Styling the file upload button to be compatible with all web browsers

When attempting to customize a file upload button to my liking, I encountered difficulties in finding a reliable method without relying on JavaScript. Although I came across two other questions on this topic, the solutions either involved JavaScript or suggested using Quirksmode's approach.

The main drawback of Quirksmode's approach is that the file button retains the dimensions defined by the browser, failing to adjust automatically to match the button placed below it. Despite crafting some code based on this approach, the button only occupies the usual space rather than filling the parent div as intended.

HTML:

<div class="myLabel">
    <input type="file"/>
    <span>My Label</span>
</div>

CSS:

.myLabel {
    position: relative;
}
.myLabel input {
    position: absolute;
    z-index: 2;
    opacity: 0;
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
}

This fiddle illustrates the flaws in this approach. In Chrome, clicking the !! below the second demo button still triggers the file dialog, while in other browsers, the file button fails to occupy the correct button area.

Are there more effective methods to style the file upload button without resorting to JavaScript and minimizing "hacky" coding practices (which often lead to unforeseen issues like the ones in the fiddle)?

Answer №1

I wanted to share this method because surprisingly, I couldn't find any other source recommending it.

If you're looking for an easy way to achieve this without being limited to browser input dimensions, try using the <label> tag around a hidden file upload button. This technique allows for more flexibility in styling compared to the styling options provided by webkit's default styling[1].

The label tag was specifically designed to handle click events and direct them to child inputs[2]. By utilizing this feature, you can eliminate the need for JavaScript to manage the click event on the input button. Here's an example of how to implement this:

label.myLabel input[type="file"] {
    position:absolute;
    top: -1000px;
}

/***** Example custom styling *****/
.myLabel {
    border: 2px solid #AAA;
    border-radius: 4px;
    padding: 2px 5px;
    margin: 2px;
    background: #DDD;
    display: inline-block;
}
.myLabel:hover {
    background: #CCC;
}
.myLabel:active {
    background: #CCF;
}
.myLabel :invalid + span {
    color: #A44;
}
.myLabel :valid + span {
    color: #4A4;
}
<label class="myLabel">
    <input type="file" required/>
    <span>My Label</span>
</label>

To ensure compatibility even with older versions of Internet Explorer, I used a fixed position to hide the input (as visibility:hidden or display:none does not work for file inputs in emulated IE8). I have tested this method in emulated IE7 and above, and it worked flawlessly.


  1. Unfortunately, you cannot use <button> elements within <label> tags, so you will need to define the styles for buttons separately. This is the only drawback I see in this approach.
  2. If the for attribute is specified, it triggers the input element with the same id as the value of the for attribute on the <label>.

Answer №2

Check out this method that is compatible with all web browsers. By placing the input element on top of the image and enlarging it using font-size, users are more likely to click on the upload button.

.myFile {
      position: relative;
      overflow: hidden;
      float: left;
      clear: left;
    }
    .myFile input[type="file"] {
      display: block;
      position: absolute;
      top: 0;
      right: 0;
      opacity: 0;
      font-size: 100px;
      filter: alpha(opacity=0);
      cursor: pointer;
    }
<label class="myFile">
      <img src="http://wscont1.apps.microsoft.com/winstore/1x/c37a9d99-6698-4339-acf3-c01daa75fb65/Icon.13385.png" alt="" />
      <input type="file" />
    </label>

Answer №3

This is a prime example with no concealment, no reliance on jQuery; it relies solely on pure CSS.

http://css-tricks.com/snippets/css/custom-file-input-styling-webkitblink/

.custom-file-input::-webkit-file-upload-button {
    visibility: hidden;
}

.custom-file-input::before {
    content: 'Select some files';
    display: inline-block;
    background: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #f9f9f9, #e3e3e3);
    border: 1px solid #999;
    border-radius: 3px;
    padding: 5px 8px;
    outline: none;
    white-space: nowrap;
    -webkit-user-select: none;
    cursor: pointer;
    text-shadow: 1px 1px #fff;
    font-weight: 700;
    font-size: 10pt;
}

.custom-file-input:hover::before {
    border-color: black;
}

.custom-file-input:active::before {
    background: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #e3e3e3, #f9f9f9);
}
<input type="file" class="custom-file-input">

Answer №4

This solution appears to effectively handle the task at hand. Here is a fiddle link for reference:

