Detect how long it takes for a file to upload (PHP)

Question

Is it possible to know (serverside) the time it took for a file to upload? I have an image upload API and in my response I'd like to return the upload time (not including script execution time).

Answer 1

I think yes, there is $_SERVER['REQUEST_TIME'] variable that indicates the start of HTTP request, so on the very beginning of your script:

$upload_time = time() - $_SERVER['REQUEST_TIME'];

Result will be in seconds.

Answer 2

Seems this method works pretty OK actually:

1. Send off an ajax request (right before form posts) to the server which stores a session timestamp
2. Post the form
3. Check difference in the receiving end :)

---

HTML

<?php session_start(); // must be at the top ?>

<form id="upload-form" enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post">
    <input type="file" name="datafile" size="40">
    <input type="submit" value="Send">
</form>

<script type="text/javascript">
    $(function()
    {
        $('#upload-form').submit(function()
        {
            $.ajax({
                url: 'start-timer.php',
                type: 'POST',
                context: this,
                success: function() { this.submit(); },
            });

            return false;
        });
    });
</script>

start-timer.php

<?php session_start();
$_SESSION['time'] = microtime(true);

upload.php

<?php 
session_start();
header('content-type: text/plain; charset=utf-8');

if( ! isset($_FILES['file'])
||  ! isset($_SESSION['time'])
||  $_FILES['file']['error'] !== UPLOAD_ERR_OK
||  ! is_uploaded_file($_FILES['file']['tmp_name']))
{
    exit('stuff went wrong...');
}

$time = microtime(true) - $_SESSION['time'];
unset($_SESSION['time']);
echo round($time, 3).'s';

Working sample: http://samples.geekality.net/upload-timer