How To Accept a File POST

Question

I'm using asp.net mvc 4 webapi beta to build a rest service. I need to be able to accept POSTed images/files from client applications. Is this possible using the webapi? Below is how action I am currently using. Does anyone know of an example how this should work?

[HttpPost]
public string ProfileImagePost(HttpPostedFile profileImage)
{
    string[] extensions = { ".jpg", ".jpeg", ".gif", ".bmp", ".png" };
    if (!extensions.Any(x => x.Equals(Path.GetExtension(profileImage.FileName.ToLower()), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)))
    {
        throw new HttpResponseException("Invalid file type.", HttpStatusCode.BadRequest);
    }

    // Other code goes here

    return "/path/to/image.png";
}

Answer 1

The ASP.NET Core way is now here:

[HttpPost("UploadFiles")]
public async Task<IActionResult> Post(List<IFormFile> files)
{
    long size = files.Sum(f => f.Length);

    // full path to file in temp location
    var filePath = Path.GetTempFileName();

    foreach (var formFile in files)
    {
        if (formFile.Length > 0)
        {
            using (var stream = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Create))
            {
                await formFile.CopyToAsync(stream);
            }
        }
    }

    // process uploaded files
    // Don't rely on or trust the FileName property without validation.

    return Ok(new { count = files.Count, size, filePath});
}

Answer 2

See the code below, adapted from this article, which demonstrates the simplest example code I could find. It includes both file and memory (faster) uploads.

public HttpResponseMessage Post()
{
    var httpRequest = HttpContext.Current.Request;
    if (httpRequest.Files.Count < 1)
    {
        return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.BadRequest);
    }

    foreach(string file in httpRequest.Files)
    {
        var postedFile = httpRequest.Files[file];
        var filePath = HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~/" + postedFile.FileName);
        postedFile.SaveAs(filePath);
        // NOTE: To store in memory use postedFile.InputStream
    }

    return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.Created);
}

Answer 3

This question has lots of good answers even for .Net Core. I was using both Frameworks the provided code samples work fine. So I won't repeat it. In my case the important thing was how to use File upload actions with Swagger like this:

Here is my recap:

ASP .Net WebAPI 2

• To upload file use: MultipartFormDataStreamProvider see answers here
• How to use it with Swagger

.NET Core

• To upload file use: IFormFile see answers here or MS documentation
• How to use it with Swagger

Answer 4

Toward this same directions, I'm posting a client and server snipets that send Excel Files using WebApi, c# 4:

public static void SetFile(String serviceUrl, byte[] fileArray, String fileName)
{
    try
    {
        using (var client = new HttpClient())
        {
                client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Accept.Add(new MediaTypeWithQualityHeaderValue("application/json"));
                using (var content = new MultipartFormDataContent())
                {
                    var fileContent = new ByteArrayContent(fileArray);//(System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(fileName));
                    fileContent.Headers.ContentDisposition = new ContentDispositionHeaderValue("attachment")
                    {
                        FileName = fileName
                    };
                    content.Add(fileContent);
                    var result = client.PostAsync(serviceUrl, content).Result;
                }
        }
    }
    catch (Exception e)
    {
        //Log the exception
    }
}

And the server webapi controller:

public Task<IEnumerable<string>> Post()
{
    if (Request.Content.IsMimeMultipartContent())
    {
        string fullPath = HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~/uploads");
        MyMultipartFormDataStreamProvider streamProvider = new MyMultipartFormDataStreamProvider(fullPath);
        var task = Request.Content.ReadAsMultipartAsync(streamProvider).ContinueWith(t =>
        {
            if (t.IsFaulted || t.IsCanceled)
                    throw new HttpResponseException(HttpStatusCode.InternalServerError);

            var fileInfo = streamProvider.FileData.Select(i =>
            {
                var info = new FileInfo(i.LocalFileName);
                return "File uploaded as " + info.FullName + " (" + info.Length + ")";
            });
            return fileInfo;

        });
        return task;
    }
    else
    {
        throw new HttpResponseException(Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.NotAcceptable, "Invalid Request!"));
    }
}

And the Custom MyMultipartFormDataStreamProvider, needed to customize the Filename:

PS: I took this code from another post http://www.codeguru.com/csharp/.net/uploading-files-asynchronously-using-asp.net-web-api.htm

public class MyMultipartFormDataStreamProvider : MultipartFormDataStreamProvider
{
    public MyMultipartFormDataStreamProvider(string path)
        : base(path)
    {

    }

    public override string GetLocalFileName(System.Net.Http.Headers.HttpContentHeaders headers)
    {
        string fileName;
        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(headers.ContentDisposition.FileName))
        {
            fileName = headers.ContentDisposition.FileName;
        }
        else
        {
            fileName = Guid.NewGuid().ToString() + ".data";
        }
        return fileName.Replace("\"", string.Empty);
    }
}

Answer 5

I had a similar problem for the preview Web API. Did not port that part to the new MVC 4 Web API yet, but maybe this helps:

REST file upload with HttpRequestMessage or Stream?

Please let me know, can sit down tomorrow and try to implement it again.

Answer 6

see http://www.asp.net/web-api/overview/working-with-http/sending-html-form-data,-part-2, although I think the article makes it seem a bit more complicated than it really is.

Basically,

public Task<HttpResponseMessage> PostFile() 
{ 
    HttpRequestMessage request = this.Request; 
    if (!request.Content.IsMimeMultipartContent()) 
    { 
        throw new HttpResponseException(HttpStatusCode.UnsupportedMediaType); 
    } 

    string root = System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~/App_Data/uploads"); 
    var provider = new MultipartFormDataStreamProvider(root); 

    var task = request.Content.ReadAsMultipartAsync(provider). 
        ContinueWith<HttpResponseMessage>(o => 
    { 

        string file1 = provider.BodyPartFileNames.First().Value;
        // this is the file name on the server where the file was saved 

        return new HttpResponseMessage() 
        { 
            Content = new StringContent("File uploaded.") 
        }; 
    } 
    ); 
    return task; 
}