HTML

<label for="upload-file">A suitable input label</label>

<div class="upload-button">

    <div class="upload-cover">
         Enter text or any content here
    </div>

    <!-- this section comes later in the code so it will appear "on top" -->
    <input name="upload-file" type="file" />

</div> <!-- .upload-button -->

CSS

/* prioritize fixing the box model first */
*, *:before, *:after {
    -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    -webkit-box-sizing: border-box;
    box-sizing: border-box;
}

label {
    /* for positioning purposes */
    float: left; 
    margin-bottom: .5em;
}

.upload-button {
    /* crucial */
    position: relative;
    overflow: hidden;

    /* for positioning purposes */
    float: left; 
    clear: left;
}

.upload-cover { 
    /* style as desired - the file upload overlay should fill this space */
    background-color: gray;
    text-align: center;
    padding: .5em 1em;
    border-radius: 2em;
    border: 5px solid rgba(0,0,0,.1);

    cursor: pointer;
}

.upload-button input[type="file"] {
    display: block;
    position: absolute;
    top: 0; left: 0;
    margin-left: -75px; /* shift the button out of sight */
    width: 200%; /* compensate for above adjustment - consider calc or sass math if applicable */
    height: 100%;
    opacity: .2; /* set to 0 when finalizing */
    cursor: pointer;
    border: 1px solid red;
}

.upload-button:hover .upload-cover {
    background-color: #f06;
}

Answer №5

If you want a simple method to style all file inputs uniformly, one approach is to apply a global styling to input[type=button] elements. You can achieve this by implementing the following script:

$(document).ready(function() {
    $("input[type=file]").each(function () {
        var currentInput = $(this);
        var newButton = $("<input type='button' value='Choose File' />");
        newButton.click(function() {
            currentInput.click();
        });
        currentInput.after(newButton);
        currentInput.hide();
    });
});

Below is an example of CSS for the styled buttons that was sourced from :

input[type=button] {
  position: relative;
  vertical-align: top;
  width: 100%;
  height: 60px;
  padding: 0;
  font-size: 22px;
  color:white;
  text-align: center;
  text-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);
  background: #454545;
  border: 0;
  border-bottom: 2px solid #2f2e2e;
  cursor: pointer;
  -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 -2px #2f2e2e;
  box-shadow: inset 0 -2px #2f2e2e;
}
input[type=button]:active {
  top: 1px;
  outline: none;
  -webkit-box-shadow: none;
  box-shadow: none;
}

Answer №6

For those using Angular and facing a similar issue, here is a custom directive solution I have devised. The directive consists of a container, a button, and an input element with type file. By utilizing CSS, you can overlap the input element over the custom button while setting its opacity to 0. Adjust the dimensions of the container, button, and input accordingly for seamless integration.

The Directive

angular.module('myCoolApp')
  .directive('fileButton', function () {
    return {
      templateUrl: 'components/directives/fileButton/fileButton.html',
      restrict: 'E',
      link: function (scope, element, attributes) {

        var container = angular.element('.file-upload-container');
        var button = angular.element('.file-upload-button');

        container.css({
            position: 'relative',
            overflow: 'hidden',
            width: button.offsetWidth,
            height: button.offsetHeight
        })

      }

    };
  });

A Jade Template for Jade Users

div(class="file-upload-container") 
    button(class="file-upload-button") +
    input#file-upload(class="file-upload-input", type='file', onchange="doSomethingWhenFileIsSelected()")  

An HTML version of the template

<div class="file-upload-container">
   <button class="file-upload-button"></button>
   <input class="file-upload-input" id="file-upload" type="file" onchange="doSomethingWhenFileIsSelected()" /> 
</div>

The CSS Styles

.file-upload-button {
    margin-top: 40px;
    padding: 30px;
    border: 1px solid black;
    height: 100px;
    width: 100px;
    background: transparent;
    font-size: 66px;
    padding-top: 0px;
    border-radius: 5px;
    border: 2px solid rgb(255, 228, 0); 
    color: rgb(255, 228, 0);
}

.file-upload-input {
    position: absolute;
    top: 0;
    left: 0;
    z-index: 2;
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
    opacity: 0;
    cursor: pointer;
}

Answer №7

If you're using Bootstrap and LESS, customizing the label is a breeze:

label {
    .btn();
    .btn-primary();

    > input[type="file"] {
        visibility: hidden;
    }
}

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