Uploading/Downloading Documents in Network with Authenticated User with Permissions Check

• Download source code - 2.2 KB

Introduction

When we create a project, we mostly don't think about document management, and initially, we start inserting documents into the database. After some years, the size of the database increases day by day, then we need a solution to reduce the size of the database.

This article will help to do such an activity in an ongoing web application project.

Background

We need a Helper to some activity:

1. ConnectToSharedFolder in network with authentication and permissions
2. We have CreateDirectoryPathIfNot if not available in case of new type of functional documents
3. MigrateFileToRootDirectory from database to physical location
4. DownloadFile from network location

Using the Code

Our helper is FileHelper:

public class FileHelper

FileFor is an enumeration which will help to idenify for which functional activity these documents will take place.

public enum FileFor
    {
        PurchaseRequisition,
        SalesOrder,
        PurchaseOrder,
        JournalVouchers,
        Contracts,
        Invoice,
        CustomerDocuments,
        VendorDocuments,
    }

ConnectToSharedFolder class will help us to communicate with network location.

public class ConnectToSharedFolder

tmpUpload is File Control, or you can have any object which will provide you HttpPostedFile, to save a new file for SalesOrder, for file reference, this will return filepathToUpload, we will save this location database table.

In TemperoryStorageForFiles, we can hold multiple Files.

if (tmpUpload.HasFile)
   {
       var helper = new FileHelper(FileFor.SalesOrder);
       helper.AddFile(tmpUpload.PostedFile);
       var lastRecordIndex = helper.TemperoryStorageForFiles.Count;
       var obj = helper.TemperoryStorageForFiles[lastRecordIndex - 1];
       var filepathToUpload = obj.FilePath;
       helper.SaveFile();
   }

We have a simple database table:

• rowid is primary key
• filename is your document File name
• uploadedDoc is File data in binary format
• FileLocation is for referencing filepathToUpload

select rowid,filename,uploadedDoc,FileLocation from tbl_doc

Logic for migrating existing records to Physical File Location, MigrateFileToRootDirectory function will help to do this activity. With this, we migrate 10 records as a bunch.

var data =
      string.Format(@"select top 10 rowid,filename,
                    uploadedDoc from tbl_doc where isnull(FileLocation,'')=''")
            .ExecuteDataTable();
foreach (DataRow dr in data.Rows)
{
    var rowid= dr["rowid"].ToString();
    var filename= dr["filename"].ToString();
    var document = (byte[]) dr["uploadedDoc"];
    var filepathToUpload = FileHelper.MigrateFileToRootDirectory
                           (FileFor.SalesOrder, filename, document);
    string.Format(@"update tbl_doc set FileLocation='{0}', 
                  uploadedDoc = NULL where rowid='{1}'", filepathToUpload, rowid)
    .ExecuteNonQuery();
}

To download a file:

var data =
    string.Format(@"select filename,FileLocation from tbl_doc where rowid=1")
          .ExecuteDataTable();
if(data!=null && data.Rows.Count>0)
{
    var filename = data.Rows[0]["filename"].ToString();
    var fileurl = data.Rows[0]["FileLocation"].ToString();
    FileHelper.DownloadFile(filename, fileurl);
}

Need some configuration parameter:

private string RootFilePath = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["FileStorageLocation"];

private readonly NetworkCredential Credentials = 
                 new NetworkCredential(@"UserName", "Password");

Encrypted file uploaded structure:

Database Document column becomes empty and file location is updated:

Points of Interest

After this activity is complete, document table size reduces and all documents are safely moved to physical location [this location is in network or any shared folder in network.]

History

• 25^th October, 2022: Version 1.0.0.1