What does enctype="multipart/form-data" mean?

`enctype="multipart/form-data"` is an attribute of the HTML `<form>` tag that specifies the **encoding type** used to submit the form data to the server. It is used when the form contains **binary data**, such as images, audio, or video files. When a user submits a form with `enctype="multipart/form-data"`, the data is split into multiple parts and sent to the server in a way that preserves the binary data.

The `multipart/form-data` encoding type is one of the three methods of encoding provided by HTML forms, the other two being `application/x-www-form-urlencoded` (the default) and `text/plain`. The `application/x-www-form-urlencoded` encoding type is used when the form data is in the form of a query string, while `text/plain` is used for debugging purposes only.

It is important to note that `enctype="multipart/form-data"` should be used only when the form requires binary data to be uploaded to the server . When writing client-side code, use `multipart/form-data` when the form includes any `<input type="file">` elements; otherwise, you can use `multipart/form-data` or `application/x-www-form-urlencoded`, but `application/x-www-form-urlencoded` will be more efficient . When writing server-side code, use a prewritten form handling library, which will take care of the differences for you.

The correct attribute is enctype="multipart/form-data" (not "multiparty/form-data").

enctype="multipart/form-data" is an attribute used in HTML forms to specify how the form data should be encoded and sent to the server when the form is submitted, particularly when the form includes file uploads.

When a form has enctype="multipart/form-data", it signifies that the form data will be encoded as a series of parts, allowing files to be uploaded alongside other form fields. This encoding type is used for forms that include <input type="file"> elements, which allow users to select and upload files.

This encoding type is necessary because file uploads cannot be transmitted using the default application/x-www-form-urlencoded encoding method. The multipart/form-data encoding allows files to be included as separate parts within the HTTP request, enabling the server to properly handle and process the uploaded files along with other form data.