Difference between revisions of "Custom Field Type: Upload - Multiple Files Storage"

Revision as of 09:00, 7 October 2013

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General Description

• Stores multiple files into a single field.
• Files can be uploaded individually or in groups.

This field type is used to store:

• Uploaded documents.
• Documents that are created using the Web Page View type field using the Store to Server option.

Field Options

General

Field Options

• Appear Mandatory: Makes the field appear as though it is a required field. Typically used in conjunction with browser scripts, JavaScript Validation or Submit Logic that perform validation.
• Track Changes: Keeps track of changes made to this field.
• Label Display: Determines the location of the field caption. Options include: Left of Field, Above Field, No Caption, Hide Caption. Note: this option was previously called Label Display. (See examples here.)
• On New Record: Controls how the field should be displayed until record has been saved once.
  • Always Display: Field will be exposed both before and after the record is saved.
  • Hide on New Record: Field will be hidden until record is saved.
  • Only Show on New Record: Field will be exposed until record is saved, and then it will be hidden. This option is useful for fields that provide instructions for filling out forms before saving.
• SmartField View - Include or exclude this field from SmartField Views (@SmartFields@) or only display this field for SmartField Views. See SmartField View for further details.
• Visibility Condition: See the Visibility Condition Wiki page.
• Field Permission Matrix: See the Field Permission Matrix Wiki page.

File Options

Security Options

• Allow External Access - if there is an externally enabled report that includes files in this Multiple Files field, anyone viewing the report will be able to click on the file names listed on the report for this Multiple Files field and view the underlying files.
• Real-Time Virus Scan - Performs virus scan on uploaded documents.

Other Options

• File Indexing – enabled file indexing and full text searching using the Lucene full text search engine, which is built into SmartSimple.
• Keep Version – provides for version control over documents added. When a second document with the same name is added the name will be appended with V_# (where # is the version number starting at 1). Similarly if you have enabled Online Editing above the updated version will not overwrite the original but will add one with the next appropriate version number.
• No Deletion – suppress the user’s ability to delete any files stored in the field. The Allow Delete Multiple Files Fields manager permission is required by the user to bypass this restriction.
• Allow Merging - allows the user to select any or all pdf documents in the field to be merged into a single document. Described below.
• Document Console - Enabling the Document Console allows the user to easily preview and print the documents contained in the Multiple File field.
  

  Example of Document Console

File Type Restriction - Use this option to specify the only file types that may be uploaded, in a comma-separated list. Please note that file extensions (e.g., txt, jpg, pdf) must be in lower case. See the File Type Restriction page for further information.

• Workflow on Upload - Allows you to define a Workflow that will be triggered whenever a file is uploaded to this field.

The ability to delete files from Multiple File fields is granted to roles using the Allow Delete on MultiFile Fields Manager Permission.

• Value Storage: Enables linking two different custom fields to the same user data. See Value Stores To page.
• Field Formatting Options: See the Field Formatting Options Wiki page....and see note on "Extra Columns" below.
  
  
• Role - Field Permissions: These settings allow you to control by Role who is allowed to view and/or modify the field.
• Status - Field Permissions: These settings allow you to control by the Status of the record whether or not the field can be viewed and/or modified. (Only present within the Universal Tracking Application)
• Type - Field Permissions: These settings allow you to control by the template of the record whether or not the field can be viewed and/or modified. (Only present within the Universal Tracking Application)

Special Field Options

Indexing Multiple and Single File Fields

The Link Multiple File Field and the Link Single File Field both support a file index feature. Using this feature provides the ability to search documents attached to the field (subject to the user having permission to access the field).

File Types Supported

• When you add a document to this file you must make sure that the document can be indexed for searching. The following types of documents are supported: Microsoft Word and Excel, Adobe PDF, HTML and RTF files.

Ensuring that PDF Files are searchable

• If using PDF you must ensure that the files are text-searchable. You can test for this functionality by opening the file with Adobe Acrobat Reader and ensuring that the Select Text tool can be used to select text from the file.

Indexing after uploading

• The indexing function takes place when the file is first uploaded so if you decide to index a file file after the file is uploaded you must re-index the field. Use the following steps to index the field:

1. Locate and edit the Custom Field.
2. Click the File Index check box.
3. Click the Save button.
4. Click the File Index tab.
5. Click the option button Re-index all files in this field now!
6. Click the Save button.

Disabling a File Index

• If you wish to disable the File Index function and no longer make attached files searchable use the following steps:

1. Locate and edit the Custom Field.
2. De-select the File Index check box.
3. Click the Save button.
4. Click the File Index tab.
5. Click the option button Remove index from all files in this field now!
6. Click the Save button.

PDF Document Options

Allow Merging (PDF files only)

• If you are using a Multiple File field to store PDF documents then you can enable a Merge button:
• When editing a record with a Multiple File field that has "Allow Merging" enabled, the Merge files button will be present:

• Clicking the Merge files button will allow you to select which PDF documents that are already stored in the field you wish to merge into a single PDF document, as well as the sequence in which they are merged.
• The resultant document will also be stored in the Multiple File field. The original documents will not be changed.
• This feature will provide for easier printing of "sets" of documents.
• The resultant file cannot have a space in the file name.

Note about Merging: Any PDF files that have the Content Copying or Content Copying or Extraction 
security restriction in place cannot be merged. 
* The settings can be viewed by opening the PDF and clicking 
      File > Document Properties > Security (steps may vary depending on the version of your PDF reader)
See also: Display Additional File Attributes for PDF Documents

Display Additional File Attributes (PDF files only)

• This feature allows you to display extra information (also called Meta Data) extracted from each PDF into the list view of the files stored in this field.
• This is done using the Extra Columns section:

• Please see Display Additional File Attributes for PDF Documents for details.

Notes

• Use of the Multiple Files... button requires the use of a Java Applet that will be automatically installed on your PC. If the user’s computer does not allow installation or execution of Java applets then the Single file upload should be used.
• Commas in the file names of uploaded files will be replaced automatically with underscore characters ("_"). This is to prevent errors with JavaScript execution.

Variables

The following extensions can be used with Multiple File fields:

• .file: displays the list of files in a table format with hyperlinks to the files.
• .numOfpages: the total number of pages in all PDF files stored in the field
• .numoffiles: the number of files in the field
• .uploadlink: the URL that can be used to upload a file to the field.
• .value: the filenames of the files separated by pipes (|) with file identifiers
• .files: the URL/path to each of the files separated by pipes (|).

HTML 5 Upload feature

A new HTML 5 format for the file upload feature on multiple file fields has been implemented as of May 2013. The new uploader obviates the need for a Java applet plug-in; end users are no longer required to install anything in order to upload multiple files. Note that HTML 5 is available on the following browsers:

• • Internet Explorer download: version 10.0 and higher
    
  • Firefox download
    
  • Chrome download
    

Any user that is not using one of these browsers will continue to use the file upload applet, which will require installing the Java applet plug-in.

See Also

• What is the Spool Folder Setting in the Global Settings?
• Indexing Multiple and Single File Fields
• Category:PDF
• Validating File Attributes
• Custom Field Type: Link – Single File