How to set up a Web API controller for multipart/form-data

Question

I am trying to figure this out. I was not getting any useful error messages with my code so I used something else to generate something. I have attached that code after the

Answer 1

Here's another answer for the ASP.Net Core solution to this problem...

On the Angular side, I took this code example...

https://stackblitz.com/edit/angular-drag-n-drop-directive

... and modified it to call an HTTP Post endpoint:

  prepareFilesList(files: Array<any>) {

    const formData = new FormData();
    for (var i = 0; i < files.length; i++) { 
      formData.append("file[]", files[i]);
    }

    let URL = "https://localhost:44353/api/Users";
    this.http.post(URL, formData).subscribe(
      data => { console.log(data); },
      error => { console.log(error); }
    );

With this in place, here's the code I needed in the ASP.Net Core WebAPI controller:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Post()
{
  try
  {
    var files = Request.Form.Files;

    foreach (IFormFile file in files)
    {
        if (file.Length == 0)
            continue;
        
        string tempFilename = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), file.FileName);
        System.Diagnostics.Trace.WriteLine($"Saved file to: {tempFilename}");

        using (var fileStream = new FileStream(tempFilename, FileMode.Create))
        {
            file.CopyTo(fileStream);
        }
    }
    return new OkObjectResult("Yes");
  }
  catch (Exception ex)
  {
    return new BadRequestObjectResult(ex.Message);
  }
}

Shockingly simple, but I had to piece together examples from several (almost-correct) sources to get this to work properly.

Answer 2

I normally use the HttpPostedFileBase parameter only in Mvc Controllers. When dealing with ApiControllers try checking the HttpContext.Current.Request.Files property for incoming files instead:

[HttpPost]
public string UploadFile()
{
    var file = HttpContext.Current.Request.Files.Count > 0 ?
        HttpContext.Current.Request.Files[0] : null;

    if (file != null && file.ContentLength > 0)
    {
        var fileName = Path.GetFileName(file.FileName);

        var path = Path.Combine(
            HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~/uploads"),
            fileName
        );

        file.SaveAs(path);
    }

    return file != null ? "/uploads/" + file.FileName : null;
}

Answer 3

You're getting HTTP 415 "The request entity's media type 'multipart/form-data' is not supported for this resource." because you haven't mention the correct content type in your request.

Answer 4

Perhaps it is late for the party. But there is an alternative solution for this is to use ApiMultipartFormFormatter plugin.

This plugin helps you to receive the multipart/formdata content as ASP.NET Core does.

In the github page, demo is already provided.

Answer 5

5 years later on and .NET Core 3.1 allows you to do specify the media type like this:

[HttpPost]
[Consumes("multipart/form-data")]
public IActionResult UploadLogo()
{
    return Ok();
}

Answer 6

This is what solved my problem
Add the following line to WebApiConfig.cs

config.Formatters.XmlFormatter.SupportedMediaTypes.Add(new System.Net.Http.Headers.MediaTypeHeaderValue("multipart/form-data"));