Issue with Uploading Multiple Files in Different Instances
I use a web based program for work that has had a bug ever since Firefox version 13.0. in the program there is a file upload feature to upload picture/document/PDF/etc files into a database. You can upload single files, or use a "multiple file upload" option. From Firefox version 3.0 and higher there has never been an issue. However, since the 13.0 update, this multiple file upload window has been buggy. When I upload any number of files, it automatically pulls in previously uploaded files, and uploads them again ALONG with the correct chosen files. It's as if the temporary storage doesn't clear, and it's pulling them from memory. Every time I upload files it will pull in ALL from the previous instances of uploading files. One way to resolve this was to log out of the program and back in, which for the first upload instance, it didn't pull in any extra files, but then every instance after would pull in files again from previous instances. The best fix I found was to revert my Firefox back to version 12.0, thinking that it was an issue with the new Firefox. Could this be so? I understand that maybe this program isn't up to date, but it seems like a Firefox issue, as it doesn't happen in Google Chrome.
Any ideas? Suggestions? (This is happening for every user using this web based program, regardless of their OS, Windows version, etc.)
All Replies (5)
Does the multiple file upload use the Flash player or some other plugin?
Is this site accessible to forum volunteers to try out?
There is also the input element with the multiple attribute possible.
<input type="file" multiple >
I am not the developer, so I can't say for sure. However, I think it is fairly JAVA intensive. But even then, this issue is widespread to EVERY user since the deployment of Firefox 13.0 (and now 14.0 as well). It worked with all previous versions of Firefox, so it must be something they have changed on their end (although I wouldn't rule out that the fix must be made on our end).
The site is a subscription service, so I don't have an account that you would be able to access yourself. However, I created this blog post with screenshots to demonstrate the issue (http://clientrunner.blogspot.com/2012/07/firefox-130-issue-multiple-file-uploads.html). I would also be available to arrange a web conference meeting where you could view my screen and see the issue firsthand. Let me know if this has been of any help.
Thanks for the blog post with screen shots. I think the page must be using a hidden input for the file names. And perhaps that input isn't getting removed for one reason or another, and therefore is getting re-used.
One change in Firefox 13 is that the way errors are reported has changed. If the script looks for an error by the name "code", that might stop the script in Firefox 14, preventing it from getting to all the subsequent steps. Such an error might appear in Firefox's Error Console (Ctrl+Shift+j), but even if it does, there's no obvious workaround for you as an end-user. The developer needs to handle Firefox 12 and under different from Firefox 13 and newer.
One possible hack would be to check for and remove any existing hidden file type inputs before doing a second round of uploads. Developing a bookmarklet or userscript for that likely would require some hands-on time with the application. And it would be inconvenient to, although not as inconvenient as exiting the application. And it would be challenging to distribute. So we probably should back-burner that idea.
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