Javascript: Simulate a click in <input type="file">

Question

Good day,

I'm trying to simulate a click on a browse file element but I couldn't make it work.

I found this: http://www.randomsnippets.com/2008/03/05/simulate-a-button-click-via-javascript/

and tried and it works in 'button' and 'submit' types:

<input type="checkbox" onClick="document.getElementById('theSubmitButton').click();">Check the box to simulate a button click
<input type="submit" name="theSubmitButton" id="theSubmitButton" value="Button" onClick="alert('The button was clicked.');">

but when I tried to change it to 'file' type:

<input type="checkbox" onClick="document.getElementById('theSubmitButton').click();">Check the box to simulate a button click
<input type="file" name="theSubmitButton" id="theSubmitButton" value="Button" onClick="alert('The button was clicked.');">

It wouldn't work in Firefox and IE8. But the file browser window appears in Google Chrome.

Is there a problem with this approach? How could I make it work in FF and IE8?

Thank you very much!

Answer 1

That's a security restriction to prevent malicious javascript from uploading files from a users computer without him wanting that or tricking him in doing so by opening a file selection dialog. You can't do it in javascript, and it's not a bug, it's a feature.