asked on

File upload in cgi

Hi,
I have a web page that uploads a file
<INPUT TYPE="file" NAME="uploaded_file" VALUE="starting value" SIZE=50 MAXLENGTH=80 >

Now, in my cgi, I am trying to retrieve the contents of the file like this

$filename = $query->param('uploaded_file');
printf $output "Files contents are ";
while (<$filename>) { printf $output "$_"; }

For text files, the contents do get printed. But for word docs, I am expecting an output like

#######################
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed;
boundary="=====================_108983900==_"

--=====================_108983900==_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

--=====================_108983900==_
Content-Type: application/msword; name="database.doc";
x-mac-type="42494E41"; x-mac-creator="4D535744"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="database.doc"

0M8R4KGxGuEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPgADAP7/CQAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAAAXQAAAAAAAAAA
EAAAPwAAAAEAAAD+////AAAAAF4AAAD/////////////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

#######################

But all I get is
###############

<TY&¨ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ
<
<TY&¨ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ

<
&
&

<TY&¨ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ
###############

Can you tell me what is wrong and how I can read through a word doc and get the binary information?
Thanks.

rj2

Try to add statements below before you open the file.
binmode(STDOUT);
binmode(FILE);

The boundary and content-type stuff will not get printed when you print the content of the file.
That is part of the http headers, not part of the Word file.

makam_75

ASKER

Tried like this, no luck yet...

$filename = $query->param('uploaded_file');
binmode(STDOUT);
binmode($filename);
printf $output "Files contents are ";
while (<$filename>) { printf $output "$_"; }
printf $output "----------------------------------";

Also, I notice that the line ---- is not being printed. (The program execution seem to stop at the while loop above.) If anyone can suggest any pointers, I really appreciate it.
Thankyou.

rj2

Try like this.

$filename = $query->param('uploaded_file');
binmode(STDOUT);
while (my $bytesread = read($filename, my $buffer, 16384)) {
print $buffer;
}

But why are you trying to print the contents of a Word file, a binary file, to the browser?

makam_75

ASKER

Thank you, but it does not work either.
Here is my code

$filename = $query->param('uploaded_file');
binmode(STDOUT);
while (my $bytesread = read($filename, my $buffer, 16384)) {
printf $output "Contents are $buffer";
}
printf $output "----------------------------------";

And the output I get when I upload a word doc is
Contents are Contents are Contents are Contents are ----------------------------------

I am creating a web page to accept candidates resumes. Our recuriting application can parse word docs if I pass the binary contents of the file. Thanks for your help.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

rj2

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makam_75

ASKER

But I want to print to a file, not on the web page.
I had $output = "data.txt";

Anyway I did try
print "Contents are $buffer";
I got "Contents are Contents are Contents are Contents are " printed on my web page.
Thanks.

makam_75

ASKER

BTW, my form information is

$html_method = "POST";
$action="submit3.cgi";
$encoding="multipart/form-data";
print $query->start_multipart_form($method,$action,$encoding);

SOLUTION

rj2

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makam_75

ASKER

Thank you, I was out sick yesterday, so could not respond to your message.

On doing more research, what I found is:
My $output was mail, meaning I was making the server email the data. like this.
$output = "MAIL";
open (MAIL, "| /usr/lib/sendmail -oi -t");
print $output $buffer;

When I changed the $output to a.txt, it works just fine. a.txt does have all the binary info from the word doc in the way i expected. like this.
open (OUTFILE,">a.txt");
print OUTFILE $buffer;

So looks like when the info get transferred to sendmail, it somehow get changed?
(BTW I am viewing the email through a vi editor, so it is not an email client issue. )

Our recruiting application expects email with the binary content of word doc. so looks like i am stuck.

makam_75

ASKER

So rj2, you have given the solution for my intial problem, so all the points belong to you.
Can someone tell me how to Accept rj2's answer? I cant find that button anymore .. :(