Send string as a file using curl and php

Question

I know I can use this syntaxt to send a file using php, post and curl.

$post = array(
    "file_box"=>"@/path/to/myfile.jpg",
);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $post);

How can I take a string, build a temp file and send it using the exact same syntax ?

Update: I would prefer using tmpfile() or php://memory so I don't have to handle file creation.

duplicate of this question: POST a file string using cURL in PHP? (you will find your answer there) — Lepidosteus
– Lepidosteus, Commented May 27, 2011 at 9:03
Not a real answer there. @emil gave a great solution so far. — johnlemon
– johnlemon, Commented May 27, 2011 at 9:05
Erm, yes it is a real answer to send a file through curl when you have its content in a string. Tatu's answer is a different solution that involves temporary files (so you're not sending a string as file, you are sending an actual file). — Lepidosteus
– Lepidosteus, Commented May 27, 2011 at 9:07
@johnlemon: You asked too early, the answer is here: PHP create random tmp file and get its full path - at least for the tmpfile() part and how to create one from string and obtain the path to it then so you can use it in the (now defunct) @ syntax. — hakre
– hakre, Commented Jul 12, 2023 at 9:42

Emil Vikström · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-27 09:02:29Z

15

You can create a file using tempnam in your temp directory:

$string = 'random string';

//Save string into temp file
$file = tempnam(sys_get_temp_dir(), 'POST');
file_put_contents($file, $string);

//Post file
$post = array(
    "file_box"=>'@'.$file,
);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $post);

//do your cURL work here...

//Remove the file
unlink($file);

answered May 27, 2011 at 9:02

Emil Vikström

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Comments

manavo · Accepted Answer · 2022-05-20 18:56:00Z

7

Since PHP 8.1 there's also CURLStringFile which would allow you to send it without the temporary file:

$txt = 'test content';
$file = new \CURLStringFile($txt, 'filename.txt', 'text/plain');

$ch = curl_init('https://example.com/upload');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, ['file' => $file]);
curl_exec($ch);

answered May 20, 2022 at 18:56

manavo

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1 Comment

hakre Over a year ago

Technically not the @ syntax op asks about. Why not consider to move the answer here: stackoverflow.com/q/3085990/367456 ? It looks like a better fit for this reference to me. (you can ping me there so that I can move my +1 there, too).

Tatu Ulmanen · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-27 09:01:34Z

0

You can create a temporary file using file_put_contents, just make sure that the target directory is writable.

$path = '/path/to/myfile.txt';    
file_put_contents($myData, $path);

$post = array(
    "file_box"=>"@".$path,
);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $post);

# Delete the file if you don't need it anymore
unlink($path);

answered May 27, 2011 at 9:01

Tatu Ulmanen

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Comments

2 revs, 2 users 67% · Accepted Answer · 2023-10-09 19:22:06Z

From http://php.net/manual/en/class.curlfile.php#115161

$files = array()) {
  
             // invalid characters for "name" and "filename"
             static $disallow = array("\0", "\"", "\r", "\n");

             // build normal parameters
             foreach ($assoc as $k => $v) {
                 $k = str_replace($disallow, "_", $k);
                 $body[] = implode("\r\n", array(
                     "Content-Disposition: form-data; name=\"{$k}\"",
                     "",
                     filter_var($v),
                 ));
             }

             // build file parameters
             foreach ($files as $k => $v) {
                 switch (true) {
                     case false === $v = realpath(filter_var($v)):
                     case !is_file($v):
                     case !is_readable($v):
                         continue; // or return false, throw new InvalidArgumentException
                 }
                 $data = file_get_contents($v);
                 $v = call_user_func("end", explode(DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR, $v));
                 $k = str_replace($disallow, "_", $k);
                 $v = str_replace($disallow, "_", $v);
                 $body[] = implode("\r\n", array(
                     "Content-Disposition: form-data; name=\"{$k}\"; filename=\"{$v}\"",
                     "Content-Type: image/jpeg",
                     "",
                     $data,
                 ));
             }

             // generate safe boundary
             do {
                 $boundary = "---------------------" . md5(mt_rand() . microtime());
             } while (preg_grep("/{$boundary}/", $body));

             // add boundary for each parameters
             array_walk($body, function (&$part) use ($boundary) {
                 $part = "--{$boundary}\r\n{$part}";
             });

             // add final boundary
             $body[] = "--{$boundary}--";
             $body[] = "";

             // set options
             return @curl_setopt_array($ch, array(
                 CURLOPT_POST       => true,
                 CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => implode("\r\n", $body),
                 CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => array(
                     "Expect: 100-continue",
                     "Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary={$boundary}", // change Content-Type
                 ),
             ));
         }

$array1=array('other_post_field'=>'value');
$array2=array('file'=>'document_content_string'); $ch = curl_init();  
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL,$url);
curl_custom_postfields($ch,$array1,$array2);//above custom function
$output=curl_exec($ch); close($ch);

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