></button>
                <button style="border:none; background-color:white; color:black; display:none" id="hidebtn"><p>Files &#9650;</p></button>
                <button type="button" class="close" aria-label="Close" id="unselect" style="display:none;float:left">
                    <span style="color:red">&times;</span>
                </button>
                <div id="displayFileNames">
                </div>
                <ul id="myList"></ul>
            </div>

Answer 4

You can’t modify much about the input[type=file] control itself.

Since clicking a label element correctly paired with an input will activate/focus it, we can use a label to trigger the OS browse dialog.

Here is how you can do it…

label {
   cursor: pointer;
   /* Style as you please, it will become the visible UI component. */
}

#upload-photo {
   opacity: 0;
   position: absolute;
   z-index: -1;
}

<label for="upload-photo">Browse...</label>
<input type="file" name="photo" id="upload-photo" />

The CSS for the form control will make it appear invisible and not take up space in the document layout, but will still exist so it can be activated via the label.

If you want to display the user’s chosen path after selection, you can listen for the change event with JavaScript and then read the path that the browser makes available to you (for security reasons it can lie to you about the exact path). A way to make it pretty for the end user is to simply use the base name of the path that is returned (so the user simply sees the chosen filename).

There is a great guide by Tympanus for styling this.

Answer 5

Just style a normal button however you want, using your favorite CSS.

Then call a simple JS function to create and link a hidden input element to your styled button. Don't add browser-specific CSS to do the hiding part.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<meta charset="utf-8">

<style>
    button {
        width            : 160px;
        height           : 30px;
        font-size        : 13px;
        border           : none;
        text-align       : center;
        background-color : #444;
        color            : #6f0;
    }
    button:active {
        background-color : #779;
    }
</style>

<button id="upload">Styled upload button!</button>

<script>

function Upload_On_Click(id, handler) {
    var hidden_input = null;
    document.getElementById(id).onclick = function() {hidden_input.click();}
    function setup_hidden_input() {
        hidden_input && hidden_input.parentNode.removeChild(hidden_input);
        hidden_input = document.createElement("input");
        hidden_input.setAttribute("type", "file");
        hidden_input.style.visibility = "hidden";
        document.querySelector("body").appendChild(hidden_input);
        hidden_input.onchange = function() {
            handler(hidden_input.files[0]);
            setup_hidden_input();
        };
    }
    setup_hidden_input();
}

Upload_On_Click("upload", function(file) {
    console.log("GOT FILE: " + file.name);
});

</script>

Notice how the above code re-links it after every time the user chooses a file. This is important because "onchange" is only called if the user changes the filename. But you probably want to get the file every time the user provides it.

For more details, research DropZone and gmail uploads.