multer
https://blog.logrocket.com/multer-nodejs-express-upload-file/


![Multer Easily upload files with Node.js and Express - LogRocket Blog.pdf](../../../_resources/Multer%20Easily%20upload%20files%20with%20Node.js%20and%20Expres.pdf)


- By default express dont support files in formdata so we need this module
```js
const multer = require('multer');

const app = express();

// Create a multer instance and specify destination for uploaded files
const upload = multer({ dest: 'uploads/' });

// Handle form data and file uploads using multer middleware
app.post('/submit-form', upload.single('fileInput'), (req, res) => {
  // Access form data from req.body
  const formData = req.body;
  // Access uploaded file details from req.file
  const uploadedFile = req.file;

  // Process the form data and uploaded file
  // ...

  // Send a response
  res.send('File uploaded and form data received.');
});

// Start the server
const PORT = 3000;
app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server is running on port ${PORT}`);
});

```

req.file is js object like this
```js
{
  fieldname: 'file',           // Name of the form field specified in HTML
  originalname: 'photo.jpg',   // Name of the file on the user's computer
  encoding: '7bit',            // Encoding type of the file
  mimetype: 'image/jpeg',      // The MIME type of the file
  destination: 'uploads/',     // The folder where the file has been saved
  filename: '1714632000-photo.jpg', // The name of the file within the destination
  path: 'uploads/1714632000-photo.jpg', // The full path to the uploaded file
  size: 354612                 // Size of the file in bytes
}
```
- For multiple file uploads
```js
app.post('/submit-form', upload.array('fileInputs', 3), (req, res) => {
  // Access form data from req.body
  const formData = req.body;
  // Access uploaded files details from req.files
  const uploadedFiles = req.files;
```

- For dynamic file fieldname
```js
app.post('/submit-form', upload.any(), (req, res) => {
  // Access form data from req.body
  const formData = req.body;
  // Access uploaded files details from req.files
  const uploadedFiles = req.files;
```

Here 2nd argument in upload.array() ie 3 is optional. fileInputs is required name which is name of field containing files
 

- Frontend part
  ```html
	<body>
    <div class="container">
        <h1>File Upload</h1>
        <form id='form'>
            <div class="input-group">
                <label for='name'>Your name</label>
                <input name='name' id='name' placeholder="Enter your name" />
            </div>
            <div class="input-group">
                <label for='files'>Select files</label>
                <input id='files' type="file" multiple>
            </div>
            <button class="submit-btn" type='submit'>Upload</button>
        </form>
    </div>
    <script src='./script.js'></script>
	</body>
  ```
  &nbsp;
  ```css
	/* style.css */
	body {
		background-color: rgb(6, 26, 27);
	}
	* {
		box-sizing: border-box;
	}
	.container {
		max-width: 500px;
		margin: 60px auto;
	}
	.container h1 {
		text-align: center;
		color: white;
	}
	form {
		background-color: white;
		padding: 30px;
	}
	form .input-group {
		margin-bottom: 15px;
	}
	form label {
		display: block;
		margin-bottom: 10px;
	}
	form input {
		padding: 12px 20px;
		width: 100%;
		border: 1px solid #ccc;
	}
	.submit-btn {
		width: 100%;
		border: none;
		background: rgb(37, 83, 3);
		font-size: 18px;
		color: white;
		border-radius: 3px;
		padding: 20px;
		text-align: center;
	}
  ```
  
  ```js
	// script.js
	const form = document.getElementById("form");

	form.addEventListener("submit", submitForm);

	function submitForm(e) {
		e.preventDefault();
		const name = document.getElementById("name");
		const files = document.getElementById("files");
		const formData = new FormData();
		formData.append("name", name.value);
		for(let i =0; i < files.files.length; i++) {
				formData.append("files", files.files[i]);
		}
		fetch("http://localhost:5000/upload_files", {
			method: 'POST',
			body: formData,
			headers: {
			  "Content-Type": "multipart/form-data"
			}
		})
			.then((res) => console.log(res))
			.catch((err) => ("Error occured", err));
	}
	```
	
	or using just javascript instead of form element in html
	```js
		const files = document.getElementById("files").files;
		const formData = new FormData();
		 files.forEach((file) => {
      formData.append("fileInputs", file); // Append files to the FormData object
    });
	// this header
  // "content-type" : "multipart/form-data"
	// can cause error so if that occurs dont include this header
	```