Skip to main content

File management

You can add files to your application in two different ways:

  • Static files allow you to upload files for use in your application. This is useful for files that are the same everywhere, such as a logo displayed in your navigation bar or a PDF of your terms and conditions that you want to make available for users to download.
  • File attributes allow you to store files on individual cases. This is useful for files that are unique to a particular case, such as an employee's proof of identity or the invoice for an order. For information about configuring file attributes, see Attributes.

Upload files​

To upload a static file, from your Studio open Platform > Static files and then create a new static file. Once you have added the static file, the HTML to view or download the file is generated automatically based on the file type. You can access the static file HTML from a template, as described below. To view or modify the HTML, edit the static file.

To add files to a file attribute, create an activity and include the file attribute on the activity form. You can allow users to upload files when they perform the activity, or use mappings to add a file to the attribute automatically. For more information about configuring activities, see Add cases and Edit case details.

Tip:

If you have applied a file upload profile or defined a minimum or maximum file size in the file attribute properties, Grexx Platform checks that the file satisfies these requirements each time a file is added to the attribute.

Use and download files​

You can retrieve details of stored files, generate a link to download files, and display image files using the file template function.

You can use the file function in both inline templates and saved templates. For example:

  • To include a logo in a menu item on your navigation bar, use an inline template to add the file.static file HTML template function to the menu item. Click the blue text to configure the function and select the relevant image file. The image is displayed as per the static file's HTML.
  • To provide a link to download a PDF from your homepage, create a template widget and include the file.static file url template function. The function is rendered as a link to the file as per the static file's HTML.
  • To display the name or size of a file that has been uploaded to a case in a grid widget, add an inline template column to the relevant dataset. Add the file.filename or file.size function to the inline template and then configure the function to retrieve the details from the relevant file attribute.
  • To provide an option to download a file from a case attribute, create a template widget and add the file.URL template function to the href attribute of a link. For example, <a href="file.URL">Download</a>. Configure the template function to identify the relevant file attribute on the current case, or use a Case ID attribute to link to another case and then select the relevant file attribute.

For more information about configuring templates, see Templates.

Make files public or private​

If a file is private, it can only be accessed by users that have logged in to your application. The URL for a private file is only valid temporarily. Public files can be accessed by anyone with the URL without logging in to your application first. The URL for a public file remains valid until the file is deleted.

Static files are public by default. You can change this setting by editing the static file in your Studio.

Files stored in case attributes are private by default. When you generate the URL to download a file using the file.URL template function, you specify for how long you want the link to remain valid. To make a file public (or private), use the File operations system service. You can either create a copy of the file that is public (or private), or replace the existing file with a public (or private) version.

Delete files​

You can permanently delete both static files and files stored in case attributes using the File operations system service. Note that the value of an attribute is a reference to the file. If an attribute still contains a reference to a file that has been deleted, the file can no longer be downloaded.