Hi,
I am new to ASP and I have taken over a site that another developer created. Part of the site allows the client to upload data from csv files to a SQL database. Every time the client tries to upload the file the get the following error message:
Server.MapPath() error 'ASP 0173 : 80004005'
Invalid Path Character
/cadmin/up2.asp, line 10
An invalid character was specified in the Path parameter for the MapPath method.

Here is the code for line 10:

filename = request("filename")
Dim objFSO
Set objFSO = Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Dim objTextStream
Set objTextStream = objFSO.OpenTextFile("" & Server.MapPath("excel_files/" & request("filename") & "") & "", 1, false, 0)

I have tried several things to fix this but nothing seems to work. I have removed the underscore, copied code from another page on the website that works


Thanks
Joe C.
Renisar Technology Solutions
www.renisar.com

What is in request("filename")? Maybe the Invalid Path Character is there? Add this line and see what it displays:
Response.Write request("filename")

Hi, The request("filename") is the file the user chooses to upload. I added the code you suggested but do not see any invalid characters.

Here is what was returned by the Response.Write command:

"check_file_121503.csv"

I still received the same error message after that.

Thanks
Joe C.
Renisar Technology Solutions
www.renisar.com

Can you please clarify your last post?

Is Request("filename") the file that the user chooses to upload?
or
Is Request("filename") the name of the file that the user chooses to upload?

The former is probably in a binary format, or contains illegal characters...

Cheers
Ken

Microsoft MVP - Windows Server (IIS)
www.adOpenStatic.com

Hi Ken,
There is a browse button on the page that allows the user to browse to choose a file from thier computer to upload. The file is a cvs file with the columns in a particular order to match the SQL database.

I am not sure what you mean by binary and why the check_file_120503.csv would cause any errors.

Thanks for your help,

Thanks
Joe C.
Renisar Technology Solutions
www.renisar.com

Hi,

If Request("filename") is the actual *file* itself, then when you do Server.Mappath(Request("filename")), then you are pasting the entire contents of the file into the Server.Mappath() call. And the file probably contains illegal characters. So, for example, if the file contained:

field1, someotherdata, field3, hello

then you'd be doing:

Server.Mappath("field1, someotherdata, field3, hello")

Do you see now? You need to pass the file's *name* into the Server.Mappath() function, not the actual file itself. That is why I'm asking what Request("filename") actually refers to

Cheers
Ken

Microsoft MVP - Windows Server (IIS)
www.adOpenStatic.com

Ken, I don't think that's the case here because the OP said that Response.Write Request("filename") outputs check_file_121503.csv.

Maybe the problem is with the path that is returned by MapPath (I know MapPath can be a bit picky about certain characters in paths, like commas).

Joe, what path do you expect MapPath to return?

Hi,
I expect the MapPath to return the path to the file in the user's computer. Something like:

C:\misc\documents\check_file_121503.xls

The other thing I have realized is that when I look at the excel_files folder on the server the file I am trying to uplaod is making it to the folder. I am just getting the error message which is preventing the user from proceeding to update the SQL database with the data from the excel file. I have also tried converting the excel file to csv file which has not worked either.

Thanks
Joe C.
Renisar Technology Solutions
www.renisar.com

Joe, that's not right. MapPath will return the path of the excel_files folder on the server, not on the client's PC. What is the physical path to the excel_files folder on the server?

Hi,
The path to the excel_files folder on the server is

/sentry/www/cadmin/excel_files



Thanks
Joe C.
Renisar Technology Solutions
www.renisar.com