Defining file attachments

Use the Table Specification window to define file attachments. You can extract files that are referenced within or associated with a row of extracted data and include the files with the extracted data. You can attach multiple files to each row in a table.

The files are attached to the extracted data by three columns that are identified by a specific prefix:
  • prefix_FILE_NAME (a VARCHAR2 column that includes the file name
  • prefix_BLOB (a BLOB column that includes the file data)
  • prefix_ATTRIB (a BLOB column that includes file attribute information)
Files are identified by the following criteria:
  • A file name format, which must include the name of a column with data that forms part of a file name. Only CHAR, VARCHAR, NCHAR, and NVARCHAR columns are valid. The name is generated by concatenating values from the column data and specified literals.
  • A path to search for files that match the file name format.
  • The process selects the first file that matches the criteria.
For example, if the file name format includes the CUSTOMER_ID column and the extension .txt, the process attaches the first file named 123.txt in the search path for a row with the value 123 in the column.

To define file attachments:

  1. Expand a folder in the Directory Explorer that contains the access definition, expand the Access Definitions node, and double-click the access definition. The Access Definition Editor opens.
  2. Select the Tables tab.
  3. Select the table for the selection criteria.
  4. Click Add Selection Criteria. The Table Specification window opens.
  5. Select the File Attachments tab.
  6. Define criteria for the file attachments:
    1. Specify a Column Prefix for the columns to contain the attached files. Each prefix must be unique to the table.
    2. Select a Trigger Column with data to form the file name. You can also specify the trigger column within the File Name Parts.
    3. Specify processing options for the row such as whether to delete the file or continue processing if a file is not found for a row.
    4. Specify one or more File Search Paths to search for the file. Separate each path with a semicolon. You can choose to use the Default file search paths instead.
    5. Specify the File Name Parts to form the file name. Enter each literal or column name in order on a separate row, enclosing literals in quotation marks and selecting column names.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Save the access definition.


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