NestJS middleware for handling multipart/form-data, which is primarily used for uploading files
npm install nestjs-form-data

nestjs-form-data serializes the form-data request into an object and places it in the body of the request.
The files in the request are transformed into objects.
Standard file storage types:
- Memory storage
- File system storage
sh
npm
npm install nestjs-form-data
yarn
yarn add nestjs-form-data
`
This module has class-validator and class-transformer as a required peed dependencies.
Read more about validation pipe in the official docs page.
Make sure that you already have these and enable global validation pipe:
`sh
npm
npm install class-validator class-transformer
yarn
yarn add class-validator class-transformer
`
Register a global validation pipe in main.ts file inside bootstrap function:
`ts
//main.ts
app.useGlobalPipes(
new ValidationPipe({
transform: true // Transform is recomended configuration for avoind issues with arrays of files transformations
})
);
`Add the module to your application
`ts
@Module({
imports: [
NestjsFormDataModule,
],
})
export class AppModule {
}
`
🪄 Usage
Apply @FormDataRequest() decorator to your controller method
`ts
@Controller()
export class NestjsFormDataController {
@Post('load')
@FormDataRequest()
getHello(@Body() testDto: FormDataTestDto): void {
console.log(testDto);
}
}
`
If you are using class-validator describe dto and specify validation rules
`ts
export class FormDataTestDto { @IsFile()
@MaxFileSize(1e6)
@HasMimeType(['image/jpeg', 'image/png'])
avatar: MemoryStoredFile;
}
`
Fastify
Need to install @fastify/multipart.
`ts
// main.ts
import { NestFactory } from '@nestjs/core';
import {
FastifyAdapter,
NestFastifyApplication,
} from '@nestjs/platform-fastify';
import multipart from '@fastify/multipart'async function bootstrap() {
const app = await NestFactory.create(
AppModule,
new FastifyAdapter()
);
app.register(multipart);
await app.listen(3000);
}
`Configuration
$3
You can set the global configuration when connecting the module using the NestjsFormDataModule.config method:
`ts
@Module({
imports: [
NestjsFormDataModule.config({ storage: MemoryStoredFile }),
],
controllers: [],
providers: [],
})
export class AppModule {
}
`
$3
Quite often you might want to asynchronously pass your module options instead of passing them beforehand.
In such case, use configAsync() method, that provides a couple of various ways to deal with async data.##### 1. Use factory
`ts
NestjsFormDataModule.configAsync({
useFactory: () => ({
storage: MemoryStoredFile
})
});
`
Our factory behaves like every other one (might be async and is able to inject dependencies through inject).
`ts
NestjsFormDataModule.configAsync({
imports: [ConfigModule],
useFactory: async (configService: ConfigService) => ({
storage: MemoryStoredFile,
limits: {
files: configService.get('files'),
}
}),
inject: [ConfigService],
});
`
##### 2. Use class
`ts
NestjsFormDataModule.configAsync({
useClass: MyNestJsFormDataConfigService
});
`
Above construction will instantiate MyNestJsFormDataConfigService inside NestjsFormDataModule and will leverage it
to create options object.
`ts
export class MyNestJsFormDataConfigService implements NestjsFormDataConfigFactory {
configAsync(): Promise | FormDataInterceptorConfig {
return {
storage: FileSystemStoredFile,
fileSystemStoragePath: '/tmp/nestjs-fd',
};
}
}
`
##### 3. Use existing
`ts
NestjsFormDataModule.configAsync({
imports: [MyNestJsFormDataConfigModule],
useExisting: MyNestJsFormDataConfigService
});
`
It works the same as useClass with one critical difference - NestjsFormDataModule will lookup imported modules to
reuse already created MyNestJsFormDataConfigService, instead of instantiating it on its own.
$3
Or pass the config object while using the decorator on the method
`ts
@Controller()
export class NestjsFormDataController {
@Post('load')
@FormDataRequest({storage: MemoryStoredFile})
getHello(@Body() testDto: FormDataTestDto): void {
console.log(testDto);
}
}
`
$3
- isGlobal - If you want the module to be available globally. Once you import the module and configure it, it will be available globally
- storage - The type of storage logic for the uploaded file (Default MemoryStoredFile)
- fileSystemStoragePath - The path to the directory for storing temporary files, used only for storage: FileSystemStoredFile (Default: /tmp/nestjs-tmp-storage)
- cleanupAfterSuccessHandle - If set to true, all processed and uploaded files will be deleted after successful processing by the final method. This means that the delete method will be called on all files (StoredFile)
- cleanupAfterFailedHandle - If set to true, all processed and uploaded files will be deleted after unsuccessful processing by the final method. This means that the delete method will be called on all files (StoredFile)
- limits - busboy limits configuration. Constraints in this declaration are handled at the serialization stage, so using these parameters is preferable for performance.
