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Attachments

Most of the primary record detail pages in Historion include an Attachments tab and the ability to add, classify, open and delete attachments associated with a given database record, as needed. In some contexts, Historion may refer to Attachments as attachments, files or documents interchangeably. The process of attaching a file fully imports the file into the Historion database, not a stored path or link.

When a file is imported Historion converts the selected file into a byte array and this is stored in the Historion database documents table as a blob object for later retrieval.

The effect from the user perspective is the permanent retention of an imported file supporting and in the context of the applicable record, it is available and is backed up with the Historion database.

                                                                             Attachments

Databases, run by IT Departments, like the Historion SQL database, have some limitations including maximum storage restrictions, as their servers have a finite quantity of hard disk space available. This means it is necessary to impose some limitations on file sizes. The default limit is 50 MB for all files.

There is also a need to impose a restriction on which file types can be added, as some files types are unsuitable for importing into a database and loading from a database page, such as executable files.

File sizes, by type and the types of files that can be imported into Historion can be changed by making adjustments to the Historion File Types table as described under Appendix 4 – File Types Table.

Adding Attachments

Attachments can be added via the Add Attachments button available in the Attachments tab of the applicable record type at hand. A paper clip icon is used to represent the file inclusion concept Users will find a familiar concept from various email systems.

Add Attachment icon

The outcome of adding an Attachment in Historion is very similar to attaching a file to an email except that the file is stored in a database in the context of a database record. Selecting the Add button displays the new File Metadata (classification and information) page with the file browse dialogue;

                                                                       File System dialogue {Open] to select the attachment file

Navigate to and select the required file then [Open] from the file system browse dialogue as shown.

Next the File Meta data page details can be completed.

Attachment Meta data

Any attachment stored in Historion can optionally have additional meta data (classifying and contextual fields describing the document) saved in its details page. The metadata fields are described below;

Attachment Title

The Attachment Title is free text and will accept whatever the User types into the field. The title defaults to the selected file name, for convenience. Taking the time to enter logical titles that describe files in enough detail to convey their purpose and basic content will make specific files easier to locate if manually scanning through the All Files list. Organisations may want to implement titling standards.

Attachment Type

The Attachment Type drop down list selection is required for all Attachments. The Attachment Type allows sorting attachments by type in the All Files list and in the various database record Attachments tabs. The Attachment Type drop down list can be customised in the Admin | Settings | Lookups tab.

Attachment Notes

The Attachment Notes field provides for qualitative free text for whatever additional information needs to be included for the file. Logical, helpful text in this field may save time in the future where it is not necessary to open the file when the Notes and other meta data sufficiently explain the file’s content.

Attachment Meta data Elements

The Meta data Elements provide a highly flexible system of classifying files with whatever taxonomy the organisation requires. Meta data Elements are available for adding to an Attachment details record once the Attachment has been saved, after the file has been selected and Title and Type recorded.

Meta data Elements consist of a Meta data Type Attribute and a Meta data Value. Meta data Elements are recorded as rows in the Meta data list (using the Add button beneath the list) for an Attachment, as shown below, with each row having a paired set of Meta data Attribute Type and Meta data Value. The number of Meta data Elements that can be added to an Attachment record is theoretically unlimited.

The Meta data Attribute Type selection represents a category the Data Element Value is intended to be recorded against. The Meta data Value is the data to be stored in any new Meta data Row. When adding a new Meta data Element the Meta data Element dialogue is displayed;

                                          Delete Metadata Row              Add Meta data Row        Metadata Element Dialogue

Please note the following salient points relative to Attachment Metadata Elements

Metadata Elements can be deleted by first selecting the Element’s row then clicking the Del button and responding to the delete confirmation prompt in the affirmative.

To change a Metadata Element’s value delete the existing row, as above and add it again.

The list of Metadata Types can be adjusted by an IT Department or Historion Support by creation of an SQL insert script that populates the tblRefDocumentAttributeType table with new types using ValueType = 1 for Text values and ValueType = 2 for Date only values.

Licence Files Comparison

Licence Files imported into Historion are stored in the Licence table separately and are managed by the User differently. Licence files are the same type of binary object in the Historion database but they have different metadata values and associated record information that is subject to expiry and different rules to the Attachment record files.

Futures: Value Validation, Disposition, Element Search, Data Type, and Document Type Default Sets.

Deleting Attachments

Attachments are deleted by selecting the row for the Attachment record in the applicable Attachments tab then selecting the Delete button;

                                                                                  Confirm Delete             Selected Attachment Record

Select [Yes] to confirm the delete process.

Note the full record including any Attachment Metadata recorded and the imported file are deleted. This does not mean the original external file outside of Historion is deleted, only the imported copy.

 Note: When deleting an Attachment record the imported file is also deleted from Historion!

Opening Attachments

Opening an Attachment refers to opening, or launching, the stored file with the Attachment record in its native application which Windows recognizes through the file’s designated file extension.

Opening an Attachment file requires selecting the View link for the Attachment Metadata details page then clicking the Open button as shown below. Historion will then retrieve the File’s byte array from the Historion database, re-assemble the file for launching and instruct Windows to launch the file in the same way it would be launched if the file was double-clicked in Windows File Explorer.

Open (launch) File Button

The behaviour described above, of retrieving and presenting the file back to Windows for launching in the file system can create technical entanglements with anti-virus utilities if program files are imported. This is one of the reasons program files (.exe executable files) are not imported as Attachments.

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