Convert image to base 64 string with Laravel

Question

I want to convert an image to base 64 with Laravel. I get the image from a form . I tried this in my controller:

public function newEvent(Request $request){
    $parametre =$request->all();

    if ($request->hasFile('image')) {
        if($request->file('image')->isValid()) {
            try {
                $file = $request->file('image');
                $image = base64_encode($file);
                echo $image;


            } catch (FileNotFoundException $e) {
                echo "catch";

            }
        }
    }

I get this only:

L3RtcC9waHBya0NqQlQ=

Antipathetic

$request->file() doesn't return the actual file content but an instance of UploadedFile. You need to load the actual file to convert it. Try: $image = base64_encode(file_get_contents($request->file('image')->path())); – Unjust

please to make the inverse operation? base64 to image – Antipathetic

base64_decode($image)? Did the first comment help you? – Unjust

for the first i think this work base64_encode(file_get_contents($request->file('image'))); – Antipathetic

now i want to decode and save but this dont work file(base64_decode($image))->move("images", $name); – Antipathetic

I've added my comment as an answer so you can accept it, since it solved your main question. – Unjust

I'm not sure what you're trying to do. Your variable $image contains the image data base64 encoded. If you decode it, it's just binary data, not a PHP-class. – Unjust

this workerd file_put_contents("images/".$name, base64_decode($image)); – Antipathetic

Yes, you're simply storing the binary data as a file. Not sure why you needed to base64 encode it first, though. You could just have used the ->move()-method on the original UploadedFile-class to store it as a file. – Unjust

i an sending it to an external API with guzzle – Antipathetic

Ah. ok. But since my answer actually did solve your initial question, please accept the answer below so other SO members knows that this question has been answered. – Unjust

In Laravel base64_encode(file_get_contents($request->file('image')->getRealPath())) this works too. – Monopetalous

Answer 1

Laravel's $request->file() doesn't return the actual file content. It returns an instance of the UploadedFile-class.

You need to load the actual file to be able to convert it:

$image = base64_encode(file_get_contents($request->file('image')->pat‌​h()));

Unjust

what is the purpose of this one? I just want to know I am little bit confused why you need to convert it? – Pasteboard

@Pasteboard they might want to store it in the database as a string, just as one example – Biogen

Answer 2

It worked for me in the following way:

$image = base64_encode(file_get_contents($request->file('image')));

I eliminated this part ->pat‌​h();

Carcinoma

When I tried this, I got this error : "file_get_contents(): Filename cannot be empty". – Belicia

Answer 3

Don't forget to append file type.

Example for pdf :

$file = "data:@file/pdf;base64,".base64_encode(file_get_contents($request->file('image')));

Example for image :

$file = "data:image/png;base64,".base64_encode(file_get_contents($request->file('image')));

Chancellorsville

Answer 4

//html code
<input type="file" name="EmployeeImage">

//laravel controller or PHP code
$file = $request->file('EmployeeImage');
$image = base64_encode(file_get_contents($file)); 

// display base64 image
echo '<img src="data:image/png;base64,' . $image . '" />'; exit();

Gallicism