Get Attachment Filename So It Can Be Added To Email

[iRadiate]

Does anyone have any suggestions for getting a filename then using that filename as the attachment for an email? I have not been having any joy with this.

I have a UX component that has a button to upload a file. Works great.
When this UX component is submitted to the database, server side action scripting sends an email. This works great.

So, now I would like to get the name of that file just uploaded and attach it to the email.
My thought was to upload the file, then get the filename from the File Upload/Download component, then set this filename to a field called Attachment.
On submit of the UX I could use the placeholder {Attachment} in the send email attachments property.
I tried using the javascript function {dialog.Object}.setValueFrom('ATTACHMENT','FILEUPLOAD_2'); to get the filename but this doesn't seem to work for some reason.
Also tried using {FILEUPLOAD_2} as a placeholder but this didn't work either.

Does this approach make sense? I can't figure this out.

P.S. I asked Alpha for a video example of how to send an attachment using the FILEUPLOAD field but was just told it was trivial. But no video tutorial offered.

[Clipper87]

Re: Get Attachment Filename So It Can Be Added To Email

Stephen,

File Upload User Defined should do the trick but you have to be aware of the following (from the help in the after upload xbasic function):

'If you want to send any Javascript back to the browser to execute after this event has completed, you can set this property:
'e.javascript
'EXTREMELY IMPORTANT - The Javascript that is sent back to the browser is executed in the context of the IFrame that contains the File Select window.
'Therefore, in order for the Javascript you send back to invoke methods of the Dialog object, you must prefix all methods with 'window.parent'.
'For example: window.parent.{dialog.object}.setValue('CONTROL1','VALUE1');

Also see this: fu.png

[iRadiate]

Re: Get Attachment Filename So It Can Be Added To Email

Thanks for the suggestions Frank. I still can't make this work.

The workflow is straight forward enough.
1. Click button to invoke file upload with File Upload Action Javascript event
2. After upload completes, use event property Client-Side Events | After Upload to run javascript to get the filename
3. Run this javascript window.parent.{dialog.Object}.setValueFrom('ATTACHMENT','FILEUPLOAD_2'); to get filename and set Attachment field to this value

1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg

The file upload actually doesn't complete, the script hangs like this:

4.jpg

I've played around with numerous variations on this theme but it doesn't work. I've even tried using xbasic but can't get that to work either.

Is it even possible to extract the value of the File Upload/Download component? Has anyone done this?

[Clipper87]

Re: Get Attachment Filename So It Can Be Added To Email

Steven,

You are using the wrong action js genie; use "file upload user defined"

[iRadiate]

Re: Get Attachment Filename So It Can Be Added To Email

The trouble is that the "user defined" action javascript is for UX components that are not data-bound.
In my case, the component is data-bound so that I can access and open the file from a grid after it has been uploaded.

[Clipper87]

Re: Get Attachment Filename So It Can Be Added To Email

Well why don't you then just write some xbasic code in the "after upload" event to save the file in a blob field in your sql table, the file upload action js may be somewhat more easy but saving a file into a blob field is a trivial something as well.

[iRadiate]

Re: Get Attachment Filename So It Can Be Added To Email

Well, I spent all day Sunday trying to make it work in xbasic with the server-side after upload property in the js genie and basically got nowhere.
You say it's trivial. Selwyn says it's trivial. Boy, I must really be missing something then. Appreciate the suggestions Frank. Thanks.

[iRadiate]

Re: Get Attachment Filename So It Can Be Added To Email

Frank,

Okay, I FINALLY figured this out and have it working !! It turns out to be something really simple but I never saw it until I reviewed Selwyn's AA File Image Upload Tutorial video once again and it jumped out at me.

In the File Upload genie, I had the control to store filename property set to the file upload component called FILEUPLOAD_2. I was trying to extract the filename from the upload component which is completely the wrong approach and over complicates things enormously.

The control to store filename should have been set to Attachment which is a character field on my UX component.
Attachment.jpg

Now when the file upload completes, the file location is written to the Attachment field and when I send the email I can use the {Attachment} placeholder to send the attachment. It works!

You would not believe the amount of time I have wasted looking for a complicated solution to this silly mistake.

[CharlesParker]

Re: Get Attachment Filename So It Can Be Added To Email

Thanks for sharing Stephen! I was reading this waiting for your solution. I want to be able to set the name of the attachment to one of my choosing - not the filename

[iRadiate]

Re: Get Attachment Filename So It Can Be Added To Email

No problem Charles. Don't know how I got so twisted around on this one .. uggh.