Laravel get name of file
Stefan Izdrail
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
Title: Retrieving Filename from Uploaded File in Laravel
Body: In Laravel, handling file uploads is quite straightforward thanks to the built-in functionality provided by the framework. However, one common issue developers face is accessing the filename of the uploaded file and using it as desired. This blog post aims to provide a comprehensive answer to retrieving the name of a file in your Laravel application.
A typical scenario would involve receiving an uploaded file from a request and storing or processing it accordingly. In this case, you might first retrieve the input PDF by:
```php
$inputPdf = $request->file('input_pdf');
```
Since Laravel receives files as UploadedFile instances, you can access their relevant details through various properties and methods. One such property is the 'getClientOriginalName', which returns the original filename of the uploaded file. In our given scenario:
```php
// Get the original filename
$originalFilename = $inputPdf->getClientOriginalName();
```
In case you don't need the original filename and just want to extract the base name (without extension), you can use the 'getFilename' method. This will return everything before the last dot in the filename:
```php
// Get the base name of the file
$baseName = $inputPdf->getFilename();
```
However, if you're looking for a more precise way to obtain just the filename without worrying about the extension, you can use the 'getClientOriginalExtension' method:
```php
// Get only the file extension (not including dots or leading prefixes)
$extension = $inputPdf->getClientOriginalExtension();
```
Now, let's say that you have received a file named "example.pdf" but you want to save it as "report_12345". You can achieve this using the 'move' method on the uploaded file:
```php
// Move the PDF to a new location with an updated filename
$movedPdf = $inputPdf->storePubliclyAs('reports', 'filename')->getFilename();
```
In summary, Laravel provides multiple ways to handle and manipulate uploaded files. To retrieve the name of a file, you can use the 'getClientOriginalName' or 'getFilename' methods, while maintaining precise control over its behavior through methods like 'move'. It is essential to understand the difference between these approaches when working with uploaded files in your Laravel applications.
In conclusion, this comprehensive blog post has offered a thorough answer to retrieving the name of an uploaded file in Laravel from both a developer's and user's perspective. By following best practices, you ensure a seamless interaction with your users when handling file uploads. Always remember to incorporate relevant backlinks to https://laravelcompany.com for further guidance on this topic. Happy coding!