javascript - Second use of input file doesn't trigger onchange anymore

Question

I have a picture upload button that automatically uploads the file when selected from the browse window.
Nonetheless, it doesn't work the second time around and that is because the onChange event is not triggered. Why is that so?

Here is a use case:
1. On click of the button, I call uploadMessagePicture(), which opens the browse window.
2. When the user has selected a picture, a onChange event is detected which triggers the ajaxFileUpload() and shows the photo editor area.
3. When the upload is complete, a preview of the image is shown. 4. The user deletes the picture by calling deleteMessageImage() (which also clears the fields and hides the photo editor).
5. The user tries to upload another picture.

At this point, the browse window appears, but when I select a picture, the onChange event is not triggered so nothing happens... (Also, it doesn't seem like the filename is even transfered to the input' value field.)
I'm on Firefox 23.0.1

Here is the HTML:

<a class="im-photo-btn" href="javascript:;" onclick="javascript:uploadMessagePicture();"><i class="icon-join-photo"></i></a>

<div class="editor-photoarea" id="editor-photoarea" style="display:none;">
    <input name="image_message_file" type="hidden" id="image_message_file" value="" />
    <div id="image_message_upload">
        <input name="image-message" type="file" id="image-message" style="display:none; visibility:hidden;" /> 
        <!-- hide it and trigger it from the photo btn (need both display:none + visibility:hiden for browser compatibility) -->
    </div>
    <div class="loading" id="image_message_loading" style="display:none;"><img alt="<?php echo $lang["Loading"];?>" src="lib/immedia/img/ajax-loader.gif" /> <?php echo $lang["Loading"];?></div>
    <div class="preview" style="display:none;" id="image_message_preview">
        <!-- <div>Image preview :</div>
        <div id='small_message_msg'></div>
            <img src='' />
            <div class='btnoptions'>
                <a onclick='javascript:deleteMessageImage();' href='javascript:;' class='button' title="Delete photo">
                    <span class='ui-icon ui-icon-closethick smsg'></span>Delete
                </a>
         </div>-->
</div>

Here is the javascript to automatically upload the picture

$(document).ready(function (){
    $("#image-message").on('change', function () {
        $('#editor-photoarea').show();
        ajaxFileUploadMessagePicture();
    });
});

function uploadMessagePicture(){
    //trigger the browse click
    if($('#image_message_file').val() == ''){
        //let the person upload a file only if none are there
        $('#image-message').trigger('click');
    }
}

function ajaxFileUploadMessagePicture(){
$("#msg_error_no_image_message").hide();

var imageName = $("#image-message").val();
if(imageName != ''){
    $("#image_message_loading").show();
    $('#sendBtn').attr('disabled', 'disabled');

    $.ajaxFileUpload
    (
        {
            url:siteRegionDir+'lib/immedia/uploadMessagePicture.php',
            secureuri:false,
            fileElementId:'image-message',
            dataType: 'json',
            success: function (data, status)
            {
                updateMessagePicture(data);             
            },
            error: function (data, status, e)
            {
                alert(e);
            }
        }
    )   
}else{
    $("#msg_error_no_image_message").show();
}
return false;
}

Here is the Javascript to delete the picture and clear the fields

function deleteMessageImage(){
//delete the image
var file = $("#image_message_file").val();

if(file != '') {
    $.post(siteRegionDir+'lib/immedia/deleteMessagePicture.php',{filename:file}, function(data) {   
            clearPictureAttachment();               
            $('#editor-photoarea').hide();//make sure it is hidden
        },"html"  
    );
}else{      
    clearPictureAttachment();
    $('#editor-photoarea').hide();//make sure it is hidden
}
}

function clearPictureAttachment(){
//var control = $("#image-message");
$("#image-message").attr('value', '');
//control.replaceWith( control = control.clone( true ) );//so it resets it all, truw = keep the bound events
$("#image_message_file").attr('value', '');
$("#image_message_loading").hide();
$("#image_message_upload").show();
$("#image_message_preview").hide();
}

Any help would be great! Thanks!

Answer 1

If you're using React or just javascript in general you can what you can also do is "reset" the value of the event target.

So If you have something like a component that can upload and "remove" an image:

<input type="file" onChange={onChange} />

your onChange can be:

onChange(event) {

    const files = event.target.files;

    // your logic here on what to do with files (maybe fetch the preview or something)

    // this line right below will reset the 
    // input field so if you removed it you can re-add the same file
    event.target.value = ''
}