Empty Request.FILES with Django Upload forms

Question

Trying to use a very simple form to upload a file into a new class instance. I am expecting to have both files in request.FILES but it's empty. I am on the bundled dev server.

Been stuck here and went through all related questions.

wayfinder_map.media_file = request.FILES['media_file']

generates

MultiValueDictKeyError: "Key 'media_file' not found in MultiValueDict: {}>"

model

class WayfinderMap(models.Model):
    """ Way-finding Map Config"""


    media_file = models.FileField(upload_to="maps", null=True, blank=True) 
    wall_file = models.FileField(upload_to="maps_data", null=True, blank=True)

view

@login_required
def create_map(request, form_class=WayfinderMapForm, template_name="wayfinder/map/create.html"):
wayfinder_map_form = form_class(request.user, request.POST or None, request.FILES)

    if wayfinder_map_form.is_valid():
        wayfinder_map = wayfinder_map_form.save(commit=False)
        wayfinder_map.media_file = request.FILES['media_file']
        wayfinder_map.data_file = request.FILES['data_file']
        wayfinder_map.creator = request.user
        wayfinder_map.save()
    return HttpResponseRedirect(wayfinder_map.get_absolute_url())

return render_to_response(template_name, {
    "wayfinder_map_form": wayfinder_map_form,
}, context_instance=RequestContext(request))

template

<form enctype="multipart/form-data" class="uniForm" id="wayfinder_map_form" method="POST" action="">
        <fieldset class="inlineLabels">
            {{ wayfinder_map_form|as_uni_form }}
            <div class="form_block">
                <input type="hidden" name="action" value="create" />
                <input type="submit" value="{% trans 'create' %}"/>
            </div>
        </fieldset>
    </form>

i think the answers to this similar question will help you out : stackoverflow.com/q/5895588/1037459 — user1037459
– user1037459, Commented Nov 9, 2011 at 11:05
Besides enctype="multipart/form" missing, another reason can ben that the file input field doesn't have a name. — Herbert
– Herbert, Commented Dec 20, 2022 at 12:45

Stefano · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-23 09:56:30Z

246

old question, but somebody might still find this useful.

In order to have your <input type=file> files uploaded and showns in request.FILES, your form MUST contain enctype="multipart/form-data", eg:

<form action="" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">{% csrf_token %}
{{ form.as_p }}
<button type="submit">{% trans 'Submit' %}</button>
</form>

otherwise your files will not be uploaded and your request.FILES will be empty.

BTW That's a common solution to a common error. Nevertheless, I still found myself in a situation with an empty FILES (and the file in the POST) when everything else was looking OK. I have the feeling it was a size limit but did not want to spend more time debugging, and just used request.raw_post_data. If ever somebody falls on this issue please add a comment (including precise django version!) and I'll try to debug more deeply.

edited May 23, 2011 at 9:56

answered Apr 6, 2011 at 13:23

Stefano

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6 Comments

Alireza Farahani Over a year ago

@Stefano: I've fallen on this issue too. (Working with django 1.6, python 3.3) I've set encryption type and other thing, but still my request.FILES is empty.

Stefano Over a year ago

@alireza, even thou SO is not a "support" site you might try and paste the specifics of your configuration, or a link to code if OS, otherwise it's too difficult to guess what your problem is...

amertkara Over a year ago

when you are so much blinded by the framework, simple things like this one is always forgotten. Thank you!

T. Christiansen Over a year ago

jQuery Mobile also requires: data-ajax="false"

Escher Over a year ago

Note that request.raw_post_data is now request.body as of 1.6

|

Mohammed · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-13 03:38:47Z

5

The problem for me was that I am missing the "name" attribute for the file input.

answered Feb 13, 2021 at 3:38

Mohammed

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1 Comment

Богдан Соловьев Over a year ago

yes, indeed, i use my custom form, not django forms, and name attribute is required. But how i could know it?)

Facundo Casco · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-28 19:43:24Z

4

It seems as request.FILES is not necessary in this case (good thing cause it's empty ...)

I modified this line

wayfinder_map.media_file = request.FILES['media_file']

for

wayfinder_map.media_file = wayfinder_map_form.cleaned_data['media_file']

and it works. Not sure what the right way to do thing though... –

edited Feb 28, 2013 at 19:43

Facundo Casco

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answered Jan 7, 2010 at 23:08

philgo20

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Comments

Jakob Müller · Accepted Answer · 2020-05-15 12:04:55Z

3

I know this is an old question, but it is the first result on google for "django request.file empty" so I would like to add a potential solution after searching for two days:

If you submit your files through ajax, make sure to send your form via formData() instead of form.serialize()

see also here: Django JQuery Ajax File Upload

answered May 15, 2020 at 12:04

Jakob Müller

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Comments

Gregory Presser · Accepted Answer · 2018-11-11 11:30:54Z

1

I found that If you put put the form in a content block then it seems to work

    {% block content %}
<form enctype="multipart/form-data" class="uniForm" id="wayfinder_map_form" method="POST" action="">
        <fieldset class="inlineLabels">
            {{ wayfinder_map_form|as_uni_form }}
            <div class="form_block">
                <input type="hidden" name="action" value="create" />
                <input type="submit" value="{% trans 'create' %}"/>
            </div>
        </fieldset>
    </form>
{% endblock %}

answered Nov 11, 2018 at 11:30

Gregory Presser

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Comments

czarchaic · Accepted Answer · 2010-01-06 05:28:42Z

0

I think your troubles may lie in assigning data to a form without first verifying the the request is POST

@login_required
def create_map(request, form_class=WayfinderMapForm, template_name="wayfinder/map create.html"):
  if request.method=='POST':
    wayfinder_map_form = form_class(request.user, data=request.POST, files=request.FILES)

    if wayfinder_map_form.is_valid():
      #save your data
      return HttpResponseRedirect(wayfinder_map.get_absolute_url())

  else:
    wayfinder_map_form=form_class(request.user)

 return render_to_response(template_name, {"wayfinder_map_form": wayfinder_map_form,}, context_instance=RequestContext(request))

answered Jan 6, 2010 at 5:28

czarchaic

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3 Comments

philgo20 Over a year ago

been using it this way with no problem so far. might be a good check (if necessary) but it certainly does not solve the problem as request.FILES is still empty

czarchaic Over a year ago

What do you mean 'no problems so far'? Did this work properly before? Can you post your form class?

philgo20 Over a year ago

What I mean is that I've been using forms with no problem, as long as I don't have to use request.FILES, without checking if the method is POST. Does tying request.POST to data in the instantiation of the class like you do could help ? I'll try that and post my form.

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