File Component

Before using the File component, please review our Working With Files in Unqork article to better understand expectations and limitations when working with files.

Overview

The File component lets your end-user End-users, also known as Express Users, are the individuals accessing an application through Express View. In most cases, end-users are the customers using the product. upload files, like supporting documents or scanned images. This component adds an easy-to-use file uploader element to your applications so end-users can drag and drop files into the component area or use a browse function to select a file to upload.

Here are some scenarios when you'd use a File component:

A mortgage application where the end-user needs to upload financial documents.
A job application where the end-user uploads their resume.

Once uploaded, files store in a data object An object is a type of data structure that represents a single, self-contained entity that acts as a container for the characteristics of that entity.. The data object contains the following:

The file data is represented as a cloud storage URL A URL (uniform resource locator) is a unique identifier used to locate a resource on the internet. Also known as a web address. (submitted as Base64 Base64 is an encoding and decoding technique used to convert binary data to an ASCII (American Standard for Information Interchange) text format. or binary).
The file type.
The file name.
The file size.

Uploaded files become available to view, download, or delete as needed. How end-users access the file is intentionally dependent on the end-user’s OS OS (operating system) is the program that manages other application programs on your computer.:

Desktop (Mac/Windows/Linux): The file opens in the desktop’s native file browser.
Mobile (iOS/Android): Mobile devices typically allow the end-user to open the file using their photo library, file app, or camera app.

You'll find the File component in the Data & Event Processing group to the left of the Module Builder.

About the Configuration Window

To learn more about general component settings and those that display when a component is associated with Data Models, view our General Component Settings article.

Display Panel

Field Text

Setting	Description
Label Text	Label Text conveys what the input component is and what information it displays. Enter the purpose of the corresponding component or field. User-friendly labels make your module more accessible. Keep labels short and descriptive (a word or two) using title case. For longer entries, use sentence case.

Setting

Description

Label Text

Label Text conveys what the input component is and what information it displays. Enter the purpose of the corresponding component or field.

User-friendly labels make your module more accessible. Keep labels short and descriptive (a word or two) using title case. For longer entries, use sentence case.

Contextual Help

Setting	Description
Tooltip	A short hint that displays when an end-user positions their cursor over the (Tooltip) icon. Tooltips can display across more than one line.

Default State Options

Setting	Description
Disable User Input	When set to (ON), end-users cannot interact with or edit the Express View's input field or element. When end-users hover over the field, their cursor changes to alert them to the status change. By default, the Disable User Input toggle is set to (OFF).
Hide Component	Shows or hides the component from view. Setting the Hide Component toggle to (ON) hides the component in Express View. Setting the toggle back to OFF unhides the component. By default, the Hide Component toggle is set to (OFF).

Setting

Description

Disable User Input

When set to (ON), end-users cannot interact with or edit the Express View's input field or element. When end-users hover over the field, their cursor changes to alert them to the status change.

By default, the Disable User Input toggle is set to (OFF).

Hide Component

Shows or hides the component from view. Setting the Hide Component toggle to (ON) hides the component in Express View. Setting the toggle back to OFF unhides the component.

By default, the Hide Component toggle is set to (OFF).

Formatting

Setting	Description
Allow Multiple Files Selection	When set to (ON), the end-user can select multiple files when browsing for files to upload. By default, this toggle is set to (OFF).
Display Thumbnail Images of Icons	When set to (ON), uploaded image files render a preview. When set to (OFF), uploaded files display as text with a file icon. This setting only works when the Parse Files on Upload and Store Data in Database settings are set to (ON). Doing so ensures the component renders the Base64 encoded string of the file. By default, this toggle is set to (OFF).
Drop Zone Label Text	Text that guides the end-user to upload a file. The text displays inside the boundaries of the drag and drop area. By default, the text is Drag & drop your files here, or. The Browse Files Link Text immediately follows this text.
Starting Upload Message	Feedback text that displays when a file begins to upload. By default, the text displays Starting upload.
Browse Files Link Text	The label text for the link allows end-users to browse their computer for files. By default, the link text shows as browse.
Drag & Drop Not Supported Message	Text that displays when an end-user's browser doesn't support drag and drop. By default, the text shows as File Drag/Drop is not supported for this browser.
Header for File Name Column	The header label for the column lists the individual file names. By default, the header is File.
Header for File Size Column	The header label for the column listing the file sizes. By default, the header is Size.

