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 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. The data object contains the following:

The file data is represented as a cloud storage URL (submitted as Base64 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:

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, Disable User Input 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, Disable User Input 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.

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. 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. When set to (OFF), the input is optional. By default, Required 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. When set to (OFF), the input is optional.

By default, Required 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).

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 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 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 by 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 field, enter fileResume.

In the Label Text 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 to view the following functionality:

Data Structure of a File Component

The File component's data stores in submission data 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: