jquery-file-upload plugin - How to change the upload path below/outside public_html?

Question

The file upload / download part of the application is password-protected, so only the admin can upload, view and download the files. But they must not reside inside public_html because they contain personal information and must not be accessible without being logged in.

I am able to change the upload folder -- but it appears it must be inside of public_html else you can't view your uploads and you can't download them.

This works for "normal" operation inside the web public_html directory -- but how to set 'upload_url' => HTTP_SERVER to be outside public_html? Seems there would have to be some path translation so the file_upload app can provide a download link, perhaps a buffered read output the user's browser?

<?php
// index.php
/*
 * jQuery File Upload Plugin PHP Example
 * https://github.com/blueimp/jQuery-File-Upload
 *
 * Copyright 2010, Sebastian Tschan
 * https://blueimp.net
 *
 * Licensed under the MIT license:
 * http://www.opensource.org/licenses/MIT
 */
 // using jQuery-File-Upload version: 9.12.5

error_reporting(E_ALL | E_STRICT);

// UploadHandler.php and index.php remain in the default location
// jQuery-File-Upload_root/server/php/

require('UploadHandler.php');

define('DIR_DOWNLOAD', '../../_uploads/');  // the directory is in jQuery-File-Upload_root/_uploads 

define('HTTP_SERVER', 'http://localhost/jQuery-File-Upload-9.12.5/_uploads/');

$upload_handler = new UploadHandler(
    array(
        'upload_dir' => DIR_DOWNLOAD,
        'upload_url' => HTTP_SERVER,
    )
);

Answer 1

If you want to save your files outside from your www folder, then your files are not directly accessible through a url. In this case you do not need to provide any value for 'upload_url' . Instead set 'download_via_php' to true.

 $options = array(
      "upload_dir" => '/home/farawayfromwww/test/',
      "download_via_php" => 1
    );

error_reporting(E_ALL | E_STRICT);
require('UploadHandler.php');
$upload_handler = new UploadHandler($options);