Re: File upload in HTML forms

Joe English (jenglish@crl.com)
Thu, 13 Oct 1994 01:55:10 +0100

nebel@xsoft.sd.xerox.com (Ernesto Nebel) wrote:
>
> FILE TRANSMISSION FROM WORLD WIDE WEB BROWSERS TO SERVERS
> ---------------------------------------------------------

> proposed change is to add a TYPE "file". The author of an HTML form
> who wants to request one or more files from a user would simply write
> (for example):
>
> File to process: <INPUT NAME="userfile1" TYPE="file">

Is it really best to add another overloaded meaning
to the INPUT element? How about a new tag:

<!ELEMENT ATTACH - O EMPTY -- "Attachment" or "file" input field --
>

This would leave room for extra attributes that only
apply to file submission, e.g.,

<!ATTLIST ATTACH
name NAME #REQUIRED
accept CDATA #IMPLIED
-- Legal MIME content-types for this attachment,
specified like in HTTP Accept: request header
--
... others? ...
>

--Joe English