Question

I’m creating CSV-upload functionality for a site of mine.
I’m looking to upload a file, parse it, and then dispose of it.

I know I can upload and save a file using Paperclip, but that seems a bit like overkill.

All I need to do is parse the uploaded file and never save it.
How would I go about doing this in Rails 3?

Note: I’d prefer to do the uploading manually without using an external gem so I can learn how to process works, but any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Use the file_field helper in your form, then in your controller you can use File.Write and File.read to save the file.

E.g. View

<%= form_for @ticket do |f| %>
  <%= f.file_field :uploaded_file %>
<% end %>

Controller

def upload
  uploaded = params[:ticket][:uploaded_file]
  File.open(<insert_filename_here>, 'w') do |file|
    file.write(uploaded.read)
  end
end

Edit: Just saw @klochner’s comment, that link says pretty much what I have said so follow that: RubyOnRails Guides: Uploading Files.