Uploading Files to MOSS 2007 via the Copy.asmx Web Service

Unlike the imaging web service (SharepointSite/_vti_bin/imaging.asmx), there is no "Upload" web method available for normal lists. There is a way around this lack of functionality in the standard MOSS lists.asmx web service.

You can upload files into your Sharepoint repository in one hit along with metadata (ie custom column information and values). You just have to Reference the SharepointSite/_vti_bin/copy.asmx (e.g. http://dev-moss/sites/home/PropertySharePoint/_vti_bin/copy.asmx) to get access to the Copy.CopyIntoItems() method. You then simply pass in the stream and Array of FileInfo objects (which have your metadata) into this method. I have seen several examples around that use the Http PUT method (e.g. http://www.sharepointblogs.com/ssa/archive/2006/11/30/wsuploadservice-web-service-for-uploading-documents-into-sharepoint.aspx)and and then grab the file back and update it with the meta data. My code sample below shows a much simpler way. I have not seen this technique is some of the larger Development guides such as SAMs MOSS 2007 Development Unleashed - they only give a passing mention to the copy service. MSDN also brushes over this service - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/copy.copy.copyintoitems.aspx

      /// <summary>
        /// 
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="listName"></param>
        /// <param name="destinationfolderPath"></param>
        /// <param name="sourceFileSteam"></param>
        /// <param name="fileName"></param>
        /// <param name="fields"></param>
        /// <returns>String with the destination Uri</returns>
        public uint UploadFile(string listName, string destinationfolderPath, Stream sourceFileSteam, string fileName, SharepointCopyProxy.FieldInformation[] fields   )
        {
            //Create folder if it doesn't exist
            CreateFolder(listName, destinationfolderPath);

            byte[] fileBytes = new byte[sourceFileSteam.Length];
            sourceFileSteam.Read(fileBytes, 0, (int)sourceFileSteam.Length);
            string[] destinationUri = {string.Format("{0}/{1}/{2}/{3}",_urlSiteRoot, listName,  destinationfolderPath, fileName)}; //This may have issues as the listname may be different to the full path - may need to get value from folder path                        
            SharepointCopyProxy.CopyResult[] result;
        
            uint documentId = _copyWebService.CopyIntoItems("http://null", destinationUri, fields, fileBytes, out result);

            if (result[0].ErrorMessage != null)
            {
                throw new System.ApplicationException("An error occurred uploading the file to Sharepoint.", new System.Exception(result[0].ErrorMessage));
            }
            return documentId;
        }