Replace Browser's Native File Input UI with a Styled Label / Button












2















I'm trying to put a spin on this article to provide a nicer-looking user interface for a file upload input. In short, it's primarily a CSS-only method for hiding the browser's native input button and replacing it with a style label. The project I want to use it in also happens to be an Ionic3 project, and so I'd like the label that to be styled to look like a natural ion-button.



The code from the article works great if the label contains a plain text, but if I try and embed a button-element within the label, I get no love, regardless of whether I use the ion-button attribute incidentally.






  .inputfile {
width: 0.1px;
height: 0.1px;
opacity: 0;
overflow: hidden;
position: absolute;
z-index: -1;
}

.inputfile + label {
display: inline-block;
}

.inputfile + label {
cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
}

<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
<br/><br/>
<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">
<button>Choose a file button label</button>
</label> &lt;-- this doesn't work












share|improve this question

























  • SO suggested my title was not great, if you have a suggestion for a better one feel free to change it.

    – vicatcu
    Jan 2 at 21:48






  • 1





    I use to hide the input completely and create a styled button, then with javascript(jQuery) onclick on the button I trigger a click on the input...

    – Vickel
    Jan 2 at 22:00


















2















I'm trying to put a spin on this article to provide a nicer-looking user interface for a file upload input. In short, it's primarily a CSS-only method for hiding the browser's native input button and replacing it with a style label. The project I want to use it in also happens to be an Ionic3 project, and so I'd like the label that to be styled to look like a natural ion-button.



The code from the article works great if the label contains a plain text, but if I try and embed a button-element within the label, I get no love, regardless of whether I use the ion-button attribute incidentally.






  .inputfile {
width: 0.1px;
height: 0.1px;
opacity: 0;
overflow: hidden;
position: absolute;
z-index: -1;
}

.inputfile + label {
display: inline-block;
}

.inputfile + label {
cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
}

<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
<br/><br/>
<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">
<button>Choose a file button label</button>
</label> &lt;-- this doesn't work












share|improve this question

























  • SO suggested my title was not great, if you have a suggestion for a better one feel free to change it.

    – vicatcu
    Jan 2 at 21:48






  • 1





    I use to hide the input completely and create a styled button, then with javascript(jQuery) onclick on the button I trigger a click on the input...

    – Vickel
    Jan 2 at 22:00
















2












2








2








I'm trying to put a spin on this article to provide a nicer-looking user interface for a file upload input. In short, it's primarily a CSS-only method for hiding the browser's native input button and replacing it with a style label. The project I want to use it in also happens to be an Ionic3 project, and so I'd like the label that to be styled to look like a natural ion-button.



The code from the article works great if the label contains a plain text, but if I try and embed a button-element within the label, I get no love, regardless of whether I use the ion-button attribute incidentally.






  .inputfile {
width: 0.1px;
height: 0.1px;
opacity: 0;
overflow: hidden;
position: absolute;
z-index: -1;
}

.inputfile + label {
display: inline-block;
}

.inputfile + label {
cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
}

<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
<br/><br/>
<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">
<button>Choose a file button label</button>
</label> &lt;-- this doesn't work












share|improve this question
















I'm trying to put a spin on this article to provide a nicer-looking user interface for a file upload input. In short, it's primarily a CSS-only method for hiding the browser's native input button and replacing it with a style label. The project I want to use it in also happens to be an Ionic3 project, and so I'd like the label that to be styled to look like a natural ion-button.



The code from the article works great if the label contains a plain text, but if I try and embed a button-element within the label, I get no love, regardless of whether I use the ion-button attribute incidentally.






  .inputfile {
width: 0.1px;
height: 0.1px;
opacity: 0;
overflow: hidden;
position: absolute;
z-index: -1;
}

.inputfile + label {
display: inline-block;
}

.inputfile + label {
cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
}

<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
<br/><br/>
<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">
<button>Choose a file button label</button>
</label> &lt;-- this doesn't work








  .inputfile {
width: 0.1px;
height: 0.1px;
opacity: 0;
overflow: hidden;
position: absolute;
z-index: -1;
}

.inputfile + label {
display: inline-block;
}

.inputfile + label {
cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
}

<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
<br/><br/>
<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">
<button>Choose a file button label</button>
</label> &lt;-- this doesn't work





  .inputfile {
width: 0.1px;
height: 0.1px;
opacity: 0;
overflow: hidden;
position: absolute;
z-index: -1;
}

.inputfile + label {
display: inline-block;
}

.inputfile + label {
cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
}

<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
<br/><br/>
<input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
<label for="file">
<button>Choose a file button label</button>
</label> &lt;-- this doesn't work






html css file-upload ionic3






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share|improve this question













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share|improve this question








edited Jan 2 at 21:55







vicatcu

















asked Jan 2 at 21:48









vicatcuvicatcu

4,09832847




4,09832847













  • SO suggested my title was not great, if you have a suggestion for a better one feel free to change it.

