Document

Overview

A Document Field allows users to upload a document from an external source into a specific field within a record. Other users viewing the record can then preview or download the document.

• Field Size Limits & Timeouts
• Basic Field Configuration
• Document Field Configuration
• Backing Fields
• Future Extensions

Unlike the general Attachments area (which also supports file uploads), Document Fields provide additional properties that App Builders can reference in expressions, workflows, and reports.

Document Fields are displayed as a File Icon within a record and can be used in workflows, such as attaching the file to an automated email.

A Document Field will typically be used when the document being captured is common across all Records. this is true of our use case for this article which is to add a CV Document Upload Field in a Staff Register App.

File Size Limits and Timeouts

File Size Limit: The default Maximum file size allowed for document fields is 10Mb and is a site setting. 

Extended File Size Limit: The File Size Limit can be increased to up to 100Mb upon request - charges may apply if total file storage exceeds acceptable levels. 

Upload Timeout: There is a timeout of 15 minutes for uploading files, so if you have a slow internet connection and a large file and this 15 minute upload limit is reached then the user will receive a timeout error and the file will not be uploaded successfully.

If you would like to increase the size of the documents you can upload please contact support@softools.net with the request.

Basic Field Configuration Options

The Document Field is created in the Fields Folder in App Studio. Basic Configuration covers the generic Field configuration options that are common across all Fields such as Label and Identifier. To see more on the Basic Field Configuration Options, please click here

Document Field Configuration

There are a number of configuration options that define how the Document Field functions in the Workspace

Required

Does this Field need to have data in it before the Record can be created? If this is set and a record created where this field is left blank a Validation Error will occur preventing the Record from creating / updating.

Read Only

When a Document Field is set to Read Only, users can only preview and download the Document. It will disable the upload button and hide the delete button. If there is no preview option based on the Field type then the behaviour of the Field is to disable the modal popup and clicking on the File will trigger the download to run immediately instead.

Expressions

[DocumentFieldID] can be used as the expression to take the document from one field and show it in another, This is also supported for Parent / Child Scenarios. This can also be used in Default Value as Expression which is when you'd be likely to then find a scenario to use the Read Only property as well. 

Let's suppose we are offering a service in our Staff Register that is a 6 month CV review after hire. This is to keep LinkedIn Profiles up to date building the professional profile of Staff in our Company. When the Record is created

• The CV Field is set to Required
• We have another Field called Initial CV with default value as expression [CV] to store the CV at point of hire.
• We set Initial CV to be Read Only

This means that after 6 months, the current File in the CV Field can be compared to the CV in Initial CV to perform the review.

File Types

This option allows restriction of the file types that can be uploaded. At a high level this could be to restrict the File Type to Image or Microsoft Excel amongst others

By enabling Specific Types, the restriction can be stricter so rather than just choosing Image as the restrictin, the Field could dictate that it needs to be a .png or .jpeg file type

In our use case we may wish to restrict the Document Type to Microsoft Word so that it prevents .pdf upload which are then harder to make edits on when updating CV versions.

Include in Free Text Quick Filter

Makes the Field searchable from within a Report in order to filter down Records. When a user enters a search phrase, records will be returned if they contain the search text in the document name

NOTE: The contents of the document will not be searched.

Exclude This Field From Templated Record Copies?

If toggled, the Document in this field will be excluded from future copies of Records whenever Template Copy is selected for the copy.

Backing Fields

Document Fields automatically create additional backing fields for reference in expressions and reports:

DocumentFieldID_FileName - Name of the uploaded file (displayed in the field).

DocumentFieldID_FileType - MIME type (e.g., doc, ppt, xls)

DocumentFieldID_FileSize - Size of the file in bytes.

These backing fields can be referenced in other fields by expression, or added to reports.

Testing for the presence of a document by expression

To test whether a document is present in an expression, use the following:

• If(DocumentFieldID_FileSize] > 0, 'There IS a document', 'There IS NOT a document')

Future Extensions

We will be working on the following future extensions to this field over time:

• Allow the AppBuilder to change the filename on upload based on an expression
• Allow documents uploaded to the document field to be visible in the list of attachments