Deleting files using checkbox and PHP

[markbaron15]

Hi,

I got a problem on my code, im doing a file deletion using checkbox and PHP where I got everything i needed it to work(almost). but somehow it doesn't work.

Here is the code
from viewfiles.php

PHP Code:

<?php 
include 'include/session.php';
include 'templates/include/header.php';
include 'include/menubar.php';

include("config.php");
include("dl_functions.php");

if(isset($POST['submit'])){
    foreach ($_POST['file'] as $file){
        if(isset($file)) {
            if (unlink($file)) { 
            } 
        }
    }
}

if (isset($_GET["file"])) do_download($_GET["file"]);

?>
<div id="container">

<div id="content">
<br />
<a href="index.php">Back</a>
<br />
<form action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>" method="post">
<table class="main_table" align="center" style="width: auto;">
  <tr>
    <td colspan="1"><b>Download files list</b></td>
    <td colspan="1"><b>Size</b></td>
    <td colspan="1"><b>Select</b></td>
  </tr>
  <?php echo get_download_files_list(); ?>
</table>
<button type="submit" name="submit">Delete selected</button>
<button type="reset" name="reset">Reset</button>
</form>

<br />
</div>
<?php include 'templates/include/footer.php'; ?>
</div>

and from dl_functions.php

PHP Code:

<?
function get_download_files_list()
{
 global $download_dirs, $SLINE;
    $files_list = ""; 
    $i = 0;
    $from_path = dirname(__FILE__)."/".$download_dirs;
    
    if (is_dir($from_path)) {
        chdir($from_path);
        $handle = opendir('.');
        while (($file = readdir($handle)) !== false)
        {
            if (($file != ".") && ($file != "..") && is_file($file)) {
                
                $files_list .= '<tr><td width="75%"><a href="viewfiles.php?'.$SLINE.'&file='.htmlentities(urlencode(basename($file))).'">'.basename($file).'</a></td><td>'.set_size(filesize($file)).'</td><td><input type="checkbox" name="file[]" value="'.htmlentities(urlencode(basename($file))).'"></tr>';
            }
        }
        closedir($handle); 
    }
 return $files_list;
}

?>

the problem is I'm confused on which problem i have on this, if it is about the wrong value on the checkbox, or if i got a wrong markup on this.

Please help,

Mark B.

[bcarl314]

Check your paths for the unlink statement. If you're sending 'myfile.txt', but the file is located in 'user_files/myfile.txt', unlink will not be able to delete. Probably best to give an absolute path on an unlink command...

PHP Code:

unlink('/home/httpd/vhosts/mydomain.com/www/user_files/myfile.txt'); 


Also - VERY IMPORTANT - you should probably clean the input data before trying to delete a file, in case someone posts '/etc/passwd' to your system!

[mlseim]

You are looking for a value for $_POST['submit'] to see if it's set (isset).

But you didn't define a value ...


<button type="submit" name="submit" value="submit" >Delete selected</button>

[markbaron15]

Originally Posted by bcarl314

Check your paths for the unlink statement. If you're sending 'myfile.txt', but the file is located in 'user_files/myfile.txt', unlink will not be able to delete. Probably best to give an absolute path on an unlink command...

PHP Code:

unlink('/home/httpd/vhosts/mydomain.com/www/user_files/myfile.txt'); 


Also - VERY IMPORTANT - you should probably clean the input data before trying to delete a file, in case someone posts '/etc/passwd' to your system!

i changed the unlink statement, into

PHP Code:

if(isset($POST['submit'])){
    foreach ($_POST['file'] as $file){
        if(isset($file)) {
            if (file_exists($file)){
                (unlink(dirname(__FILE__)."/".$download_dirs.$file)); 
            }else{
                echo "Cannot delete file";
            }
        }
    }
} 


this is my first time dealing with chechboxes and deleting files using unlink() function as a PHP newbie, sooooo challenging

[markbaron15]

Originally Posted by mlseim

You are looking for a value for $_POST['submit'] to see if it's set (isset).

But you didn't define a value ...


<button type="submit" name="submit" value="submit" >Delete selected</button>

Already changed the value of the submit button, but nothing happens, i think the problem is on how i handle the checkbox values and the unlink function,.

Just a PHP newbie XD

here i attached a screenshot of the page,

@iBall- The <a> tag is for the download feature where users can download the file when they click it. hmmm if it is right to use it...

[mlseim]

Just for the heck of it ... see what the values are ....



if(isset($POST['submit'])){
foreach ($_POST['file'] as $file){
echo "File: ".$file."<br />";
if(isset($file)) {
if (file_exists($file)){
(unlink(dirname(__FILE__)."/".$download_dirs.$file));
}else{
echo "Cannot delete file";
}
}
}
}

[markbaron15]

Oh guys many thanks, problem is solve, i manage to understand on the logical if-else statement on my isset(),

here is the code

PHP Code:


    $from_path = dirname(__FILE__)."/".$download_dirs;
    
    if (is_dir($from_path)) {
        chdir($from_path);
        $handle = opendir('.');
        while (($file = readdir($handle)) !== false)
        {
            if (($file != ".") && ($file != "..") && is_file($file)) {
                if(isset($_POST['deleteMe']) && count($_POST['deleteMe']) > 0){
                    unlink($from_path.$file);
                    unset($_POST['deleteMe']);
                }
            }
        }
    } 


@iBall, thanks to your basic example, haha. many thanks. P.S. your foreach ($files as $filename) shows an invalid argument on my xampp server, dunno why? i'm using PHP 5+. BTW thanks again.

[markbaron15]

Originally Posted by iBall

Also, you don't need the unset() inside the while loop. It should be after all the files have been deleted (below the while loop)

Ahh, yeah you're right, i found that unset gives some unexpected behavior like even only one checkbox is clicked, the submit will delete all.

I just need to add the foreach() and remove the unset(). Thanks!

PHP Code:

$from_path = dirname(__FILE__)."/".$download_dirs;
    
if (is_dir($from_path)) {
    chdir($from_path);
    $handle = opendir('.');
    while (($file = readdir($handle)) !== false)
    {
        if (($file != ".") && ($file != "..") && is_file($file)) {
            if(isset($_POST['deleteMe']) && count($_POST['deleteMe']) > 0){
                foreach($_POST['deleteMe'] as $file){
                    if(file_exists($from_path.$file)){
                        unlink($from_path.$file);
                    }
                }
            }

        }
        
    }
    //unset($_POST['deleteMe']);
} 


it works fine now.