Files Block – the attachments of a record¶
The files block shows the files attached to the record and offers a place to drop new ones. Files are kept in an external storage – Azure Blob Storage or an S3 storage – and filed under an identifier, so that one record can keep several separate sets of files.
This page is part of the form block reference.
1. At a glance¶
| Purpose | Upload, list, preview, download and remove the files of a record |
| Typical use | Contracts of a customer, photos of a damage report, attachments of a ticket |
| Related | AI Assistant Block (attaching these files to a chat), API access and credentials |
The block is only offered in forms that belong to an entity.
2. Settings¶
| Setting | Meaning | Default / required |
|---|---|---|
| "Variant" | UploadArea: drop zone and the full list of files. Badges: a read-only row of small file badges. | UploadArea |
| "Identifier" | What the files are filed under, as a text expression – for example contracts |
Required. If it yields nothing, the block shows no files and takes none. |
| "Allow Upload" | Condition under which the user may add and remove files | allowed |
| "Allow Download" | Condition under which the user may open, preview and download files | allowed |
| "Hide Files" | Condition that hides the list of files and leaves only the drop zone | shown |
| "File Provider" | The storage: Azure Blob Storage or S3 Storage | Required. There is no default. |
| "Provider Credentials" | The credentials the storage is reached with – Azure Blob Storage credentials or S3 credentials, matching the provider | Required |
In addition, the block has the settings every block has, except "Flush".
3. Behaviour¶
Which files a block shows¶
The files belong to the record of the form. Two blocks with the same identifier, provider and credentials show the same files. Use a different identifier per purpose to keep contracts and photos apart.
Uploading and removing¶
- New files are dropped onto or picked in the drop zone. They are stored together with the record – until the record is saved, they are only pending, and "Discard" drops them.
- Files are removed with the button in their row. The removal also takes effect when the record is saved.
- "Allow Upload" controls both: without it there is neither a drop zone nor a remove button.
The badge variant¶
Badges shows one small badge per file with icon, name and size – for places where the attachments are a footnote of something else, below a description or a mail. It is read-only whatever "Allow Upload" says. A form that shows badges and still has to take files needs a second block with the same identifier.
Preview¶
A click on a file opens it in a preview over the application instead of downloading it. The preview header shows the size, who uploaded the file and when, and a download button.
| File | Preview |
|---|---|
Pictures (.png, .jpg, .gif, .webp, .bmp, .svg, .avif) |
The picture |
| The document | |
Text (.txt, .json, .xml, .csv, .log, .md, .yml, .html, .css, .js, .sql) |
The text; only the first 512 KB |
| Anything else | A hint and the download button |
Pictures and PDFs larger than 25 MB are not previewed; the preview offers the download instead. Without "Allow Download" there is no preview either – files are then shown as plain entries that cannot be opened.
4. Examples¶
Contracts and photos of a customer. Two files blocks on the customer form, both with the same
provider and credentials: one with "Identifier" = contracts, one with photos. Only users of
the role "Sales" may upload contracts: "Allow Upload" = a condition on the system function
CurrentUserRoleNames.
Attachments under a mail entry. In the card form of a timeline entry, a files block with "Variant" = Badges shows the attachments of the mail in one line.