560

I am developing a metro app with VS2012 and Javascript

I want to reset the contents of my file input:

<input type="file" id="uploadCaptureInputFile" class="win-content colors" accept="image/*" />

How should I do that?

9
  • 1
    What do you mean by content? Commented Dec 12, 2013 at 16:48
  • 4
    do you mean, after the user selects a file, you want to reset the selected file to "nothing"? Commented Dec 12, 2013 at 16:49
  • 9
    Possible duplicate of stackoverflow.com/questions/1043957/… Commented Dec 12, 2013 at 16:52
  • 20
    it seems that a simple inputElement.value = "" does the trick just fine without resorting to cloning or wrapping as suggested. Works in CH(46), IE(11) and FF(41) Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 21:37
  • 5
    Possible duplicate of How can I clear an HTML file input with JavaScript? Commented Sep 26, 2016 at 17:58

28 Answers 28

538

The jQuery solution that @dhaval-marthak posted in the comments obviously works, but if you look at the actual jQuery call it's pretty easy to see what jQuery is doing, just setting the value attribute to an empty string. So in "pure" JavaScript it would be:

document.getElementById("uploadCaptureInputFile").value = "";
Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

9 Comments

Thanks! If you already have the jquery reference anyway, $input.val("") will work as usual.
@2ndGAB Hmm... I only have 45.0.1 so I can't test... anyone else?
@2ndGAB Correction, My Firefox just updated to 46.0.1 and this code still works there. Can you confirm?
@jakerella that's strange, for me, set an input file selector value trigs a Security exception. The only solution I successfully use is $(#myfileselector).trigger('fileselect', [1, ""]);
input.type = ''; input.type = 'file'; //enjoy
|
98

You need to wrap <input type = “file”> in to <form> tags and then you can reset input by resetting your form:

onClick="this.form.reset()"

3 Comments

This is the correct method. It works in all browsers and does not conflict with any protections that browsers implement to prevent rogue scripts from messing around with file input's .value.
Kinda cool, not for me though, cause it also resets other fields on this form.
A similar jQuery solution could be $("form").get(0).reset();. The .get(0) will return the actual form element so you can use the reset() function.
91

This is the BEST solution:

input.value = ''

if(!/safari/i.test(navigator.userAgent)){
  input.type = ''
  input.type = 'file'
}

Of all the answers here this is the fastest solution. No input clone, no form reset!

I checked it in all browsers (it even has IE8 support).

6 Comments

Is there any specific reason to reset the input.type too? Setting just the value to '' is giving the expected result.
This needs some more upvotes or something, I took far too long to find this answer, this is the only one I found that works on IE.
input.value = '' throws an exception to the console in IE11. However resetting input.type works on all browsers without any error.
This answer is not good enough. If the input is set as required, resetting the field should make the field invalid again. Unfortunately in this case, it is still valid, so the form will submit, although with no value.
I would set value to null, but basically same thing.
|
67

In case you have the following:

<input type="file" id="fileControl">

then just do:

$("#fileControl").val('');

to reset the file control.

4 Comments

Best solution IMHO.
Or use DOM: inputFileEl.value = '';
is using "val" in javascript source code cause some security issues?
@novonimo No, since all it does is set the value of an input. And if someone wanted to, they could just use their browser's DevTools to run JavaScript.
56

Another solution (without selecting HTML DOM elements )

If you added 'change' event listener on that input, then in javascript code you can call (for some specified conditions):

event.target.value = '';

For example in HTML:

<input type="file" onChange="onChangeFunction(event)">

And in javascript:

onChangeFunction(event) {
  let fileList = event.target.files;
  let file = fileList[0];
  let extension = file.name.match(/(?<=\.)\w+$/g)[0].toLowerCase(); // assuming that this file has any extension

  if (extension === 'jpg') {
    alert('Good file extension!');
  }
  else {
    event.target.value = '';
    alert('Wrong file extension! File input is cleared.');
  }

4 Comments

This will only work on filenames which contain just a single . in front of file extension.
That's right, I have edited the code and provided more universal approach to get a file extension.
This is the only solution that allows the change event to re-fire if the user subsequently selects the same file.
45

You can just clone it and replace it with itself, with all events still attached:

<input type="file" id="control">

and

var input = $("#control");

function something_happens() {
    input.replaceWith(input.val('').clone(true));
};

