File Upload
A data component, the File Upload component allows end users to upload and associate files as fields within a record, or remove uploaded files. In some cases, files can be listed in a table, allowing users to click and preview the file; or, a File Upload component can allow users to add an image, such as for a user profile.
Using the File Upload Component
After adding a File Upload component to the page, set the File Properties. End users can upload files by clicking the Upload button and browsing for the file, or files can be dragged and dropped into the upload area.
The File Upload component can be adapted to many uses. The key to its versatility: how you set the Parent Model and File Storage Locations. For example:
- With the Parent Model set as None, choose a connection and (when permitted) the file storage location. Files will then be uploaded into the specified location in the connection.
- Specifics about using the File Upload component with Google Drive and uploading files.
Using with the Salesforce connector
The File Upload component has specific properties and options when used with a model on a Salesforce connector.
Let end users add images with File Upload
While the Image component is an obvious choice when adding images to a page, it doesn't allow end users to add or edit the image at runtime. The Salesforce connector provides File Upload properties that allow users add/edit/remove an image on a page—for example, add a profile photo on a user detail page.
Set the File storage location to In field on record, and Display as to File preview/image. Then, select a reference field where the uploaded image will be stored (depending upon the object, you may want to create a new field in Salesforce for this purpose). Users will see an upload box with a default image (also set in the properties pane). They can click this to add their photo; once the image is present, they can delete it or replace it with another.
Properties
Component properties
General Tab
Additional options
Additional options open up, depending on the connection/object selected. These include:
-
Auto-refresh related models on successful upload: If checked, when the file uploads, Nintex Apps will automatically identify models that are displaying data and requery.
Important: Any unsaved changes on that model will be lost.
- Parent folder ID: The ID of the folder where the file will be uploaded. ( Google Drive )
- Snippet to run on completion (optional): Name of a Javascript snippet to run on completion of the upload.
If a Salesforce object is selected for the parent model
Salesforce objects have several File storage location choices that may not be available when using other connectors; when chosen, these File storage locations cause Nintex Apps to display other properties.
-
In attachment to record: The file will be uploaded as an attachment to the record, stored in the Attachment object, and linked to the Parent ID of the record in context.
Need to see the list of attachments that have been uploaded? Create a model on the Attachments object, and add a table see all attachments listed.
Note: Not recommended for use with Lightning Experience. See Using File Upload with Lightning Experience for more information.
- Custom owner ID field: The field that you want to be the "owner ID" of that attachment. By default, whoever is uploading the attachment "owns" it. Select the object's Owner ID for this field, and when you upload a file to an account owned by someone else, that Owner will automatically be designated attachment owner.
-
In Chatter Feed item: The file will be uploaded to the user's associated Chatter Feed and added to the Chatter field for the object associated with the model.
- Feed text: The text that will accompany the attachment in the Chatter posts.
-
In field on record: The file will be uploaded to an image field on a record.
- Allow editing: If checked, an edit icon appears on the file preview allowing end users to replace the file with another.
- Allow removal: If checked, a delete icon appears on the file preview allowing end users to remove the file.
-
In content document (with record context): The file will be uploaded to and stored in the Content Document object, with a link to the ID of the record
in context
as the value of the Linked Entity ID field—allowing the file to be properly associated with that record. This allows users to view the list of uploaded documents in the Content Document object, and search for objects by record ID.
Note:
Context is typically provided by using the File Upload component within
a row's drawer. If a parent model is specified, but no row-level context is provided—as is common on detail pages—
the first row within the parent model
is used to provide context.
Note:
To view files uploaded to the ContentDocumentobject, you'll need a
Nintex Apps
model for the ContentDocumentLink object. This is the likely scenario for files uploaded through the File Upload component using the File Storage Location property set to the In Content Document (with Record Context) value.
A
Nintex Apps
model query on the ContentDocumentobject does not return the expected results due to the specialized configuration of the object.
To view ContentDocument object files in a data component (such as Table or Deck), it's necessary to have a model on the ContentDocumentLinkobject with, at minimum, the ContentDocument ID reference field and the Linked Entity IDreference field.
- File description: Short descriptive text for uploaded files.
- Auto-refresh related models on successful upload: If checked, when the file uploads, Nintex Apps will automatically identify models that are displaying data and requery.
Important: Any unsaved changes on that model will be lost.
If None is selected for the parent model on a Salesforce connector
- File storage location:
- In Chatter files: The file will be uploaded to, and stored in, the Chatter object.
- In content document: The file will be uploaded to, and stored in, the Content object without an associated record.
- In static resources: The file will be uploaded to Static Resources
Advanced tab
- Enforce max file size: If checked, allows the builder to limit the size of the uploaded file.
- Max file size: The size limit for uploaded file (in gigabytes, megabytes, kilobytes or bytes).
On-Upload actions tab
- On-upload success actions:
- Click add Add action.
- Click the new the created action, then edit:
- Action Type: Use action flows to launch actions that run if the file uploads successfully.
- On-upload failure actions:
- Click add Add action.
- Click the new the created action, then edit:
- Action Type: Use action flows to launch actions that run if the file fails to upload.
Styles tab
-
Style variant: Style variants are created and set in the Design System Studio. Some components have pre-defined variants for a specific aspect of a component's style. Nintex Apps builders can style and customize elements to create their own themes within the DSS. These themes will dynamically populate as selectable values in the Style variant drop-down menu.
-
Margins: Sets a component's margin (the space around it) relative to other components on the page.
- To set margins for all sides, click
All. - To set margins for each side individually, click
Separate.
Margin values can be set to any configured spacing variable for the page's design system. Margin cannot be set an arbitrary value; it must use a design system variable.
Troubleshooting
You can only attach a file to an existing record.
If attempting to attach a file to a new record that has not yet been saved to the database, the upload will fail. You must first save the record before attaching a file to the record.
Note: This behavior may require workarounds to create records and then upload files to them with the File Upload component, particularly with the Wizard component.