From the course: HTML5: File API
Unlock the full course today
Join today to access over 22,400 courses taught by industry experts or purchase this course individually.
What is the File API?
Let's start by talking about what the HTML5 File API actually is. It provides a way to interact with local files on the user's device. Now, up until recently, this is a capability that only native applications have had. Of course, there was a way to upload files. There has always been the <input type="file"> element, in which you could select the file and that would send the file off to the web server from within a form. But this provides a way via script to actually read file content and work with it and discover information about files. So you can work with either the <input type="file"> element, which we've had for a while, or you can use drag-and-drop, and in this course we'll see examples of working with both. The HTML5 File API is a W3C specification. It's not final yet; it's still in work in progress. I've got the address up--and actually we will visit this back in just a moment-- but that's the official specification for the File API at the W3C. The File API actually consists…
Practice while you learn with exercise files
Download the files the instructor uses to teach the course. Follow along and learn by watching, listening and practicing.