Data Panel

Data Storage

Setting	Description
Store Data in Database	The Store Data in Database setting affects how data persists through your application. When set to (ON), Unqork stores values entered into the field to the database (server-side submission). This occurs in three scenarios: Navigating between Panels in a Navigation component. On navigation between pages (Panels), the component’s value saves to the database. Triggering a module save event using a Button component with an Action Type of Save. Navigating between screens of a workflow. On navigation between screens, the component’s value saves to the database. By default, workflows persist data from all fields in the client-side submission when navigating between screens. However, only values from fields with Store Data in Database enabled store in the server-side submission. Set the toggle to (OFF) when you don’t want to store the values from this field in the database. When using a Plug-In to remote execute a module, ensure data moving between modules is persistent. You can optionally enable Store Data in Database for components in the source module. But any components in the API module whose values are included in an API response must have Store Data in Database enabled. When a component’s data is not persistent, the data isn't included in an API call's response. So, Plug-Ins or external services requesting data from the API module can't receive non-persistent data in the response. To learn more about Store Data in Database in the context of API modules, see the panelResponse Panel section of the API Specification Snippet article in our In-Product Help. Store Data in Database also affects what data is tracked using Unqork’s built-in tracker. When the Enable Tracker and Track Value toggles are set to (ON) in Module Settings, only values from fields with Store Data in Database enabled are tracked. By default, this setting is (ON).

Setting

Description

Store Data in Database

The Store Data in Database setting affects how data persists through your application. When set to (ON), Unqork stores values entered into the field to the database (server-side submission). This occurs in three scenarios:

Navigating between Panels in a Navigation component. On navigation between pages (Panels), the component’s value saves to the database.
Triggering a module save event using a Button component with an Action Type of Save.
Navigating between screens of a workflow. On navigation between screens, the component’s value saves to the database.

By default, workflows persist data from all fields in the client-side submission when navigating between screens. However, only values from fields with Store Data in Database enabled store in the server-side submission.

Set the toggle to (OFF) when you don’t want to store the values from this field in the database.

When using a Plug-In to remote execute a module, ensure data moving between modules is persistent. You can optionally enable Store Data in Database for components in the source module. But any components in the API module whose values are included in an API response must have Store Data in Database enabled. When a component’s data is not persistent, the data isn't included in an API call's response. So, Plug-Ins or external services requesting data from the API module can't receive non-persistent data in the response. To learn more about Store Data in Database in the context of API modules, see the panelResponse Panel section of the API Specification Snippet article in our In-Product Help.

Store Data in Database also affects what data is tracked using Unqork’s built-in tracker. When the Enable Tracker and Track Value toggles are set to (ON) in Module Settings, only values from fields with Store Data in Database enabled are tracked.

By default, this setting is (ON).

Actions Panel

Triggers

Setting	Description
Post Upload	Enter the Property ID of a component you'd like to trigger after the file uploads.

Validation Panel

User Input

Setting	Description
Required	When set to (ON), the end-user must enter a value in the component's visible fields. Set the toggle to (OFF) when an entry is optional. By default, the Required toggle is set to (OFF).
Required Error Message	A custom error message that displays below a required field. The error message displays when the end-user tries to save or submit the module without completing the required field.

Setting

Description

Required

When set to (ON), the end-user must enter a value in the component's visible fields. Set the toggle to (OFF) when an entry is optional.

By default, the Required toggle is set to (OFF).

Required Error Message

A custom error message that displays below a required field. The error message displays when the end-user tries to save or submit the module without completing the required field.

Advanced Panel

Additional Data Options

Setting

Description

Compress .jpg and .png Files

When set to (ON), uploaded images compress. This setting only supports .jpg and .png image formats.

By default, this toggle is set to (ON).

Parse Excel Files with Multiple Tabs

When set to (ON), all tabs of an uploaded multi-tab Excel file parse into a single JSON structure.

By default, this toggle is set to (OFF).