Thanks : Css-tricks.com

6 Comments

Unfortunately this doesn't reset input value, see this jsFiddle. For a better solution, see this answer.
@Gyrocode.com This jsFiddle doesn't work if the image is uploaded second time after reset.
@SarthakSinghal, Unfortunately you wrote the wrong code, you should have done jsfiddle.net/cL1LooLe
@RogerRussel: Exactly... I was wondering myself how come upper answers were saying that it only works once which is a clear indicator that some sort of reference is being lost. And that was actually the case because the initially created the input reference that was later replaced with a new input element.
Just resetting the value like in other answers seems much more straightforward than manipulating the DOM.
|
43
document.getElementById('uploadFile').value = "";

Will work, But if you use Angular It will say "Property 'value' does not exist on type 'HTMLElement'.any"

document.getElementById() returns the type HTMLElement which does not contain a value property. So, cast it into HTMLInputElement

(<HTMLInputElement>document.getElementById('uploadFile')).value = "";

EXTRA :-

However, we should not use DOM manipulation (document.xyz()) in angular.

To do that angular has provided @ViewChild, @ViewChildren, etc which are document.querySelector(), document.queryselectorAll() respectively.

Even I haven't read it. Better to follows expert's blogs

Go through this link1, link2

5 Comments

glad I don't have to use angular!
No. FIx would be there. Only I found this one. Which you are using then?
Sorry, I was being sarcastic...I just use document.getElementById('uploadFile').value = ""; as I don't use angular.
Nice one. I thought the same, But, use Angular/ React/ VUe. These are powerful frameworks for routing, component, service, dom manipulation override implemenration
This doesnt work in Anguar 13!! Nothing works. Setting the value to '' doesnt work. Setting the file list of new DataTransfer().files doesnt work. Nothing works!
34

SOLUTION

The following code worked for me with jQuery. It works in every browser and allows to preserve events and custom properties.

var $el = $('#uploadCaptureInputFile');
$el.wrap('<form>').closest('form').get(0).reset();
$el.unwrap();

DEMO

See this jsFiddle for code and demonstration.

LINKS

See How to reset file input with JavaScript for more information.

2 Comments

@alessadro, no, just element <input type="file"> with specific ID.
This is the cleanest and most browser-compliant solution I have found yet - thank you.
28

Resetting a file upload button is so easy using pure JavaScript!

There are few ways to do it, but the must straightforward way which is working well in many browser is changing the filed value to nothing, that way the upload filed gets reset, also try to use pure javascript rather than any framework, I created the code below, just check it out (ES6):

function resetFile() {
  const file = document.querySelector('.file');
  file.value = '';
}
<input type="file" class="file" />
<button onclick="resetFile()">Reset file</button>

2 Comments

how to do with jquery
@AnandChoudhary this works inside jQuery as well, but you can replace const file = document.querySelector('.file'); with const file = $('.file'); or just do $('.file').val(""); to empty it
19

I miss an other Solution here (2021): I use FileList to interact with file input.

Since there is no way to create a FileList object, I use DataTransfer, that brings clean FilleList with it.

I reset it with:

  file_input.files=new DataTransfer().files  

In my case this perfectly fits, since I interact only via FileList with my encapsulated file input element.

Comments

17

I use for vuejs

   <input
          type="file"
          ref="fileref"
          @change="onChange"/>

this.$refs.fileref.value = ''

1 Comment

Thanks man! I thought I will never find a solution with vuejs :D, you mad my day!
11

The reseting input file is on very single

$('input[type=file]').val(null);

If you bind reset the file in change other field of the form, or load form with ajax.

This example is applicable

selector for example is $('input[type=text]') or any element of the form

event click, change, or any event

$('body').delegate('event', 'selector', function(){
     $('input[type=file]').val(null) ;
});

1 Comment

Or you can use $('input[type=file]').val('') ; also
10

My Best Solution

$(".file_uplaod_input").val('');  // this is working best ):

1 Comment

How is this different from the first answer and the comments on that answer?
9

There are many approaches and i will suggest to go with ref attachment to input.

<input
    id="image"
    type="file"
    required
    ref={ref => this.fileInput = ref}
    multiple
    onChange={this.onFileChangeHandler}
/>

to clear value after submit.

this.fileInput.value = "";

Comments

6

With IE 10 I resolved the problem with :

    var file = document.getElementById("file-input");
    file.removeAttribute('value');
    file.parentNode.replaceChild(file.cloneNode(true),file);

where :

<input accept="image/*" onchange="angular.element(this).scope().uploadFile(this)" id="file-input" type="file"/>

Comments

6

Just use:

$('input[type=file]').val('');

Comments

6

document.getElementById("uploadCaptureInputFile").value = "";

Comments

5

With angular you can create a template variable and set the value to null

<input type="file" #fileUploader />
<button (click)="fileUploader.value = null">Reset from UI</button>

Or you can create a method to reset like this

component.ts

  @ViewChild('fileUploader') fileUploader:ElementRef;

  resetFileUploader() { 
    this.fileUploader.nativeElement.value = null;
  }

template

<input type="file"/>
<button (click)="resetFileUploader()">Reset from Component</button>

stackblitz demo

Comments

5
<input type="file" id="mfile" name="mfile">
<p>Reset</p>

<script>
$(document).ready(function(){
$("p").click(function(){

            $("#mfile").val('');
            return false;

    });
});

2 Comments

While this code may solve the question, including an explanation of how and why this solves the problem would really help to improve the quality of your post, and probably result in more up-votes. Remember that you are answering the question for readers in the future, not just the person asking now. Please edit your answer to add explanations and give an indication of what limitations and assumptions apply. From Review
$("#mfile").val('') will empty the file input field.
3

You can´t reset that since it is an read-only file. you can clone it to workaround the problem.

Comments

3

You should try this:

$("#uploadCaptureInputFile").val('');

Comments

3

I faced the issue with ng2-file-upload for angular. if you are looking for the solution in angular refer below code

HTML:

<input type="file" name="myfile" #activeFrameinputFile ng2FileSelect [uploader]="frameUploader" (change)="frameUploader.uploadAll()" />

component

import { Component, OnInit, ElementRef, ViewChild } from '@angular/core';

@ViewChild('activeFrameinputFile')InputFrameVariable: ElementRef;

this.frameUploader.onSuccessItem = (item, response, status, headers) => {

`this.`**InputFrameVariable**`.nativeElement.value = '';`

};

Comments

3

This could be done like this

var inputfile= $('#uploadCaptureInputFile')
$('#reset').on('click',function(){
inputfile.replaceWith(inputfile.val('').clone(true));
})
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.3.1/jquery.min.js"></script>

<input type="file" id="uploadCaptureInputFile" class="win-content colors" accept="image/*" />
<a href="" id="reset">Reset</a>

Comments

2

jQuery solution:

    $('input').on('change',function(){
                $(this).get(0).value = '';
                $(this).get(0).type = '';
                $(this).get(0).type = 'file';
            });

3 Comments

Consider padding this answer out to explain how it works.
@Bugs guess this speaks for itself. When the file input's on change event is triggered the value gets cleared. The type of the input gets resetted from none to file.
@Jordy yes I know what it does :) I was just thinking that with a dozen other answers it would be worth trying to make it stand out. It appeared whilst I was reviewing. They could in fact copy your comment to pad it out that bit more. It's always worth trying to explain why you feel the code fixes the OPs problem.
0

If you have several files in your form but only want one of them to be reset:

if you use boostrap, jquery, filestyle to display the input file form :

$("#"+idInput).filestyle('clear');

Comments

0
var fileInput = $('#uploadCaptureInputFile');
fileInput.replaceWith(fileInput.val('').clone(true));

Comments

0

Works for dynamic controls too.

Javascript

<input type="file" onchange="FileValidate(this)" />

function FileValidate(object) {
    if ((object.files[0].size / 1024 / 1024) > 1) {   //greater than 1 MB         
        $(object).val('');
    }     
}

JQuery

<input type="file" class="UpoloadFileSize">

$(document).ready(function () {

    $('.UpoloadFileSize').bind('change', function () {                
        if ((this.files[0].size / 1024000) > 1.5) { //greater than 1.5 MB
            $(this).val('');
            alert('Size exceeded !!');
        }
    });

});

Comments

0

function resetImageField() {
    var $el = $('#uploadCaptureInputFile');                                        
    $el.wrap('<form>').closest('form').get(0).reset();
    $el.unwrap();
}
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<input type="file" id="uploadCaptureInputFile" class="win-content colors" accept="image/*" />
<button onclick="resetImageField()">Reset field</button>

Comments

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.