Cancel event on input type=“file”

Question

I am working with a standard file input for uploads, and I am looking for a way to attach a function to an event when the user clicks/hits enter on the "cancel" button (or escapes out from) the choose file dialog.

I can't find any events that work across all browsers and platforms consistently.

I've read the answers to this question: Capturing cancel event on input type=file but they don't work, as the change event doesn't fire in most browsers on canceling out of the choose file dialog.

I'm looking for a pure js solution, but open to jquery solutions as well.

Anyone solve this problem successfully?

Since .change() is not executed by all browsers, should look for the event that is called. Are their browsers you are looking to work with specifically? — Twisty
Some testing with this jsfiddle.net/Twisty/j18td9cs , in FF, and since 'Cancel' is element of the browsers dialog box, I can only check to see if a file was selected or not. I notice if I select a file, and then browse a 2nd time, and hit cancel, it retains the file value... so that's not helping here. Could create your own Cancel button in the page. Trying to see if something gets updated or return if cancel is selected, like with confirm() or prompt(). — Twisty

Twisty Twisty · Accepted Answer · 2016-01-18T21:01:22

A bit of research indicates that there is no way to detect when Cancel is selected in the File Selection dialog window. You can use onchange or onblur to check if files have been selected or if something has been added to the input value.

This could look like: https://jsfiddle.net/Twisty/j18td9cs/

HTML

<form>
  Select File:
  <input type="file" name="test1" id="testFile" />
  <button type="reset" id="pseudoCancel">
    Cancel
  </button>
</form>

JavaScript

var inputElement = document.getElementById("testFile");
var cancelButton = document.getElementById("pseudoCancel");
var numFiles = 0;

inputElement.onclick = function(event) {
  var target = event.target || event.srcElement;
  console.log(target, "clicked.");
  console.log(event);
  if (target.value.length == 0) {
    console.log("Suspect Cancel was hit, no files selected.");
    cancelButton.onclick();
  } else {
    console.log("File selected: ", target.value);
    numFiles = target.files.length;
  }
}

inputElement.onchange = function(event) {
  var target = event.target || event.srcElement;
  console.log(target, "changed.");
  console.log(event);
  if (target.value.length == 0) {
    console.log("Suspect Cancel was hit, no files selected.");
    if (numFiles == target.files.length) {
      cancelButton.onclick();
    }
  } else {
    console.log("File selected: ", target.value);
    numFiles = target.files.length;
  }
}

inputElement.onblur = function(event) {
  var target = event.target || event.srcElement;
  console.log(target, "changed.");
  console.log(event);
  if (target.value.length == 0) {
    console.log("Suspect Cancel was hit, no files selected.");
    if (numFiles == target.files.length) {
      cancelButton.onclick();
    }
  } else {
    console.log("File selected: ", target.value);
    numFiles = target.files.length;
  }
}


cancelButton.onclick = function(event) {
  console.log("Pseudo Cancel button clicked.");
}

I suggest making your own cancel or reset button that resets the form or clears the value from the input.

Cancel event on input type=“file”

5 Answers