Parse Files on Upload

When set to (ON), the file’s data object updates to a cloud storage link, resolving the base64 string. When set to (OFF), the file’s data object is a reference, with the file stored in the cloud the moment the submission is created.

For this setting to function correctly, the Store Data in Database setting must be set to (ON).

By default, this toggle is set to (ON).

Additional Validation Options

Setting	Description
Set Maximum Size	Validation that limits the size of each file an end-user can upload. It might take longer to upload larger files depending on the browser and network connection. This value must be equal to or less than your use case's file size limit. These thresholds are 18 MB, 100 MB, and 500 MB. To learn more about file size limitations, see our Working With Files in Unqork article.
File Size Helper Text	A quick tip explaining the file size limits of your File component.
File Size Error Message	Custom error message that displays below uploaded files that exceed the maximum size.

Setting

Description

Set Maximum Size

Validation that limits the size of each file an end-user can upload. It might take longer to upload larger files depending on the browser and network connection.

This value must be equal to or less than your use case's file size limit. These thresholds are 18 MB, 100 MB, and 500 MB. To learn more about file size limitations, see our Working With Files in Unqork article.

File Size Helper Text

A quick tip explaining the file size limits of your File component.

File Size Error Message

Custom error message that displays below uploaded files that exceed the maximum size.

Additional Styling

Setting	Description
Custom CSS Class	Enter a Custom CSS Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language used for presenting how a HTML or XML document looks to end-users. Class to apply to your component. Custom CSS lets you maintain a consistent look and feel when the field or element is part of a template or multiple modules. Updated CSS styling applies to all components that reference this custom class name.

Setting

Description

Custom CSS Class

Enter a Custom CSS Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language used for presenting how a HTML or XML document looks to end-users. Class to apply to your component. Custom CSS lets you maintain a consistent look and feel when the field or element is part of a template or multiple modules.

Updated CSS styling applies to all components that reference this custom class name.

Accepted File Formats

Setting	Description
Set File Formats to Accept	Sets the file types accepted by this component. To allow the upload of any file type, simply set the field value to *. To limit file types, list the approved file types adding a comma between each value (for example, .jpg,.png,.gif).

Adding a File Component

Let's create a basic File component configuration that prompts the end-user to upload a PDF version of their resume.

In the Module Builder, drag and drop a File component onto the canvas.

In the Property ID A Property ID is the unique field ID used by Unqork to track and link components in your module. field, enter fileResume.

In the Label Text Label Text conveys what the input component is and what information it displays. Enter the purpose of the corresponding component or field. field, enter Submit Your Resume.

Navigate to the component's Validation settings.

Set Required to (ON).

Navigate to the component's Advanced settings.

In the Set File Formats to Accept field, enter .pdf.

By entering .pdf in this field, the component only accepts PDF files from the end-user.

Click Save Component.

Save your module.

Preview the module in Express View Express View is how your end-user views your application. Express View also lets you preview your applications to test your configuration and view the styling. This is also the view your end-users will see when interacting with your application. After configuring a module, click Preview in the Module Builder to interact with the module in Express View. to view the following functionality:

Data Structure of a File Component

The File component's data stores in submission data Also known as Record Data. Submission data consists of information saved by Unqork components. View submission data by using the angular command, or in Record Collections. as an array of objects. In the example below, the fileResume File component displays the uploaded content in a table. Opening an object in the array displays a set of key/value pairs containing information about the file.

Here's how the File component looks in Express View Express View is how your end-user views your application. Express View also lets you preview your applications to test your configuration and view the styling. This is also the view your end-users will see when interacting with your application. After configuring a module, click Preview in the Module Builder to interact with the module in Express View.:

Here's how the same File component looks in the DevTools Console The DevTools Console helps you securely store, build, test, and deploy your software.:

Resources

Before using the File component, please review our Working With Files in Unqork article to better understand expectations and limitations when working with files.

Overview

Here are some scenarios when you'd use a File component:

A mortgage application where the end-user needs to upload financial documents.
A job application where the end-user uploads their resume.