    – vicatcu
    Jan 2 at 21:48






  • 1





    I use to hide the input completely and create a styled button, then with javascript(jQuery) onclick on the button I trigger a click on the input...

    – Vickel
    Jan 2 at 22:00





















  • SO suggested my title was not great, if you have a suggestion for a better one feel free to change it.

    – vicatcu
    Jan 2 at 21:48






  • 1





    I use to hide the input completely and create a styled button, then with javascript(jQuery) onclick on the button I trigger a click on the input...

    – Vickel
    Jan 2 at 22:00



















SO suggested my title was not great, if you have a suggestion for a better one feel free to change it.

– vicatcu
Jan 2 at 21:48





SO suggested my title was not great, if you have a suggestion for a better one feel free to change it.

– vicatcu
Jan 2 at 21:48




1




1





I use to hide the input completely and create a styled button, then with javascript(jQuery) onclick on the button I trigger a click on the input...

– Vickel
Jan 2 at 22:00







I use to hide the input completely and create a styled button, then with javascript(jQuery) onclick on the button I trigger a click on the input...

– Vickel
Jan 2 at 22:00














2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















1














This isn't a pure CSS solution or specific to Ionic, but in general for a button to stand in as the UI for a hidden file input element, the following appears to work. You can put a click handler on the button, and then in that handler, call the input element's DOM click handler:






<button (click)="handleClick($event)">Choose a file</button>








// Grab the element (Ionic/Angular)
@ViewChild('fileInput') fileInput;
handleClick($event) {
this.fileInput._native.nativeElement.click();
}








share|improve this answer































    0














    You are probably better off styling the text label to look like a button.






      .inputfile {
    width: 0.1px;
    height: 0.1px;
    opacity: 0;
    overflow: hidden;
    position: absolute;
    z-index: -1;
    }

    .inputfile + label {
    display: inline-block;
    }

    .inputfile + label {
    cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
    }
    .button {
    -webkit-appearance: button;
    -webkit-writing-mode: horizontal-tb !important;
    text-rendering: auto;
    color: initial;
    letter-spacing: normal;
    word-spacing: normal;
    text-transform: none;
    text-indent: 0px;
    text-shadow: none;
    display: inline-block;
    text-align: start;
    margin: 0em;
    font: 400 11px system-ui;
    align-items: flex-start;
    text-align: center;
    cursor: default;
    color: buttontext;
    background-color: buttonface;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    padding: 2px 6px 3px;
    border-width: 2px;
    border-style: outset;
    border-color: buttonface;
    border-image: initial;
    border-color: rgb(216, 216, 216) rgb(209, 209, 209) rgb(186, 186, 186);
    border-style: solid;
    border-width: 1px;
    padding: 1px 7px 2px;
    }

    <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
    <label for="file" class="button">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
    <br/><br/>
    <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
    <label for="file">
    <button>Choose a file button label</button>
    </label> &lt;-- this doesn't work








    share|improve this answer
























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      2 Answers
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      active

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      2 Answers
      2






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

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      active

      oldest

      votes









      1














      This isn't a pure CSS solution or specific to Ionic, but in general for a button to stand in as the UI for a hidden file input element, the following appears to work. You can put a click handler on the button, and then in that handler, call the input element's DOM click handler:






      <button (click)="handleClick($event)">Choose a file</button>








      // Grab the element (Ionic/Angular)
      @ViewChild('fileInput') fileInput;
      handleClick($event) {
      this.fileInput._native.nativeElement.click();
      }








      share|improve this answer




























        1














        This isn't a pure CSS solution or specific to Ionic, but in general for a button to stand in as the UI for a hidden file input element, the following appears to work. You can put a click handler on the button, and then in that handler, call the input element's DOM click handler:






        <button (click)="handleClick($event)">Choose a file</button>








        // Grab the element (Ionic/Angular)
        @ViewChild('fileInput') fileInput;
        handleClick($event) {
        this.fileInput._native.nativeElement.click();
        }








        share|improve this answer


























          1












          1








          1







          This isn't a pure CSS solution or specific to Ionic, but in general for a button to stand in as the UI for a hidden file input element, the following appears to work. You can put a click handler on the button, and then in that handler, call the input element's DOM click handler:






          <button (click)="handleClick($event)">Choose a file</button>








          // Grab the element (Ionic/Angular)
          @ViewChild('fileInput') fileInput;
          handleClick($event) {
          this.fileInput._native.nativeElement.click();
          }








          share|improve this answer













          This isn't a pure CSS solution or specific to Ionic, but in general for a button to stand in as the UI for a hidden file input element, the following appears to work. You can put a click handler on the button, and then in that handler, call the input element's DOM click handler:






