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# Plupload
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Plupload is a cross-browser multi-runtime file uploading API. Basically, a set of tools that will help you to 
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build a reliable and visually appealing file uploader in minutes.
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Historically, Plupload comes from a dark and hostile age of no HTML5, hence all the alternative fallbacks, 
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like Flash, Silverlight and Java (still in development). It is meant to provide an API, that 
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will work anywhere and in any case, in one way or another. While having very solid fallbacks, Plupload 
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is built with the future of HTML5 in mind.
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### Table of Contents
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* [Backstory](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/blob/master/readme.md#backstory)
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* [Structure](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/blob/master/readme.md#structure)
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  * [File API and XHR L2 pollyfills](https://github.com/moxiecode/moxie/blob/master/README.md)
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  * [Plupload API](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/API)
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  * [UI Widget](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/UI.Plupload)
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  * [Queue Widget](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/pluploadQueue)
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* [Demos](https://github.com/jayarjo/plupload-demos/blob/master/README.md)
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* [Building Instructions](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/blob/master/readme.md#build)
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* [Getting Started](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Getting-Started)
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  * [Options](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Options)
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  * [Events](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Uploader#wiki-events)
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  * [Methods](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Uploader#wiki-methods)
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  * [Plupload in Your Language](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Plupload-in-Your-Language)
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  * [File Filters](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/File-Filters) 
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  * [Image Resizing on Client-Side](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Image-Resizing-on-Client-Side) 
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  * [Chunking](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Chunking) 
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  * [Upload to Amazon S3](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Upload-to-Amazon-S3) 
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* [FAQ](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Frequently-Asked-Questions)
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* [Support](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/blob/master/readme.md##support)
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  * [Create a Fiddle](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Create-a-Fiddle)
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* [Contributing](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/blob/master/readme.md#contribute)
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* [License](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/blob/master/readme.md#license)
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* [Contact Us](http://www.moxiecode.com/contact.php)
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<a name="backstory" />
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### Backstory
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Plupload started in a time when uploading a file in a responsive and customizable manner was a real pain. 
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Internally, browsers only had the `input[type="file"]` element. It was ugly and clunky at the same time. 
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One couldn't even change it's visuals, without hiding it and coding another one on top of it from scratch. 
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And then there was no progress indication for the upload process... Sounds pretty crazy today.
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It was very logical for developers to look for alternatives and writing their own implementations, using 
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Flash and Java, in order to somehow extend limited browser capabilities. And so did we, in our search for 
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a reliable and flexible file uploader for 
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our [TinyMCE](http://www.tinymce.com/index.php)'s
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[MCImageManager](http://www.tinymce.com/enterprise/mcimagemanager.php). 
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Quickly enough though, Plupload grew big.  It easily split into a standalone project. 
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With major *version 2.0* it underwent another huge reconstruction, basically 
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[from the ground up](http://blog.moxiecode.com/2012/11/28/first-public-beta-plupload-2/), 
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as all the low-level runtime logic has been extracted into separate [File API](http://www.w3.org/TR/FileAPI/) 
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and [XHR L2](http://www.w3.org/TR/XMLHttpRequest/) pollyfills (currently known under combined name of [mOxie](https://github.com/moxiecode/moxie)), 
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giving Plupload a chance to evolve further.
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<a name="structure" />
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### Structure
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Currently, Plupload may be considered as consisting of three parts: low-level pollyfills, 
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Plupload API and Widgets (UI and Queue). Initially, Widgets were meant only to serve as examples 
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of the API, but quickly formed into fully-functional API implementations that now come bundled with 
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the Plupload API. This has been a source for multiple misconceptions about the API as Widgets were 
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easily mistaken for the Plupload itself. They are only implementations, such as any of you can 
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build by yourself out of the API.
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* [Low-level pollyfills (mOxie)](https://github.com/moxiecode/moxie) - have their own [code base](https://github.com/moxiecode/moxie) and [documentation](https://github.com/moxiecode/moxie/wiki) on GitHub.
