[php] How to check whether the user uploaded a file in PHP?

You should use $_FILES[$form_name]['error']. It returns UPLOAD_ERR_NO_FILE if no file was uploaded. Full list: PHP: Error Messages Explained

function isUploadOkay($form_name, &$error_message) {
    if (!isset($_FILES[$form_name])) {
        $error_message = "No file upload with name '$form_name' in form.";
        return false;
    }
    $error = $_FILES[$form_name]['error'];

    // List at: http://php.net/manual/en/features.file-upload.errors.php
    if ($error != UPLOAD_ERR_OK) {
        switch ($error) {
            case UPLOAD_ERR_INI_SIZE:
                $error_message = 'The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive in php.ini.';
                break;

            case UPLOAD_ERR_FORM_SIZE:
                $error_message = 'The uploaded file exceeds the MAX_FILE_SIZE directive that was specified in the HTML form.';
                break;

            case UPLOAD_ERR_PARTIAL:
                $error_message = 'The uploaded file was only partially uploaded.';
                break;

            case UPLOAD_ERR_NO_FILE:
                $error_message = 'No file was uploaded.';
                break;

            case UPLOAD_ERR_NO_TMP_DIR:
                $error_message = 'Missing a temporary folder.';
                break;

            case UPLOAD_ERR_CANT_WRITE:
                $error_message = 'Failed to write file to disk.';
                break;

            case UPLOAD_ERR_EXTENSION:
                $error_message = 'A PHP extension interrupted the upload.';
                break;

            default:
                $error_message = 'Unknown error';
            break;
        }
        return false;
    }

    $error_message = null;
    return true;
}