Uploading/Displaying Images in MVC 4

Anyone know of any step by step tutorials on how to upload/display images from a database using Entity Framework? I've checked out code snippets, but I'm still not clear on how it works. I have no code, because aside from writing an upload form, I'm lost. Any (and I mean any) help is greatly appreciated.

On a sidenote, why don't any books cover this topic? I have both Pro ASP.NET MVC 4 and Professional MVC4, and they make no mention of it.

Have a look at the following

@using (Html.BeginForm("FileUpload", "Home", FormMethod.Post, 
                            new { enctype = "multipart/form-data" }))
{  
    <label for="file">Upload Image:</label> 
    <input type="file" name="file" id="file" style="width: 100%;" /> 
    <input type="submit" value="Upload" class="submit" /> 
}

your controller should have action method which would accept HttpPostedFileBase;

 public ActionResult FileUpload(HttpPostedFileBase file)
    {
        if (file != null)
        {
            string pic = System.IO.Path.GetFileName(file.FileName);
            string path = System.IO.Path.Combine(
                                   Server.MapPath("~/images/profile"), pic); 
            // file is uploaded
            file.SaveAs(path);

            // save the image path path to the database or you can send image 
            // directly to database
            // in-case if you want to store byte[] ie. for DB
            using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream()) 
            {
                 file.InputStream.CopyTo(ms);
                 byte[] array = ms.GetBuffer();
            }

        }
        // after successfully uploading redirect the user
        return RedirectToAction("actionname", "controller name");
    }

Update 1

In case you want to upload files using jQuery with asynchornously, then try this article.

the code to handle the server side (for multiple upload) is;

 try
    {
        HttpFileCollection hfc = HttpContext.Current.Request.Files;
        string path = "/content/files/contact/";

        for (int i = 0; i < hfc.Count; i++)
        {
            HttpPostedFile hpf = hfc[i];
            if (hpf.ContentLength > 0)
            {
                string fileName = "";
                if (Request.Browser.Browser == "IE")
                {
                    fileName = Path.GetFileName(hpf.FileName);
                }
                else
                {
                    fileName = hpf.FileName;
                }
                string fullPathWithFileName = path + fileName;
                hpf.SaveAs(Server.MapPath(fullPathWithFileName));
            }
        }

    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        throw ex;
    }

this control also return image name (in a javascript call back) which then you can use it to display image in the DOM.

UPDATE 2

Alternatively, you can try Async File Uploads in MVC 4.

Here is a short tutorial:

Model:

namespace ImageUploadApp.Models
{
    using System;
    using System.Collections.Generic;
    
    public partial class Image
    {
        public int ID { get; set; }
        public string ImagePath { get; set; }
    }
}

View:

1. Create:

    @model ImageUploadApp.Models.Image
    @{
        ViewBag.Title = "Create";
    }
    <h2>Create</h2>
    @using (Html.BeginForm("Create", "Image", null, FormMethod.Post, 
                                  new { enctype = "multipart/form-data" })) {
        @Html.AntiForgeryToken()
        @Html.ValidationSummary(true)
        <fieldset>
            <legend>Image</legend>
            <div class="editor-label">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.ImagePath)
            </div>
            <div class="editor-field">
                <input id="ImagePath" title="Upload a product image" 
                                      type="file" name="file" />
            </div>
            <p><input type="submit" value="Create" /></p>
        </fieldset>
    }
    <div>
        @Html.ActionLink("Back to List", "Index")
    </div>
    @section Scripts {
        @Scripts.Render("~/bundles/jqueryval")
    }
   

2. Index (for display):

    @model IEnumerable<ImageUploadApp.Models.Image>
   
    @{
        ViewBag.Title = "Index";
    }
   
    <h2>Index</h2>
   
    <p>
        @Html.ActionLink("Create New", "Create")
    </p>
    <table>
        <tr>
            <th>
                @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.ImagePath)
            </th>
        </tr>
   
    @foreach (var item in Model) {
        <tr>
            <td>
                @Html.DisplayFor(modelItem => item.ImagePath)
            </td>
            <td>
                @Html.ActionLink("Edit", "Edit", new { id=item.ID }) |
                @Html.ActionLink("Details", "Details", new { id=item.ID }) |
                @Ajax.ActionLink("Delete", "Delete", new {id = item.ID} })
            </td>
        </tr>
    }
   
    </table>
   

3. Controller (Create)

    public ActionResult Create(Image img, HttpPostedFileBase file)
    {
        if (ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            if (file != null)
            {
                file.SaveAs(HttpContext.Server.MapPath("~/Images/") 
                                                      + file.FileName);
                img.ImagePath = file.FileName;
            }  
            db.Image.Add(img);
            db.SaveChanges();
            return RedirectToAction("Index");
        }
        return View(img);
    }
   

Hope this will help :)

        <input type="file" id="picfile" name="picf" />
       <input type="text" id="txtName" style="width: 144px;" />
 $("#btncatsave").click(function () {
var Name = $("#txtName").val();
var formData = new FormData();
var totalFiles = document.getElementById("picfile").files.length;
    
                    var file = document.getElementById("picfile").files[0];
                    formData.append("FileUpload", file);
                    formData.append("Name", Name);

$.ajax({
                    type: "POST",
                    url: '/Category_Subcategory/Save_Category',
                    data: formData,
                    dataType: 'json',
                    contentType: false,
                    processData: false,
                    success: function (msg) {
                        
                                 alert(msg);
                                
                    },
                    error: function (error) {
                        alert("errror");
                    }
                });

});

 [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult Save_Category()
    {
      string Name=Request.Form[1]; 
      if (Request.Files.Count > 0)
        {
            HttpPostedFileBase file = Request.Files[0];
         }


    }