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* [Plupload API](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/API)
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* [UI Widget](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/UI.Plupload)
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* [Queue Widget](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/pluploadQueue)
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<a name="build" />
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### Building instructions
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Plupload depends on File API and XHR2 L2 pollyfills that currently have their 
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[own repository](https://github.com/moxiecode/moxie) on GitHub. However, in most cases you shouldn't 
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care as we bundle the latest build of mOxie, including full and minified JavaScript source and 
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pre-compiled `SWF` and `XAP` components, with [every release](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/releases). You can find everything you may need under `js/` folder.
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There are cases where you might need a custom build, for example free of unnecessary runtimes, half the 
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original size, etc. The difficult part of this task comes from mOxie and its set of additional runtimes 
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that require special tools on your workstation in order to compile. 
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Consider [build instructions for mOxie](https://github.com/moxiecode/moxie#build-instructions) - 
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everything applies to Plupload as well.
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First of all, if you want to build custom Plupload packages you will require [Node.js](http://nodejs.org/), 
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as this is our build environment of choice. Node.js binaries (as well as Source)
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[are available](http://nodejs.org/download/) for all major operating systems.
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Plupload includes _mOxie_ as a submodule, it also depends on some other repositories for building up it's dev
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environment - to avoid necessity of downloading them one by one, we recommended you to simply clone Plupload 
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with [git](http://git-scm.com/) recursively (you will require git installed on your system for this operation 
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to succeed):
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```
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git clone --recursive https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload.git
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```
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And finalize the preparation stage with: `npm install` - this will install all additional modules, including those
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required by dev and test environments. In case you would rather keep it minimal, add a `--production` flag.
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*Note:* Currently, for an unknown reason, locally installed Node.js modules on Windows, may not be automatically 
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added to the system PATH. So, if `jake` commands below are not recognized you will need to add them manually:
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```
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set PATH=%PATH%;%CD%\node_modules\.bin\
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``` 
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<a name="support" />
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### Support
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We are actively standing behind the Plupload and now that we are done with major rewrites and refactoring,
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the only real goal that we have ahead is making it as reliable and bulletproof as possible. We are open to 
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all the suggestions and feature requests. We ask you to file bug reports if you encounter any. We may not 
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react to them instantly, but we constantly bear them in my mind as we extend the code base.
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In addition to dedicated support for those who dare to buy our OEM licenses, we got 
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[discussion boards](http://www.plupload.com/punbb/index.php), which is like an enormous FAQ, 
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covering every possible application case. Of course, you are welcome to file a bug report or feature request, 
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here on [GitHub](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/issues).
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Sometimes it is easier to notice the problem when bug report is accompained by the actual code. Consider providing 
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[a Plupload fiddle](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Create-a-Fiddle) for the troublesome code.
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<a name="contribute" />
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### Contributing
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We are open to suggestions and code revisions, however there are some rules and limitations that you might 
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want to consider first.
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* Code that you contribute will automatically be licensed under the LGPL, but will not be limited to LGPL.
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* Although all contributors will get the credit for their work, copyright notices will be changed to [Moxiecode Systems AB](http://www.moxiecode.com/).
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* Third party code will be reviewed, tested and possibly modified before being released.
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These basic rules help us earn a living and ensure that code remains Open Source and compatible with LGPL license. All contributions will be added to the changelog and appear in every release and on the site. 
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An easy place to start is to [translate Plupload to your language](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/wiki/Plupload-in-Your-Language#contribute).
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You can read more about how to contribute at: [http://www.plupload.com/contributing](http://www.plupload.com/contributing)
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<a name="license" />
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### License
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Copyright 2013, [Moxiecode Systems AB](http://www.moxiecode.com/)  
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Released under [GPLv2 License](https://github.com/moxiecode/plupload/blob/master/license.txt).
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We also provide [commercial license](http://www.plupload.com/commercial.php).
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