Once uploaded, files store in a data object Includes the Short Answer component, Long Answer component, Select Boxes, Radio component, Dropdown, Number component and Single Checkbox.. The data object contains the following:

The file data is represented as a cloud storage URL A URL (uniform resource locator) is a unique identifier used to locate a resource on the internet. Also known as a web address. (submitted as Base64 Base64 is an encoding and decoding technique used to convert binary data to an ASCII (American Standard for Information Interchange) text format. or binary).
The file type.
The file name.
The file size.

Desktop (Mac/Windows/Linux): The file opens in the desktop’s native file browser.
Mobile (iOS/Android): Mobile devices typically allow the end-user to open the file using their photo library, file app, or camera app.

You'll find the File component in the Data & Event Processing group to the left of the Module Builder.

About the Configuration Window

To learn more about general component settings and those that display when a component is associated with Data Models, view our General Component Settings article.

Display Panel

Field Text

Setting	Description
Label Text	Label Text conveys what the input component is and what information it displays. Enter the purpose of the corresponding component or field. User-friendly labels make your module more accessible. Keep labels short and descriptive (a word or two) using title case. For longer entries, use sentence case.

Setting

Description

Label Text

Label Text conveys what the input component is and what information it displays. Enter the purpose of the corresponding component or field.

User-friendly labels make your module more accessible. Keep labels short and descriptive (a word or two) using title case. For longer entries, use sentence case.

Default State Options

Setting	Description
Disable User Input	When set to (ON), end-users cannot interact with or edit the Express View's input field or element. When end-users hover over the field, their cursor changes to alert them to the status change. By default, the Disable User Input toggle is set to (OFF).
Hide Component	Shows or hides the component from view. Setting the Hide Component toggle to (ON) hides the component in Express View. Setting the toggle back to OFF unhides the component. By default, the Hide Component toggle is set to (OFF).

Setting

Description

Disable User Input

When set to (ON), end-users cannot interact with or edit the Express View's input field or element. When end-users hover over the field, their cursor changes to alert them to the status change.

By default, the Disable User Input toggle is set to (OFF).

Hide Component

Shows or hides the component from view. Setting the Hide Component toggle to (ON) hides the component in Express View. Setting the toggle back to OFF unhides the component.

By default, the Hide Component toggle is set to (OFF).

Contextual Help

Setting	Description
Tooltip	A short hint that displays when an end-user positions their cursor over the (Tooltip) icon. Tooltips can display across more than one line.

Formatting

Setting	Description
Allow Multiple Files Selection	When set to (ON), the end-user can select multiple files when browsing for files to upload. By default, this toggle is set to (OFF).
Display Thumbnail Images of Icons	When set to (ON), uploaded image files render a preview. When set to (OFF), uploaded files display as text with a file icon. This setting only works when the Parse Files on Upload and Store Data in Database settings are set to (ON). Doing so ensures the component renders the Base64 encoded string of the file. By default, this toggle is set to (OFF).
Drop Zone Label Text	Text that guides the end-user to upload a file. The text displays inside the boundaries of the drag and drop area. By default, the text is Drag & drop your files here, or. The Browse Files Link Text immediately follows this text.
Starting Upload Message	Feedback text that displays when a file begins to upload. By default, the text displays Starting upload.
Browse Files Link Text	The label text for the link allows end-users to browse their computer for files. By default, the link text shows as browse.
Drag & Drop Not Supported Message	Text that displays when an end-user's browser doesn't support drag and drop. By default, the text shows as File Drag/Drop is not supported for this browser.
Header for File Name Column	The header label for the column lists the individual file names. By default, the header is File.
Header for File Size Column	The header label for the column listing the file sizes. By default, the header is Size.

Data Panel

Setting	Description
Store Data in Database	The Store Data in Database setting affects how data persists through your application. When set to (ON), Unqork stores values entered into the field to the database (server-side submission). This occurs in three scenarios: Navigating between Panels in a Navigation component. On navigation between pages (Panels), the component’s value saves to the database. Triggering a module save event using a Button component with an Action Type of Save. Navigating between screens of a workflow. On navigation between screens, the component’s value saves to the database. By default, workflows persist data from all fields in the client-side submission when navigating between screens. However, only values from fields with Store Data in Database enabled store in the server-side submission. Set the toggle to (OFF) when you don’t want to store the values from this field in the database. When using a Plug-In to remote execute a module, ensure data moving between modules is persistent. You can optionally enable Store Data in Database for components in the source module. But any components in the API module whose values are included in an API response must have Store Data in Database enabled. When a component’s data is not persistent, the data isn't included in an API call's response. So, Plug-Ins or external services requesting data from the API module can't receive non-persistent data in the response. To learn more about Store Data in Database in the context of API modules, see the panelResponse Panel section of the API Specification Snippet article in our In-Product Help. Store Data in Database also affects what data is tracked using Unqork’s built-in tracker. When the Enable Tracker and Track Value toggles are set to (ON) in Module Settings, only values from fields with Store Data in Database enabled are tracked. By default, this setting is (ON).

