Attachments: File Maintenance

MYOB Advanced provides additional capabilities for managing file attachments. By using the File Maintenance (SM202510) form, you can control access to a file attachment and maintain multiple versions of a file (if needed); also, if you are considering deleting a file, you can review the links the file has to system entities before you delete the file.

On the Search in Files (SM202520) form, you can search for an uploaded file to link it to a record or search for files without any links, which you may opt to delete.

On the File Upload Preferences (SM202550) form, you can define the types and sizes for files that may be uploaded.

Access to Files

You use the Inherit Access Rights from Entities check box on the Access Rights tab of the File Maintenance (SM202510) form to control how the system calculates access to a file. By default, the check box is selected and the system calculates access rights to a file attachment by combining the access rights a user has to a form or a wiki article (which was used when a file was uploaded) and to the entities linked to the file. For example, suppose that a file was uploaded by using the Sales Orders (SO301000) form and then linked to a purchase order on the Purchase Orders (PO301000) form. In this case, users will have access to the file if they have access to at least one of these forms.

If you clear the Inherit Access Rights from Entities check box on the File Maintenance form for a file, then users will have access to the file only if they have access to the form specified for the file in the Primary Screen or Primary Page box on the Access Rights tab of the form.

Also, you can make the file available to all users by selecting the Is Public check box on the Access Rights tab of the File Maintenance form.

To make the file unavailable to users accessing the system from outside, such as through file transfer protocol (FTP), you select the Is Hidden check box in the Summary area of the form.

Version Maintenance

If you need to make modifications to an uploaded file and attach the modified version but keep its previous version, you can upload an unlimited number of versions for the file by clicking Upload New Version on the form toolbar of the File Maintenance (SM202510) form. For each new version of the file, you should provide a comment to inform users about modifications to it. This will help users find the file and file version they need.

The system displays the list of available file versions on the Versions tab of the form. You can download and review any version by selecting the corresponding table row and clicking View Selected Version on the table toolbar of the tab. To download the latest version of the file, you click Get Latest Version on the form toolbar. You can delete an unnecessary version of a file by clicking the row of the version and then clicking Delete Row on the table toolbar.

You can make the file unavailable for editing to other users while you are updating it by clicking Check Out on the form toolbar. When you are ready with the modifications, you click Upload New Version on the form toolbar and select the Check In check box in the File Upload dialog box to make the file available for editing to other users. Alternatively, you can click Undo Check Out on the form toolbar to release the file without uploading a new version.

File Deletion

To delete a file, you open it on the File Maintenance (SM202510) form and click Delete on the form toolbar. The system deletes the file itself, as well as links to the entities and wiki articles (if any) to which it was linked.

Starting in 2021 R1, if you delete an entity (record) with any attached files, the system removes the attached files and all their versions along with the entity they were attached to if there are no other links for these files in the system. If an attachment to the deleted entity has links to other entities in the system, then the system deletes only the link to the entity that is to be deleted.

For example, suppose that the ABC.png file was uploaded and attached to a sales order by using the Sales Orders (SO301000) form, and the same file was then linked to a purchase order. The system displays both entities the file is linked to on the Entities tab of the File Maintenance (SM202510) form.

Further suppose that a user deletes the sales order. The system deletes the link to the sales order for the ABC.png file, but keeps the file in the system because it is linked to the purchase order. If a user deletes the purchase order, then the system deletes the link for the file, verifies that the file has no other links on the Entities tab, and then deletes the file from the database.

In MYOB Advanced versions earlier than 2021 R1, when an entity was deleted or some of its details were deleted, the entity’s attached files remained in the database, taking up space. To find these files, in version 2021 R1 or later, you select the Show Unassigned Files check box on the Selection area of the Search in Files (SM202520) form, and the system displays the list of files without links in the table below. For each file you want to delete, you select the file and click Delete File on the table toolbar. Alternatively, you can click a file name to navigate to the File Maintenance (SM202510) form, where you can review the file details and then delete it, if needed.

File Type and Size Preferences

In MYOB Advanced, you can allow or deny the importing of specific file types (by their extensions) and set a maximum size for imported files. You use the File Upload Preferences (SM202550) form to view and edit the file types and sizes that users may import to the site.