Rails - May 2006 - accessing uploaded file on filesystem question.

Hi,

I''m able to upload files onto my webserver filesystem but I had a
question
regarding how I''d go about accessing them using the <img
src="..." > tag.
If my files, i.e pictures, are being uploaded to
public/images/<dir>/filename.jpg, then should I store the entire path, or
just the picture name in my database table?  I would imagine storing just
the filename is better so that it''d be easy to move the file location
later.  Also, if I''m using <img src= <%= @path %>>, then
what should the
path be?  What is the root directory from where it starts to try to find the
file?  Is it the view directory under app, OR, does it start from the
directory that holds the public and app directories?  Should the path be
something like - <img src="public/images/<dir/filename.jpg">
?  I tried this
but it couldn''t find the file?

Thanks in advance.
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Hi Sam,

Static files will be found under the /public directory.

<img src="images/your_image.jpg">

maps to

/your_rails_app/public/images/your_image.jpg

--
Scott Becker
Electro Interactive, Inc.
Web: http://www.ElectroInteractive.com
Blog: http://synthesis.sbecker.net

On 5/10/06, Sam Donaldson <samonderous@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I''m able to upload files onto my webserver filesystem but I had a
question
> regarding how I''d go about accessing them using the <img
src="..." > tag.
> If my files, i.e pictures, are being uploaded to
> public/images/<dir>/filename.jpg, then should I store the
> entire path, or just the picture name in my database table?  I would
imagine
> storing just the filename is better so that it''d be easy to move
the file
> location later.  Also, if I''m using <img src= <%= @path
%>>, then what
> should the path be?  What is the root directory from where it starts to try
> to find the file?  Is it the view directory under app, OR, does it start
> from the directory that holds the public and app directories?  Should the
> path be something like - <img
> src="public/images/<dir/filename.jpg"> ?  I tried this but
> it couldn''t find the file?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>
>
>

Hi,
You should just be able to use the <%= image_tag %> tag as well.
So if you upload the pictures in a folder associated with a user (ie. 
/your_rails_app/public/images/username/image.jpg)

<%= image_tag "#{current_user.login}/#{image.filename}", :alt 
=>"#{image.description}" %>

Of course this example is presuming that you have implemented a 
current_user method for use in your views and that you have a filename 
and a description field for your images. You should always include an 
alt tag in case someone is using a screen reader or surfing with images 
turn off. The alt will also appear as a tool tip on most browsers, which 
is a nice little bonus as well.

If you want to make this approach a bit more flexible you could put any 
logic into a helper.

#helpers/somehelper.rb
def user_image filename
    if current_user
        "#{current_user.login}/#{filename}"
    else
        "guest.jpg"
    end
end

<%= image_tag user_image(image.filename), :alt
=>"#{image.description}" %>

Now you can call method all over your app and if you change where you 
put your uploaded images, you only have to make changes in one place.

-Eric Goodwin
ericgoodwin.com

Scott Becker wrote:
> Hi Sam,
>
> Static files will be found under the /public directory.
>
> <img src="images/your_image.jpg">
>
> maps to
>
> /your_rails_app/public/images/your_image.jpg
>
> -- 
> Scott Becker
> Electro Interactive, Inc.
> Web: http://www.ElectroInteractive.com
> Blog: http://synthesis.sbecker.net
>
> On 5/10/06, Sam Donaldson <samonderous@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I''m able to upload files onto my webserver filesystem but I
had a
>> question
>> regarding how I''d go about accessing them using the <img
src="..." >
>> tag.
>> If my files, i.e pictures, are being uploaded to
>> public/images/<dir>/filename.jpg, then should I store the
>> entire path, or just the picture name in my database table?  I would 
>> imagine
>> storing just the filename is better so that it''d be easy to
move the
>> file
>> location later.  Also, if I''m using <img src= <%= @path
%>>, then what
>> should the path be?  What is the root directory from where it starts 
>> to try
>> to find the file?  Is it the view directory under app, OR, does it
start
>> from the directory that holds the public and app directories?  Should 
>> the
>> path be something like - <img
>> src="public/images/<dir/filename.jpg"> ?  I tried this
but
>> it couldn''t find the file?
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Rails mailing list
>> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
>> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>>
>>
>>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails

-- 
Eric Goodwin
http://www.ericgoodwin.com