Assets field - make _getUploadedFiles publicly available / protected instead of private

[Anubarak]

I very often have the requirement to upload files via Dropzone.js or other JS libraries in forms before the final form submission. So users can upload files to the server before the related element is uploaded. There are only a few ways to achieve this.

• upload the file normally, create an asset -> return the id
  • disadvantages:
    • Assets are always saved on the server, even if there is no element related to them if the user decides to just leave the site
    • Craft does not handle proper sub-folder logic like the field would -> the developer needs to create subfolders - otherwise all are in the very same - this is even more frustrating since the logic is already there... just private
• use a normal <input type="file"> and abuse Dropzone (or similar libraries) in a way it can insert the file into an <input type="file"> or into a hidden input with the base64 encoded content in the end.
  • disadvantages
    • well obviously not using libraries kinda eliminates their purpose + uploading the file before will make the request much faster

My wish would be to be able to upload files normally however I like, move them to a temp folder of my choice (in my custom logic) and then just hook into craft\fields\Assets::_getUploadedFiles in order to include custom data like you do at the end of the function

$files = UploadedFile::getInstancesByName($paramName);

foreach ($files as $file) {
    $uploadedFiles[] = [
        'filename' => $file->name,
        'location' => $file->tempName,
        'type' => 'custom', // use a custom type here
    ];
}

it would even be perfect to extend your Assets field and add an event or a custom check into this function but since it's private I can't call the parents method... unless I move all the logic into my own class.

Eventually the afterElementsSave must be changed as well to add

if ($file['type'] === 'custom') {
    copy($file['location'], $tempPath);
}

Of course in the end of the day this is still kinda an ugly way but at least this one achieves my goal without heavy changes on your end... A better way would be to include more events or move all private functions into services so I could do

$entry->on(Element::EVENT_AFTER_PROPAGATE, static function(ModelEvent $event){
    $entry = $event->sender;
    $field = $entry->getFieldLayout()->getFieldByHandle('image');
    $targetFolderId = $field->determineUploadFolderId($entry);
    
    // save the image by myself.. I just want that folder...
});
\Craft::$app->getElements()->saveElement($entry);

[brandonkelly]

Just added a new EVENT_LOCATE_UPLOADED_FILES event to Assets fields, which you can tap into to add additional files to the mix, without needing to extend craft\fields\Assets.

use craft\events\LocateUploadedFilesEvent;
use craft\fields\Assets;
use yii\base\Event;

Event::on(
    Assets::class,
    Assets::EVENT_LOCATE_UPLOADED_FILES,
    function(LocateUploadedFilesEvent $event) {
        /** @var Assets $field */
        $field = $event->sender;
        
        $event->files[] = [
            'type' => 'file',
            'filename' => 'foo.jpg',
            'path' => '/path/to/temp/foo.jpg',
        ];
    }
);

It’ll be in the next v3 and v4 releases.

To get the change early, you can change your craftcms/cms requirement in composer.json to one of these:

• dev-release/3.7.42 as 3.7.42
• dev-release/4.0.2 as 4.0.2

[Anubarak]

Awesome, thank you very much for this 👍

[brandonkelly]

Craft 3.7.42 and 4.0.2 are out now with that change.