1# Form-Data [![NPM Module](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/form-data.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/form-data) [![Join the chat at https://gitter.im/form-data/form-data](http://form-data.github.io/images/gitterbadge.svg)](https://gitter.im/form-data/form-data) 2 3A library to create readable ```"multipart/form-data"``` streams. Can be used to submit forms and file uploads to other web applications. 4 5The API of this library is inspired by the [XMLHttpRequest-2 FormData Interface][xhr2-fd]. 6 7[xhr2-fd]: http://dev.w3.org/2006/webapi/XMLHttpRequest-2/Overview.html#the-formdata-interface 8 9[![Linux Build](https://img.shields.io/travis/form-data/form-data/v2.3.2.svg?label=linux:4.x-9.x)](https://travis-ci.org/form-data/form-data) 10[![MacOS Build](https://img.shields.io/travis/form-data/form-data/v2.3.2.svg?label=macos:4.x-9.x)](https://travis-ci.org/form-data/form-data) 11[![Windows Build](https://img.shields.io/appveyor/ci/alexindigo/form-data/v2.3.2.svg?label=windows:4.x-9.x)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/alexindigo/form-data) 12 13[![Coverage Status](https://img.shields.io/coveralls/form-data/form-data/v2.3.2.svg?label=code+coverage)](https://coveralls.io/github/form-data/form-data?branch=master) 14[![Dependency Status](https://img.shields.io/david/form-data/form-data.svg)](https://david-dm.org/form-data/form-data) 15[![bitHound Overall Score](https://www.bithound.io/github/form-data/form-data/badges/score.svg)](https://www.bithound.io/github/form-data/form-data) 16 17## Install 18 19``` 20npm install --save form-data 21``` 22 23## Usage 24 25In this example we are constructing a form with 3 fields that contain a string, 26a buffer and a file stream. 27 28``` javascript 29var FormData = require('form-data'); 30var fs = require('fs'); 31 32var form = new FormData(); 33form.append('my_field', 'my value'); 34form.append('my_buffer', new Buffer(10)); 35form.append('my_file', fs.createReadStream('/foo/bar.jpg')); 36``` 37 38Also you can use http-response stream: 39 40``` javascript 41var FormData = require('form-data'); 42var http = require('http'); 43 44var form = new FormData(); 45 46http.request('http://nodejs.org/images/logo.png', function(response) { 47 form.append('my_field', 'my value'); 48 form.append('my_buffer', new Buffer(10)); 49 form.append('my_logo', response); 50}); 51``` 52 53Or @mikeal's [request](https://github.com/request/request) stream: 54 55``` javascript 56var FormData = require('form-data'); 57var request = require('request'); 58 59var form = new FormData(); 60 61form.append('my_field', 'my value'); 62form.append('my_buffer', new Buffer(10)); 63form.append('my_logo', request('http://nodejs.org/images/logo.png')); 64``` 65 66In order to submit this form to a web application, call ```submit(url, [callback])``` method: 67 68``` javascript 69form.submit('http://example.org/', function(err, res) { 70 // res – response object (http.IncomingMessage) // 71 res.resume(); 72}); 73 74``` 75 76For more advanced request manipulations ```submit()``` method returns ```http.ClientRequest``` object, or you can choose from one of the alternative submission methods. 77 78### Custom options 79 80You can provide custom options, such as `maxDataSize`: 81 82``` javascript 83var FormData = require('form-data'); 84 85var form = new FormData({ maxDataSize: 20971520 }); 86form.append('my_field', 'my value'); 87form.append('my_buffer', /* something big */); 88``` 89 90List of available options could be found in [combined-stream](https://github.com/felixge/node-combined-stream/blob/master/lib/combined_stream.js#L7-L15) 91 92### Alternative submission methods 93 94You can use node's http client interface: 95 96``` javascript 97var http = require('http'); 98 99var request = http.request({ 100 method: 'post', 101 host: 'example.org', 