How to Rename Uploaded Files Before Saving Them into a Directory

The Issue

When uploading files to a directory using PHP's move_uploaded_file() function, the file's name remains the same as its original name. This can be undesirable when dealing with multiple files with similar names or if you wish to enforce a specific naming convention.

Solution

To rename an uploaded file before saving it, modify the second parameter of move_uploaded_file(). This parameter specifies the destination path and filename. Here's how you can change it:

$newfilename = round(microtime(true)) . '.' . end($temp);
move_uploaded_file($_FILES["file"]["tmp_name"], "../img/imageDirectory/" . $newfilename);

In this example:

• $temp is an array of parts of the original filename, split at the period.
• newfilename creates a new filename based on the current time and the extension of the original file.
• "../img/imageDirectory/" . $newfilename specifies the destination path and the new filename.

This approach ensures that uploaded files receive a unique random name while retaining their original extension.