          <button (click)="handleClick($event)">Choose a file</button>








          // Grab the element (Ionic/Angular)
          @ViewChild('fileInput') fileInput;
          handleClick($event) {
          this.fileInput._native.nativeElement.click();
          }








          <button (click)="handleClick($event)">Choose a file</button>





          <button (click)="handleClick($event)">Choose a file</button>





          // Grab the element (Ionic/Angular)
          @ViewChild('fileInput') fileInput;
          handleClick($event) {
          this.fileInput._native.nativeElement.click();
          }





          // Grab the element (Ionic/Angular)
          @ViewChild('fileInput') fileInput;
          handleClick($event) {
          this.fileInput._native.nativeElement.click();
          }






          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered Jan 3 at 13:00









          Joe NolanJoe Nolan

          335




          335

























              0














              You are probably better off styling the text label to look like a button.






                .inputfile {
              width: 0.1px;
              height: 0.1px;
              opacity: 0;
              overflow: hidden;
              position: absolute;
              z-index: -1;
              }

              .inputfile + label {
              display: inline-block;
              }

              .inputfile + label {
              cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
              }
              .button {
              -webkit-appearance: button;
              -webkit-writing-mode: horizontal-tb !important;
              text-rendering: auto;
              color: initial;
              letter-spacing: normal;
              word-spacing: normal;
              text-transform: none;
              text-indent: 0px;
              text-shadow: none;
              display: inline-block;
              text-align: start;
              margin: 0em;
              font: 400 11px system-ui;
              align-items: flex-start;
              text-align: center;
              cursor: default;
              color: buttontext;
              background-color: buttonface;
              box-sizing: border-box;
              padding: 2px 6px 3px;
              border-width: 2px;
              border-style: outset;
              border-color: buttonface;
              border-image: initial;
              border-color: rgb(216, 216, 216) rgb(209, 209, 209) rgb(186, 186, 186);
              border-style: solid;
              border-width: 1px;
              padding: 1px 7px 2px;
              }

              <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
              <label for="file" class="button">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
              <br/><br/>
              <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
              <label for="file">
              <button>Choose a file button label</button>
              </label> &lt;-- this doesn't work








              share|improve this answer




























                0














                You are probably better off styling the text label to look like a button.






                  .inputfile {
                width: 0.1px;
                height: 0.1px;
                opacity: 0;
                overflow: hidden;
                position: absolute;
                z-index: -1;
                }

                .inputfile + label {
                display: inline-block;
                }

                .inputfile + label {
                cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
                }
                .button {
                -webkit-appearance: button;
                -webkit-writing-mode: horizontal-tb !important;
                text-rendering: auto;
                color: initial;
                letter-spacing: normal;
                word-spacing: normal;
                text-transform: none;
                text-indent: 0px;
                text-shadow: none;
                display: inline-block;
                text-align: start;
                margin: 0em;
                font: 400 11px system-ui;
                align-items: flex-start;
                text-align: center;
                cursor: default;
                color: buttontext;
                background-color: buttonface;
                box-sizing: border-box;
                padding: 2px 6px 3px;
                border-width: 2px;
                border-style: outset;
                border-color: buttonface;
                border-image: initial;
                border-color: rgb(216, 216, 216) rgb(209, 209, 209) rgb(186, 186, 186);
                border-style: solid;
                border-width: 1px;
                padding: 1px 7px 2px;
                }

                <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
                <label for="file" class="button">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
                <br/><br/>
                <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
                <label for="file">
                <button>Choose a file button label</button>
                </label> &lt;-- this doesn't work








                share|improve this answer


























                  0












                  0








                  0







                  You are probably better off styling the text label to look like a button.






                    .inputfile {
                  width: 0.1px;
                  height: 0.1px;
                  opacity: 0;
                  overflow: hidden;
                  position: absolute;
                  z-index: -1;
                  }

                  .inputfile + label {
                  display: inline-block;
                  }

                  .inputfile + label {
                  cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
                  }
                  .button {
                  -webkit-appearance: button;
                  -webkit-writing-mode: horizontal-tb !important;
                  text-rendering: auto;
                  color: initial;
                  letter-spacing: normal;
                  word-spacing: normal;
                  text-transform: none;
                  text-indent: 0px;
                  text-shadow: none;
                  display: inline-block;
                  text-align: start;
                  margin: 0em;
                  font: 400 11px system-ui;
                  align-items: flex-start;
                  text-align: center;
                  cursor: default;
                  color: buttontext;
                  background-color: buttonface;
                  box-sizing: border-box;
                  padding: 2px 6px 3px;
                  border-width: 2px;
                  border-style: outset;
                  border-color: buttonface;
                  border-image: initial;
                  border-color: rgb(216, 216, 216) rgb(209, 209, 209) rgb(186, 186, 186);
                  border-style: solid;
                  border-width: 1px;
                  padding: 1px 7px 2px;
                  }

                  <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
                  <label for="file" class="button">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
                  <br/><br/>
                  <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
                  <label for="file">
                  <button>Choose a file button label</button>
                  </label> &lt;-- this doesn't work








                  share|improve this answer













                  You are probably better off styling the text label to look like a button.






