What is the best practice for passing file data between forms in PHP?

When passing file data between forms in PHP, the best practice is to use the $_FILES superglobal array to access the file information. This array contains information about the uploaded file, such as its name, type, size, and temporary location. You can store this information in a session variable or pass it as hidden form fields to transfer it between forms. 

// Form 1: Upload file
<form action="process_form1.php" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
    <input type="file" name="file">
    <input type="submit" value="Upload">
</form>

// process_form1.php
session_start();
$_SESSION['file_data'] = $_FILES['file'];

// Form 2: Use the uploaded file
<form action="process_form2.php" method="post">
    <input type="hidden" name="file_name" value="<?php echo $_SESSION['file_data']['name']; ?>">
    <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

// process_form2.php
$file_name = $_POST['file_name'];
// Use the file name to access the uploaded file data

Keywords

file data forms PHP $_FILES enctype

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