problems uploading an Excel file to be imported into the database cakephp

Question

I am using Excel Reader to import a excel file into my database. I am also using postgres and cakephp. The first obstacle I encounter is that I get the following error when sending the excel of my view to my controller. this error be in my controller:

Illegal string offset 'tmp_name'

this is the code of my controller and view

<?php
App::import('Vendor', 'excel_reader2'); 
class SoyaproductorcomprasController extends AppController {
    public $components = array('Session','RequestHandler');

    public function logout() {
        $this->redirect($this->Auth->logout());
    }
    public function excel() {
        if ($this->request->is('post')) {
            $data = new Spreadsheet_Excel_Reader();
            $data->read($this->request->data['SoyaProductorCompra']['excel']['tmp_name']);
            $this->set('data', $data); 
        }
    }

}
?>

and my view

<?php echo $this->Form->create('SoyaProductorCompra');?>
<?php

echo $this->Form->input('excel',array( 'type' => 'file', 'label'=>'Ingrese excel'));
echo $this->Form->end('Submit')
?>

I'm trying to implement this tutorial:

Answer 1

More than likely you need to set the encoding type of your form.

<?php echo $this->Form->create('SoyaProductorCompra');?>

Should be:

<?php echo $this->Form->create('SoyaProductorCompra', 
                               array('enctype' => 'multipart/form-data);?>

You can also use 'type' => 'file' instead of enctype.

Take a look at documentation for FormHelper::create() and FormHelper::file() for more details. I actually like using the type attribute instead of enctype since it will set the enctype and make sure the form is POST at the same time.

http://book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/core-libraries/helpers/form.html