Creating a Mobile Business Object from a File

Create a mobile business object from a file (images, PDF files, text files, and so on).

MBOs derived from files are different than other MBOs in several ways:

You create the MBO from a file located on the file system and not a data source defined by a connection profile.
There are no attributes or attribute mappings.
There are no parameters or relationships.
Files support only upload and download operations.

From the Mobile Application Diagram, select the File icon, then click in an empty section of the diagram The New Mobile Business Object (File) wizard launches.

Enter a name and comment that describes the mobile business object, and click Next to define the operations. Define:

Table 1. File operation properties
Operation	Description
Define download operation	Select this option and identify the document to be downloaded. Include: Source server files – enter or Browse to the local or network file system for the file. The location of a network file must be in the UNC (Uniform Naming Convention) path format. For example, \\remote\test\abc.doc. The '' wild card character is supported for the file name pattern. Note: Selecting a file from the local file system is primarily for previewing your file MBO during development and assumes the local machine also contains the runtime Afaria server. In most end-to-end scenarios where the mobile application is deployed to the Unwired Server, the file is downloaded from Afaria. Target device folder – a copy of the file is placed in the location specified by the target device folder, or Browse to the local or network file folder. For network files, the format must be in the UNC (Uniform Naming Convention) path format. For example, \\remote\test\abc.doc. The '' wild card character is supported for the file name pattern. Content type – (optional) select the type of file from the drop-down list. This setting allows the device client to open the document with appropriate application. The list of supported content types depends upon the location you select, and includes, among others, PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and various text and image files. Preview – preview the selected source file.
Define upload operation	Select this option and identify the document to be uploaded. Include: Source device files – enter the location of the device file or directory to upload. Target server folder – enter or browse to the location where the file is uploaded. Content type – select the type of file from the drop-down list. Supported content types include PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and plain text files.

(Optional) Configure role assignments for the file mobile business object.
Click Finish to create the file mobile business object.