File control

Use this control to enable users to launch a File Open dialog box and upload or download files.

Search for	Example	Results
A single word	`cat`	Topics that contain the word "cat". You will also find its grammatical variations, such as "cats".
A phrase. You can specify that the search results contain a specific phrase.	`"cat food"` (quotation marks)	Topics that contain the literal phrase "cat food" and all its grammatical variations. Without the quotation marks, the query is equivalent to specifying an OR operator, which finds topics with one of the individual words instead of the phrase.

Search for	Operator	Example
Two or more words in the same topic	`AND` `and` `+` (plus symbol) `&` (ampersand)	`cat AND dog` `"cat food"+milk` `"cat food"&"dog food"`
Either word in a topic	`OR` `or` `\|` (pipe)	`cat OR dog` `cat \| dog`
Topics that do not contain a specific word or phrase	`NOT` `not` `!` (exclamation point)	`NOT cat` `! dog`
Topics that contain one string and do not contain another	`^` (caret)	`cat ^ mouse`
A combination of search types	`( )` parentheses	`cat + (dog \| mouse)` `cat \| dog + (! mouse)`

To place a file on a form, click File and then click the form.
Be sure to put the name of the database field or variable that you want to associate with this control into the Input property.

Property	Usage
Name	Specify a unique identifier for the object on the screen. (Optional) This name is used by external applications, such as RAD, to dynamically change the properties of the object.
X	Specify the object’s horizontal position based on the left edge of the object.
Y	Specify the object’s vertical position based on the top edge of the object.
Width	Specify the width of the object in alignment grid units.
Height	Specify the height of the object in alignment grid units.
Visible	Select this option to make the object visible on the form. Clear the check box to hide the object from view on the form.
Visible Condition	Specify an expression to override the Visible property when that expression evaluates to true.
Input	Specify the database field or variable to associate with this control.
Accessible Name	Specify a component name for use with accessibility software. (Optional) Note: This function is only supported by the Web client. If no name is present, the Web client defaults to looking for a nearby label to use for the name of the component. For buttons, check boxes, or radio buttons, it uses the component’s text. Accessibility software can query the Web client to get this information and use it to present data to the user in a variety of ways. For example, speech simulation software says the name and the type of component when the component has focus.
Accessible Description	Specify a component description for use with accessibility software. (Optional) Note: This function is only supported by the Web client. If no description is present, the Web client defaults to looking for a nearby label to use for the name of the component. For buttons, check boxes, or radio buttons, the Web client will use the component’s text. Accessibility software can query the Web client to get this information, and use it to present it to the user in a variety of ways. For example, when a component gets focus, speech simulation software will say the name and the type of component, based on the settings in the Accessible Name and Accessible Description fields.
Tab Stop	Specify the tab sort order for this field. By default, the TAB key navigates the focus on a form from top to bottom and left to right. Objects that have a non-zero Tab Stop are visited first, in ascending order. For a button, file, radio button or check box, you will almost always use the default of 0.
Mandatory	Select this option so that a red asterisk indicating a required field is displayed. This is a visible change only. - To make the field mandatory for any form it appears on, use the System Definition Utility. - To make the field mandatory for a small number of forms only, use Format Control.
Mandatory Condition	Specify an expression to override the Mandatory property when that expression evaluates to true.
Transfer direction	Specify whether you want the user to be able to download or upload the file. The default is download. Note: If you do not have the transfer direction set properly, the user will get an error message and will not be able to upload/download the file. For example, if pressing the Specify File button gets the following error message, "File not found. Please verify the correct file name was given.", you may need to change the transfer direction from upload to download.
File Directory	Specify the absolute path to a directory. For example, c:/temp. If no directory is specified, the Service Manager RUN directory defaults.
File Type	Specify the MIME–type of the file the File Open dialog prompts for. For example, `.txt` for text files. If no MIME type is specified, the default is `All Files (.)`.
Title	Specify the name of the file you want to transfer.

Property

Usage

Name

Specify a unique identifier for the object on the screen. (Optional)

This name is used by external applications, such as RAD, to dynamically change the properties of the object.

Specify the object’s horizontal position based on the left edge of the object.

Specify the object’s vertical position based on the top edge of the object.

Width

Specify the width of the object in alignment grid units.

Height

Specify the height of the object in alignment grid units.

Visible

Select this option to make the object visible on the form. Clear the check box to hide the object from view on the form.

Visible Condition

Specify an expression to override the Visible property when that expression evaluates to true.

Input

Specify the database field or variable to associate with this control.

Accessible Name

Specify a component name for use with accessibility software. (Optional)

Note: This function is only supported by the Web client.

If no name is present, the Web client defaults to looking for a nearby label to use for the name of the component. For buttons, check boxes, or radio buttons, it uses the component’s text. Accessibility software can query the Web client to get this information and use it to present data to the user in a variety of ways. For example, speech simulation software says the name and the type of component when the component has focus.

Accessible Description

Specify a component description for use with accessibility software. (Optional)

Note: This function is only supported by the Web client.

If no description is present, the Web client defaults to looking for a nearby label to use for the name of the component. For buttons, check boxes, or radio buttons, the Web client will use the component’s text. Accessibility software can query the Web client to get this information, and use it to present it to the user in a variety of ways. For example, when a component gets focus, speech simulation software will say the name and the type of component, based on the settings in the Accessible Name and Accessible Description fields.

Tab Stop

Specify the tab sort order for this field. By default, the TAB key navigates the focus on a form from top to bottom and left to right. Objects that have a non-zero Tab Stop are visited first, in ascending order. For a button, file, radio button or check box, you will almost always use the default of 0.

Mandatory

Select this option so that a red asterisk indicating a required field is displayed. This is a visible change only.
- To make the field mandatory for any form it appears on, use the System Definition Utility.
- To make the field mandatory for a small number of forms only, use Format Control.

Mandatory Condition

Specify an expression to override the Mandatory property when that expression evaluates to true.

Transfer direction

Specify whether you want the user to be able to download or upload the file. The default is download.
Note: If you do not have the transfer direction set properly, the user will get an error message and will not be able to upload/download the file. For example, if pressing the Specify File button gets the following error message, "File not found. Please verify the correct file name was given.", you may need to change the transfer direction from upload to download.

File Directory

Specify the absolute path to a directory. For example, c:/temp. If no directory is specified, the Service Manager RUN directory defaults.

File Type

Specify the MIME–type of the file the File Open dialog prompts for. For example, .txt for text files. If no MIME type is specified, the default is All Files (*.*).

Title

Specify the name of the file you want to transfer.

Related concepts