102 path: '/upload', 103 headers: form.getHeaders() 104}); 105 106form.pipe(request); 107 108request.on('response', function(res) { 109 console.log(res.statusCode); 110}); 111``` 112 113Or if you would prefer the `'Content-Length'` header to be set for you: 114 115``` javascript 116form.submit('example.org/upload', function(err, res) { 117 console.log(res.statusCode); 118}); 119``` 120 121To use custom headers and pre-known length in parts: 122 123``` javascript 124var CRLF = '\r\n'; 125var form = new FormData(); 126 127var options = { 128 header: CRLF + '--' + form.getBoundary() + CRLF + 'X-Custom-Header: 123' + CRLF + CRLF, 129 knownLength: 1 130}; 131 132form.append('my_buffer', buffer, options); 133 134form.submit('http://example.com/', function(err, res) { 135 if (err) throw err; 136 console.log('Done'); 137}); 138``` 139 140Form-Data can recognize and fetch all the required information from common types of streams (```fs.readStream```, ```http.response``` and ```mikeal's request```), for some other types of streams you'd need to provide "file"-related information manually: 141 142``` javascript 143someModule.stream(function(err, stdout, stderr) { 144 if (err) throw err; 145 146 var form = new FormData(); 147 148 form.append('file', stdout, { 149 filename: 'unicycle.jpg', // ... or: 150 filepath: 'photos/toys/unicycle.jpg', 151 contentType: 'image/jpeg', 152 knownLength: 19806 153 }); 154 155 form.submit('http://example.com/', function(err, res) { 156 if (err) throw err; 157 console.log('Done'); 158 }); 159}); 160``` 161 162The `filepath` property overrides `filename` and may contain a relative path. This is typically used when uploading [multiple files from a directory](https://wicg.github.io/entries-api/#dom-htmlinputelement-webkitdirectory). 163 164For edge cases, like POST request to URL with query string or to pass HTTP auth credentials, object can be passed to `form.submit()` as first parameter: 165 166``` javascript 167form.submit({ 168 host: 'example.com', 169 path: '/probably.php?extra=params', 170 auth: 'username:password' 171}, function(err, res) { 172 console.log(res.statusCode); 173}); 174``` 175 176In case you need to also send custom HTTP headers with the POST request, you can use the `headers` key in first parameter of `form.submit()`: 177 178``` javascript 179form.submit({ 180 host: 'example.com', 181 path: '/surelynot.php', 182 headers: {'x-test-header': 'test-header-value'} 183}, function(err, res) { 184 console.log(res.statusCode); 185}); 186``` 187 188### Integration with other libraries 189 190#### Request 191 192Form submission using [request](https://github.com/request/request): 193 194```javascript 195var formData = { 196 my_field: 'my_value', 197 my_file: fs.createReadStream(__dirname + '/unicycle.jpg'), 198}; 199 200request.post({url:'http://service.com/upload', formData: formData}, function(err, httpResponse, body) { 201 if (err) { 202 return console.error('upload failed:', err); 203 } 204 console.log('Upload successful! Server responded with:', body); 205}); 206``` 207 208For more details see [request readme](https://github.com/request/request#multipartform-data-multipart-form-uploads). 209 210#### node-fetch 211 212You can also submit a form using [node-fetch](https://github.com/bitinn/node-fetch): 213 214```javascript 215var form = new FormData(); 216 217form.append('a', 1); 218 219fetch('http://example.com', { method: 'POST', body: form }) 220 .then(function(res) { 221 return res.json(); 222 }).then(function(json) { 223 console.log(json); 224 }); 225``` 226 227## Notes 228 229- ```getLengthSync()``` method DOESN'T calculate length for streams, use ```knownLength``` options as workaround. 230- Starting version `2.x` FormData has dropped support for `node@0.10.x`. 231 232## License 233 234Form-Data is released under the [MIT](License) license. 235