Setting

Description

Store Data in Database

Navigating between Panels in a Navigation component. On navigation between pages (Panels), the component’s value saves to the database.
Triggering a module save event using a Button component with an Action Type of Save.
Navigating between screens of a workflow. On navigation between screens, the component’s value saves to the database.

Set the toggle to (OFF) when you don’t want to store the values from this field in the database.

By default, this setting is (ON).

Actions Panel

Triggers

Setting	Description
Post Upload	Enter the Property ID of a component you'd like to trigger after the file uploads.

Validation Panel

Setting	Description
Required	When set to (ON), the end-user must enter a value in the component's visible fields. Set the toggle to (OFF) when an entry is optional. By default, the Required toggle is set to (OFF).
Required Error Message	A custom error message that displays below a required field. The error message displays when the end-user tries to save or submit the module without completing the required field.

Setting

Description

Required

When set to (ON), the end-user must enter a value in the component's visible fields. Set the toggle to (OFF) when an entry is optional.

By default, the Required toggle is set to (OFF).

Required Error Message

A custom error message that displays below a required field. The error message displays when the end-user tries to save or submit the module without completing the required field.

Advanced Panel

Additional Data Options

Setting	Description
Compress .jpg and .png Files	When set to (ON), uploaded images compress. This setting only supports .jpg and .png image formats. By default, this toggle is set to (ON).
Parse Excel Files with Multiple Tabs	When set to (ON), all tabs of an uploaded multi-tab Excel file parse into a single JSON structure. By default, this toggle is set to (OFF).
Parse Files on Upload	When set to (ON), the file’s data object updates to a cloud storage link, resolving the base64 string. When set to (OFF), the file’s data object is a reference, with the file stored in the cloud the moment the submission is created. For this setting to function correctly, the Store Data in Database setting must be set to (ON). By default, this toggle is set to (ON).
Parse Files Raw	This setting displays when Parse Files On Upload is set to (ON). Set to (ON) to disable auto date formatting on upload. This prevents This setting only applies to the following file formats: .csv, .ods, .xls, .xlsx, .xlsm, .xlsb.

Additional Styling

Setting	Description
Custom CSS Class	Enter a Custom CSS Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language used for presenting how a HTML or XML document looks to end-users. Class to apply to your component. Custom CSS lets you maintain a consistent look and feel when the field or element is part of a template or multiple modules. Updated CSS styling applies to all components that reference this custom class name.

Setting

Description

Custom CSS Class

Updated CSS styling applies to all components that reference this custom class name.

Additional Validation Options

Setting	Description
Set Maximum Size	Validation that limits the size of each file an end-user can upload. It might take longer to upload larger files depending on the browser and network connection. This value must be equal to or less than your use case's file size limit. These thresholds are 18 MB, 100 MB, and 500 MB. To learn more about file size limitations, see our Working With Files in Unqork article.
File Size Helper Text	A quick tip explaining the file size limits of your File component.
File Size Error Message	Custom error message that displays below uploaded files that exceed the maximum size.

Setting

Description

Set Maximum Size

Validation that limits the size of each file an end-user can upload. It might take longer to upload larger files depending on the browser and network connection.

File Size Helper Text

A quick tip explaining the file size limits of your File component.

File Size Error Message

Custom error message that displays below uploaded files that exceed the maximum size.

Accepted File Formats

Setting	Description
Set File Formats to Accept	Sets the file types accepted by this component. To allow the upload of any file type, simply set the field value to *. To limit file types, list the approved file types adding a comma between each value (for example, .jpg,.png,.gif).