                    .inputfile {
                  width: 0.1px;
                  height: 0.1px;
                  opacity: 0;
                  overflow: hidden;
                  position: absolute;
                  z-index: -1;
                  }

                  .inputfile + label {
                  display: inline-block;
                  }

                  .inputfile + label {
                  cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
                  }
                  .button {
                  -webkit-appearance: button;
                  -webkit-writing-mode: horizontal-tb !important;
                  text-rendering: auto;
                  color: initial;
                  letter-spacing: normal;
                  word-spacing: normal;
                  text-transform: none;
                  text-indent: 0px;
                  text-shadow: none;
                  display: inline-block;
                  text-align: start;
                  margin: 0em;
                  font: 400 11px system-ui;
                  align-items: flex-start;
                  text-align: center;
                  cursor: default;
                  color: buttontext;
                  background-color: buttonface;
                  box-sizing: border-box;
                  padding: 2px 6px 3px;
                  border-width: 2px;
                  border-style: outset;
                  border-color: buttonface;
                  border-image: initial;
                  border-color: rgb(216, 216, 216) rgb(209, 209, 209) rgb(186, 186, 186);
                  border-style: solid;
                  border-width: 1px;
                  padding: 1px 7px 2px;
                  }

                  <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
                  <label for="file" class="button">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
                  <br/><br/>
                  <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
                  <label for="file">
                  <button>Choose a file button label</button>
                  </label> &lt;-- this doesn't work








                    .inputfile {
                  width: 0.1px;
                  height: 0.1px;
                  opacity: 0;
                  overflow: hidden;
                  position: absolute;
                  z-index: -1;
                  }

                  .inputfile + label {
                  display: inline-block;
                  }

                  .inputfile + label {
                  cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
                  }
                  .button {
                  -webkit-appearance: button;
                  -webkit-writing-mode: horizontal-tb !important;
                  text-rendering: auto;
                  color: initial;
                  letter-spacing: normal;
                  word-spacing: normal;
                  text-transform: none;
                  text-indent: 0px;
                  text-shadow: none;
                  display: inline-block;
                  text-align: start;
                  margin: 0em;
                  font: 400 11px system-ui;
                  align-items: flex-start;
                  text-align: center;
                  cursor: default;
                  color: buttontext;
                  background-color: buttonface;
                  box-sizing: border-box;
                  padding: 2px 6px 3px;
                  border-width: 2px;
                  border-style: outset;
                  border-color: buttonface;
                  border-image: initial;
                  border-color: rgb(216, 216, 216) rgb(209, 209, 209) rgb(186, 186, 186);
                  border-style: solid;
                  border-width: 1px;
                  padding: 1px 7px 2px;
                  }

                  <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
                  <label for="file" class="button">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
                  <br/><br/>
                  <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
                  <label for="file">
                  <button>Choose a file button label</button>
                  </label> &lt;-- this doesn't work





                    .inputfile {
                  width: 0.1px;
                  height: 0.1px;
                  opacity: 0;
                  overflow: hidden;
                  position: absolute;
                  z-index: -1;
                  }

                  .inputfile + label {
                  display: inline-block;
                  }

                  .inputfile + label {
                  cursor: pointer; /* "hand" cursor */
                  }
                  .button {
                  -webkit-appearance: button;
                  -webkit-writing-mode: horizontal-tb !important;
                  text-rendering: auto;
                  color: initial;
                  letter-spacing: normal;
                  word-spacing: normal;
                  text-transform: none;
                  text-indent: 0px;
                  text-shadow: none;
                  display: inline-block;
                  text-align: start;
                  margin: 0em;
                  font: 400 11px system-ui;
                  align-items: flex-start;
                  text-align: center;
                  cursor: default;
                  color: buttontext;
                  background-color: buttonface;
                  box-sizing: border-box;
                  padding: 2px 6px 3px;
                  border-width: 2px;
                  border-style: outset;
                  border-color: buttonface;
                  border-image: initial;
                  border-color: rgb(216, 216, 216) rgb(209, 209, 209) rgb(186, 186, 186);
                  border-style: solid;
                  border-width: 1px;
                  padding: 1px 7px 2px;
                  }

                  <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
                  <label for="file" class="button">Choose a file text label</label> &lt;-- this works
                  <br/><br/>
                  <input type="file" name="file" id="file" class="inputfile" />
                  <label for="file">
                  <button>Choose a file button label</button>
                  </label> &lt;-- this doesn't work






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                  answered Jan 3 at 7:45









                  SheedoSheedo

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