javascript - how to upload and post file to node express server -

i have traditional html email form sending post request file user can upload. want able flash success message once email sent, , in order need either use ajax or make post request using express - , not rely on traditional html form submission.

how send file (not filepath string) server? i'm assigning input element id , and grabbing value. grabs string of file path file, , not send actual file.

client

<form enctype="multipart/form-data">      <input type="text" name="name" class="form-control" id="name">      <!--code below uploads file -->      <input type="file"              style="visibility:hidden; width: 1px;"              id='${multipartfilepath}' class="res" name='userfile' onchange="$(this).parent().find('span').html($(this).val().replace('c:\\fakepath\\', ''))"  /> <!-- chrome security returns 'c:\fakepath\'  -->     <input class="btn btn-default btn-file" type="button" value="attach file" onclick="$(this).parent().find('input[type=file]').click();"/> </form> <button type="submit" class="btn btn-xl sub">send message</button>   <script type="text/javascript">     $(".sub").click(function() {     alert("submitted");     var name, email, phone, message, resume;     name = $("#name").val();     email = $("#email").val();     phone = $("#phone").val();     message = $("#message").val();     resume = $(".res").val();     alert(resume);//prints out file path     $("#flash").text("sending e-mail...please wait");     $.post("/email", {         name: name,         email: email,         phone: phone,         message: message,         resume: resume     }, function(data) {         if (data == "sent") {             $("#flash").empty().text("email has been sent. please check inbox !");         }     }); }); </script> 

server

app.post('/email', function(req, res) {     var tosend = req.files;//no files, empty     sendemail(req.body, tosend);//email sent     res.send('text send client'); }); 

req.files empty. if make post request inside of html form file , email sent correctly, once make form submission ajax request or express call, file not sent. appreciated.

file uploading express 4.0: req.files undefined

the body-parser module handles json , urlencoded form submissions, not multipart (which case if you're uploading files).

for multipart, you'd need use connect-busboy or multer or connect-multiparty (multiparty/formidable used in express bodyparser middleware). fwiw, i'm working on higher level layer on top of busboy called reformed. comes express middleware , can used separately.

edit:

it looks you're not sending file $.post(). can use formdata object lets compile set of key/value pairs (including file input) send ajax. transmitted data in same format form’s submit method use send data if form’s encoding type set multipart/form-data. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-us/docs/web/api/formdata/using_formdata_objects