html - request.FILES always empty on file upload -

i totally stumped on this, , must doing incredibly stupid. trying upload file on django project. problem seems no form data getting passed through server--only csrf token. running django 1.5.1, python 2.7, virtualenv, on mac, , using built-in django development server.

my html form is:

{% load url future %}  <form enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post" action="{% url 'showreport' %}">     {% csrf_token %}     <label>upload grade csv file: </label>     <input type="hidden" id="testing" value="maybe" />     <input type="file" id="grade_csv" />     <input type="submit" value="generate report" /> </form> 

my model:

from django.db import models  class document(models.model): file = models.filefield(upload_to='/media/', blank=true, null=true) 

my forms.py:

from django import forms .models import document  class documentform(forms.form): """ handle uploading grades csv file """ class meta:     models = document 

my views.py:

def report(request): """ process csv file remove inactive students manipulate right json format chart results """ if request.method == 'post':     form = documentform( request.post, request.files )     if form.is_valid():         newfile = document( file = request.files['file'] )         newfile.save()          classdata = {}         studentdata = {}          return render( request, 'report/showreport.html', { 'classdata': classdata, 'studentdata': studentdata } ) else:     form = uploadfileform()  return render( request, 'report/index.html', { 'form': form }) 

i have spent several hours searching solution, nothing seems work. i have enctype set correctly (i think), i using input type 'submit' form, , i binding form data model (doesn't matter, since request.files empty). tried using direct url in form action (action='/report/showreport/') per this django newbie page, didn't make difference. far can tell, there no other scripts binding form submit action , overriding default action.

i realize code above should likley request.files['grades_csv'] match form's input id...yet doesn't matter yet, since request.files empty.

in trying debug, have set pdb trace right before if request.method == "post" in view. using console, can see request.post not include hidden "testing" input, , request.files empty. when run in browser, returns me form page, saying form invalid. pdb results here:

(pdb) request.files (pdb) <multivaluedict: {}> (pdb) request.post['testing'] (pdb) *** multivaluedictkeyerror: "key 'testing' not found in <querydict: {u'csrfmiddlewaretoken': [u'0tgcchxa3po619dci114sb9jmwrt82aj']}>" (pdb) request.post <querydict: {u'csrfmiddlewaretoken': [u'0tgcchxa3po619dci114sb9jmwrt82aj']}> 

if try access request.files in views.py without checking if form valid, error:

"key 'file' not found in <multivaluedict: {}>" 

i stumped , appreciate on why cannot work--it seems should simple. can manually create , write files within project directory using pdb, don't think permissions problem...the problem in form?

i had problem , puzzling on while. error same -- missing necessary fields on input field.

in order see required fields are, nice thing is, in case:

from base.forms import documentform ## or put whatever name of app, unspecified in question print documentform() 

this print html need, including tags object requires. neat functionality missed first time, outlined in the docs.