| # Form-Data [![NPM Module](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/form-data.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/form-data) [![Join the chat at https://gitter.im/form-data/form-data](http://form-data.github.io/images/gitterbadge.svg)](https://gitter.im/form-data/form-data) |
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| A library to create readable ```"multipart/form-data"``` streams. Can be used to submit forms and file uploads to other web applications. |
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| The API of this library is inspired by the [XMLHttpRequest-2 FormData Interface][xhr2-fd]. |
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| [xhr2-fd]: http://dev.w3.org/2006/webapi/XMLHttpRequest-2/Overview.html#the-formdata-interface |
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| [![Linux Build](https://img.shields.io/travis/form-data/form-data/master.svg?label=linux:4.x-9.x)](https://travis-ci.org/form-data/form-data) |
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| ## Install |
| |
| ``` |
| npm install --save form-data |
| ``` |
| |
| ## Usage |
| |
| In this example we are constructing a form with 3 fields that contain a string, |
| a buffer and a file stream. |
| |
| ``` javascript |
| var FormData = require('form-data'); |
| var fs = require('fs'); |
| |
| var form = new FormData(); |
| form.append('my_field', 'my value'); |
| form.append('my_buffer', new Buffer(10)); |
| form.append('my_file', fs.createReadStream('/foo/bar.jpg')); |
| ``` |
| |
| Also you can use http-response stream: |
| |
| ``` javascript |
| var FormData = require('form-data'); |
| var http = require('http'); |
| |
| var form = new FormData(); |
| |
| http.request('http://nodejs.org/images/logo.png', function(response) { |
| form.append('my_field', 'my value'); |
| form.append('my_buffer', new Buffer(10)); |
| form.append('my_logo', response); |
| }); |
| ``` |
| |
| Or @mikeal's [request](https://github.com/request/request) stream: |
| |
| ``` javascript |
| var FormData = require('form-data'); |
| var request = require('request'); |
| |
| var form = new FormData(); |
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| form.append('my_field', 'my value'); |
| form.append('my_buffer', new Buffer(10)); |
| form.append('my_logo', request('http://nodejs.org/images/logo.png')); |
| ``` |
| |
| In order to submit this form to a web application, call ```submit(url, [callback])``` method: |
| |
| ``` javascript |
| form.submit('http://example.org/', function(err, res) { |
| // res – response object (http.IncomingMessage) // |
| res.resume(); |
| }); |
| |
| ``` |
| |
| For more advanced request manipulations ```submit()``` method returns ```http.ClientRequest``` object, or you can choose from one of the alternative submission methods. |
| |
| ### Custom options |
| |
| You can provide custom options, such as `maxDataSize`: |
| |
| ``` javascript |
| var FormData = require('form-data'); |
| |
| var form = new FormData({ maxDataSize: 20971520 }); |
| form.append('my_field', 'my value'); |
| form.append('my_buffer', /* something big */); |
| ``` |
| |
| List of available options could be found in [combined-stream](https://github.com/felixge/node-combined-stream/blob/master/lib/combined_stream.js#L7-L15) |
| |
| ### Alternative submission methods |
| |
| You can use node's http client interface: |
| |
| ``` javascript |
| var http = require('http'); |
| |
| var request = http.request({ |
| method: 'post', |
| host: 'example.org', |
| path: '/upload', |
| headers: form.getHeaders() |
| }); |
| |
| form.pipe(request); |
| |
| request.on('response', function(res) { |
| console.log(res.statusCode); |
| }); |
| ``` |
| |
| Or if you would prefer the `'Content-Length'` header to be set for you: |
| |
| ``` javascript |
| form.submit('example.org/upload', function(err, res) { |
| console.log(res.statusCode); |
| }); |
| ``` |
| |
| To use custom headers and pre-known length in parts: |
| |
| ``` javascript |
| var CRLF = '\r\n'; |
| var form = new FormData(); |
| |
| var options = { |
| header: CRLF + '--' + form.getBoundary() + CRLF + 'X-Custom-Header: 123' + CRLF + CRLF, |
| knownLength: 1 |
| }; |
| |
| form.append('my_buffer', buffer, options); |
| |
| form.submit('http://example.com/', function(err, res) { |
| if (err) throw err; |
| console.log('Done'); |
| }); |
| ``` |
| |
| Form-Data can recognize and fetch all the required information from common types of streams (```fs.readStream```, ```http.response``` and ```mikeal's request```), for some other types of streams you'd need to provide "file"-related information manually: |
| |
| ``` javascript |
| someModule.stream(function(err, stdout, stderr) { |
| if (err) throw err; |
| |
| var form = new FormData(); |
| |
| form.append('file', stdout, { |
| filename: 'unicycle.jpg', // ... or: |
| filepath: 'photos/toys/unicycle.jpg', |
| contentType: 'image/jpeg', |
| knownLength: 19806 |
| }); |
| |
| form.submit('http://example.com/', function(err, res) { |
| if (err) throw err; |
| console.log('Done'); |
| }); |
| }); |
| ``` |
| |
| The `filepath` property overrides `filename` and may contain a relative path. This is typically used when uploading [multiple files from a directory](https://wicg.github.io/entries-api/#dom-htmlinputelement-webkitdirectory). |
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| For edge cases, like POST request to URL with query string or to pass HTTP auth credentials, object can be passed to `form.submit()` as first parameter: |
| |
| ``` javascript |
| form.submit({ |
| host: 'example.com', |
| path: '/probably.php?extra=params', |
| auth: 'username:password' |
| }, function(err, res) { |
| console.log(res.statusCode); |
| }); |
| ``` |
| |
| In case you need to also send custom HTTP headers with the POST request, you can use the `headers` key in first parameter of `form.submit()`: |
| |
| ``` javascript |
| form.submit({ |
| host: 'example.com', |
| path: '/surelynot.php', |
| headers: {'x-test-header': 'test-header-value'} |
| }, function(err, res) { |
| console.log(res.statusCode); |
| }); |
| ``` |
| |
| ### Integration with other libraries |
| |
| #### Request |
| |
| Form submission using [request](https://github.com/request/request): |
| |
| ```javascript |
| var formData = { |
| my_field: 'my_value', |
| my_file: fs.createReadStream(__dirname + '/unicycle.jpg'), |
| }; |
| |
| request.post({url:'http://service.com/upload', formData: formData}, function(err, httpResponse, body) { |
| if (err) { |
| return console.error('upload failed:', err); |
| } |
| console.log('Upload successful! Server responded with:', body); |
| }); |
| ``` |
| |
| For more details see [request readme](https://github.com/request/request#multipartform-data-multipart-form-uploads). |
| |
| #### node-fetch |
| |
| You can also submit a form using [node-fetch](https://github.com/bitinn/node-fetch): |
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| ```javascript |
| var form = new FormData(); |
| |
| form.append('a', 1); |
| |
| fetch('http://example.com', { method: 'POST', body: form }) |
| .then(function(res) { |
| return res.json(); |
| }).then(function(json) { |
| console.log(json); |
| }); |
| ``` |
| |
| ## Notes |
| |
| - ```getLengthSync()``` method DOESN'T calculate length for streams, use ```knownLength``` options as workaround. |
| - Starting version `2.x` FormData has dropped support for `node@0.10.x`. |
| |
| ## License |
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| Form-Data is released under the [MIT](License) license. |