Exporting Attachments

     



         PeopleSoft provides the File Attachment API for storing, retrieving, and viewing file attachments. These API functions comprise the recommended method for working with attachments. If you want to process an attachment, use the GetAttachment function to move that attachment into a file so you can access it from your app server. The ViewAttachment function, on the other hand, will send a copy of an attachment to a client browser. The ViewAttachment function is the only method provided by the Attachment API that allows a user to view the contents of an attachment. What if you want more control over the way PeopleSoft displays attachments? For example, let's say you use the File Attachment API to allow selected users to upload audio files (news, recorded training sessions, etc) and you have another page that allows other users to listen to those recordings. Should the "view" page display a "View Attachment" link or should it play the selected clip as embedded audio?

       If you store attachments in the database using a RECORD:// style URL, then you can extract those attachments using PeopleCode. Here is an IScript that demonstrates this:

Function IScript_GetAttachment()
   Local any &data;
   Local string &file_name = "attachment.doc";   
   Local SQL &cursor = CreateSQL("SELECT FILE_DATA FROM PS_EO_PE_MENU_FILE WHERE ATTACHSYSFILENAME = :1 ORDER BY FILE_SEQ", &file_name);

   REM Set the following header if you want a download prompt. Don't set it if you want inline content;
   %Response.SetHeader("content-disposition", "attachment;filename=" | &file_name);

   While &cursor.Fetch(&data);
      %Response.WriteBinary(&data);
   End-While;
End-Function;

This method allows you to embed audio/video, provide user configurable background images, display inline PDF files, etc.