File storage types
$3
MemoryStoredFile The file is loaded into RAM, files with this storage type are very fast but not suitable for processing large files.
$3
FileSystemStoredFile The file is loaded into a temporary directory (see configuration) and is available during the processing of the request. The file is automatically deleted after the request finishes
$3
You can define a custom type of file storage, for this, inherit your class from StoredFile, see examples in the storage directory
Validation
By default, several validators are available with which you can check the file
Note: If you need to validate an array of files for size or otherwise, use each: true property from ValidationOptions$3
Checks if the value is an uploaded file
`ts
@IsFile(validationOptions?: ValidationOptions)
`$3
Checks an array of files, the same as @IsFile({ each: true })
For convenience
`ts
@IsFiles(validationOptions?: ValidationOptions)
`$3
Maximum allowed file size
`ts
@MaxFileSize(maxSizeBytes: number, validationOptions?: ValidationOptions)
`$3
Minimum allowed file size
`ts
@MinFileSize(minSizeBytes: number, validationOptions?: ValidationOptions)
`$3
Check the mime type of the file
The library uses two sources to get the mime type for the file:
- file-type library gets mime-type: gets the mime-type from the magic number#Magic_numbers_in_files) directly from the binary data, it is a reliable source because it checks the file itself but may not return values for some files
- content type header from Priority of receiving mime-type corresponds to the listThe default is simple mode, which does not check the data source, but you can pass a second argument to strictly check the mime-type and data source.
You can also get the mime type and data source via the
get mimeTypeWithSource(" class="text-primary hover:underline" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">busboy:MetaFieldSource getter on the StoredFile
`ts
type AllowedMimeTypes = Array
type AllowedMimeType = string | RegExp;@HasMimeType(allowedMimeTypes: AllowedMimeTypes | AllowedMimeType, strictSource?: MetaSource | ValidationOptions, validationOptions?: ValidationOptions)
`You can also use partial matching, just pass the unimportant parameter as
*, for example:
`ts
@HasMimeType('image/*')
`
also as array:
`ts
@HasMimeType(['image/', 'text/'])
`$3
Check the extension type of the file
The library uses two sources to get the extension for the file:
- file-type library gets mime-type: gets the extension from the magic number#Magic_numbers_in_files) directly from the binary data, it is a reliable source because it checks the file itself but may not return values for some files
- value after the last dot in file name: is a less trusted source because it can be tampered withPriority of receiving extension corresponds to the list
The default is simple mode, which does not check the data source, but you can pass a second argument to strictly check the extension and data source.
You can also get the extension and data source via the
get extensionWithSource():MetaFieldSource getter on the StoredFile`ts
@HasExtension(allowedMimeTypes: string[] | string, strictSource?: MetaSource | ValidationOptions, validationOptions?: ValidationOptions)
`Examples
$3
Controller
`ts
import { FileSystemStoredFile, FormDataRequest } from 'nestjs-form-data';@Controller()
export class NestjsFormDataController {
@Post('load')
@FormDataRequest({storage: FileSystemStoredFile})
getHello(@Body() testDto: FormDataTestDto): void {
console.log(testDto);
}
}
`
DTO
`ts
import { FileSystemStoredFile, HasMimeType, IsFile, MaxFileSize } from 'nestjs-form-data';
export class FormDataTestDto {
@IsFile()
@MaxFileSize(1e6)
@HasMimeType(['image/jpeg', 'image/png'])
avatar: FileSystemStoredFile;
}
`Send request (via Insomnia)
$3
DTO
`ts
import { FileSystemStoredFile, HasMimeType, IsFiles, MaxFileSize } from 'nestjs-form-data';export class FormDataTestDto {
@IsFiles()
@MaxFileSize(1e6, { each: true })
@HasMimeType(['image/jpeg', 'image/png'], { each: true })
avatars: FileSystemStoredFile[];
}
``