How to Create new attachment method

Introduction

Note that this how to is developers focused. It describes how to implement a new attachment method that integrates any CMS or ECM with Openbravo.

Attachment Method window

As system administrator the new Attachment Method must be created in that window. The Search Key is used to identify the Java class implementing the method.

AttachImplementation class

The class that implements the attachment method must implement the AttachImplementation abstract class. This class defines some methods that must be implemented to have a fully functional attachment method.

The class must have a qualifier to identify it. The name must be the search key set in the Attachment Method window. It has to follow this structure: <source lang="java"> @ComponentProvider.Qualifier("CMSSearchKey")</source>.

Don't use Default qualifier as it is the one used by Core's default attachment method.

Once the implementation have been developed, the following guide could be used to configure an attachment method.

<source lang="Java">

/**
 * Public class to allow extend the functionality
 */

public abstract class AttachImplementation {

  /**
   * Abstract method to upload files
   * 
   * @param attachment
   *          The attachment created in c_file with empty metadata
   * @param strDataType
   *          DataType of the attachment
   * @param parameters
   *          A map with the metadata and its values to be updated in the corresponding file
   *          management system and in the attachment
   * @param file
   *          The file to be uploaded
   * @param strTab
   *          The tabID where the file is attached
   * @param parameterValues
   *          List of metadata saved in database
   * @throws OBException
   *           Thrown when any error occurs during the upload
   */
  public abstract void uploadFile(Attachment attachment, String strDataType,
      Map<String, Object> parameters, File file, String strTab) throws OBException;

  /**
   * Abstract method to download a single file
   * 
   * @param attachment
   *          The attachment that will be downloaded
   * @return The file being to download
   * @throws OBException
   *           Thrown when any error occurs during the download
   */
  public abstract File downloadFile(Attachment attachment) throws OBException;

  /**
   * Abstract method to delete a file
   * 
   * @param attachment
   *          The attachment that want to be removed
   * @throws OBException
   *           Thrown when any error occurs when deleting the file
   */
  public abstract void deleteFile(Attachment attachment) throws OBException;

  /**
   * Abstract method to update file's metadata
   * 
   * @param attachment
   *          The attachment to be modified
   * @param strTab
   *          The tabID where the file was attached
   * @param parameters
   *          The metadata to be modified
   * @param parameterValues
   *          List of metadata saved in database
   * @throws OBException
   *           Thrown when any error occurs when updating the file
   */
  public abstract void updateFile(Attachment attachment, String strTab,
      Map<String, Object> parameters) throws OBException;

  /**
   * This method is used to know whether the attach method is creating a temporary file in the temp
   * directory of Openbravo server when downloading a file. If it is true, the process will remove
   * the temporary file. If it s false, the process will not remove the file
   * 
   * @return true if the attachment method creates a temporary file in Openbravo server.
   */
  public abstract boolean isTempFile();

}

</source>