Retrieving file name with JavaScript

[jpfalet]

Hello,

I have a question. How can I get the name of a file in my website folder using JavaScript in an onClick attribute. Basically, when I click on the button, I need it to get the name of a certain file and copy it to a variable inside another function (I know how to do this, I just need to know how to get the file name).

Thank You,
J-P

[PeejAvery]

What do you mean you need to get the file name? Is it not a static path?

Also...Only through ActiveX can JavaScript read the filesystem. Even then it must have user interaction to be approved. Are you planning to only run this in Internet Explorer?

[Xeel]

1. If you want to read some file on the server where your website really is - you would need some server-side code for this action, php probably would be the easiest solution for this.

Imagine we have 3 files in the same directory: a txt file you want to copy the name of, the main html where the action button resides and an additional php file I called getFileName.php which will do the job of getting the filename. So here it goes:

primary html:<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">
function getFileNameOnServer(ftype){
document.getElementById("ifbox").src = "";
document.getElementById("ifbox").src = "getFileName.php?ftype="+ftype;
}

function getFileNameInWindowsLocally(ftype){
var fso = new ActiveXObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject");
var dir = fso.GetFolder("path_to_directory");
var fc = new Enumerator(dir.Files);
var fname = "";
var s = "";
for (; !fc.atEnd(); fc.moveNext()){
fname = fc.item()+"";
fname = fname.substring(fname.lastIndexOf("\\")+1,fname.length);
if(fname.indexOf("."+ftype)!=-1){
document.getElementById("fnametxt").innerHTML = fname;
}
}
}
</script>

<form>
<input type="button" value="getFNameFromServer" onclick="getFileNameOnServer('txt');" />
<input type="button" value="getFNameWindowsLocally" onclick="getFileNameInWindowsLocally('txt');" />
<p>filename: <span id="fnametxt"></span></p>
</form>
<iframe id="ifbox" style="display:none;" src=""></iframe>
getFileName.php:<?php
$ftype = $_REQUEST["ftype"];

if ($handle = opendir("path_to_directory")) {
while (false !== ($file = readdir($handle))) {
$exists = stripos($file,$ftype);
if($exists !== false){
echo $file;?>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">
top.document.getElementById("fnametxt").innerHTML = "<?php echo $file;?>";
</script>
<?php }
}
closedir($handle);
}
?>

2. If it's all supposed to run locally on a client machine - as PeejAvery said you'd need a OS dependant js code to run. In case of Windows it would be ActiveX. Also ActiveX woks for Internet Explorer only.

P.S. I do not work with ActiveX so my appologies to those who think this isn't the best way to filter filenames.