File Management

Administrators have comprehensive control over the file management system, including storages, folders, file types, and validation rules.

Storages

This is the location where the file is stored. Each file can have only one Storage, while many files and folders can be stored in the same Storage. By default, only Local (Linux) Storage is available to the user. Other types are available after installing paid modules. For example, MS SharePoint Storage is provided with the Microsoft 365 Connection module. The Base Storage exists in the system by default. All newly created folders and files are placed in it if no other Storage is specified. Files and folders cannot be moved from one Storage to another after creation.

The Storage contains the following fields:

• Name - the name of the Storage
• Active - to be able to work with a Storage, it must be active. If the it is inactive, you can not add a new folder or file to it. Files that were added before deactivation will not be deleted and will remain attached to the product, but will not be available for downloading or viewing.
• Type - the type of the Storage.
• Mounted Folder - the root folder of the Storage. All folders and files that need to be located in this Storage should be created inside this folder (or its child records).
• Path - the actual path on the server where the files will be stored. The path of two Storages cannot be the same. But one Storage path can be included in another.
• Maintain file and folder structure - a checkbox that allows you to synchronize the structure of the Storage in PIM with the structure on the server. If the checkbox is activated, all folders and files will be stored on the server in the same path as specified in the pim. The value of the checkbox cannot be changed after the Storage is created.

The Storage page also contains panels with files and folders. The folder specified as Mounted Folder is present in the folder panel by default.

Folder Management

You can create a new folder from a Storage or from the Folder entity itself. To do this, go to the Administration > Folders and click the Create Folder button. You will see a window for creating a new folder containing the following fields:

• Name - the name of the Folder
• Code - the code of the Folder
• Parent - a link to the parent Folder. Specify here the root folder or another folder of the Storage if you want to create a folder inside it
• Folder Path - the folder tree that forms the path to this Folder. The field will be filled in automatically after saving the changes
• Description - description of the Folder

File Types

An administrator can manage file types in Administration/File Types menu.

All Files in PIM can be divided into types. And you can create variants of these types and validation rules for them yourself. The type field is optional. One File can have only one type. By default, the following types are added to PIM: Presentation, Graphics, Archive, Video, Audio, Icon, Image, Spreadsheet, Document and File. You can create new types, change the validation rules or priority for existing types, or delete them.

To create a new file type, go to Administration > File Types and click the Create File Type button

• Name - the name of the File Type
• Assign automatically - select this checkbox if you want the File Type to be assigned automatically if it meets the validation rules
• Priority - this field determines the order in which the File Type is assigned. If a File meets several validation rules, the one with the highest priority will be assigned automatically.

To add validation rules to a type, click the + button in the corresponding panel. Select the validation type and set the necessary parameters.

Assign automatically

If "Assign automatically" checkbox is checked, the system will check automatically, if a newly uploaded files can receive this file type automatically, provided the validation rules for this file are complied with.

Setting Allowed File Types

You can specify the valid file types for fields (including the fields of type link multiple) and attributes of the File type. If you do so, the user will only be able to upload certain file types to the required field or attribute.

To set the allowed file types, go to the Administration / Entities, select the desired entity, and click Fields -> files

If the field value is not specified, you can link any file type to the record.