Drupal File Uploads

Question

I am implementing a custom form with file uploads and having trouble getting the form to post the files.

Here is my form code for the input:

for ($x = 1; $x <= $photo_count; $x++) {
    $form['photo_'.$x] = array(
      '#type' => 'file',
      '#name' => 'files[' . implode('_', $form['photo_'.$x]['#parents']) . ']',
      '#title' => t('Choose a file'),
      '#title_display' => 'invisible',
      '#theme_wrappers' => array(),
    );
  }

$photo_count is a variable set in the config settings for this module, so they can change the amount of photos a person can upload whenever.

In my validate:

foreach ($form_state['values'] as $key => $value) {
    if (preg_match('/photo_/', $key)) {
      $file_key = file_save_upload($key, array(
        'file_validate_is_image' => array(), // Validates file is really an image. 
        'file_validate_extensions' => array('png gif jpg jpeg'), // Validate extensions.
      ));
      // If the file passed validation:
      if ($file_key) {
        // Move the file, into the Drupal file system
        if ($file_key = file_move($file_key, 'public://temp_uploads')) {
         // Save the file for use in the submit handler.
         $form_state['values'][$file_key] = $file_key;
        } else {
         form_set_error($file_key, t('Failed to write the uploaded file the site\'s file folder.'));
        }
      }
    }
  }

Except when I dump $form_state on the validate/submit steps, it's always empty, and file_save_upload returns NULL.

I looked at a few examples on how to do this, and I think I have everything I need, but something is wrong. The form ENCTYPE is set to multipart, too. My form is multistep, implemented with CTools Wizard if that matters.

Edit:

If I dump $_POST and $form_state, there are no values for files. However, if I dump $_FILES, the files I chose are in the array and I can operate on them. Why are they not making their way into the POST or $form_state in Drupal?

Answer 1

I could not find a way to capture uploads into the Drupal Form API without looking at $_FILES and taking them that way. I still do not see files in $form_state values.