Files

Cloudomation offers several options for working with files and file systems. This article describes the file handling functionality available to you on the Cloudomation platform.

Use Cases

You can use Cloudomation file functionality to

retreive files from a remote system and store them in Cloudomation
transfer files from Cloudomation to remote systems
send files as attachments of emails
use files as templates for mails or messages

Concept

You can store binary content as files in Cloudomation. Files can be accessed using the flow API. Several connectors directly read or write Cloudomation files.

User Interface

The User Interface allows to upload and download files. Text files can be edited directly in the User Interface.

Upload files

Click the "+ Create" button in the left hand menu and select "Upload file".

Buttons to upload files
In the dialog choose one or several files and confirm.
The upload progress is shown in the top bar.
The upload progress bar
Clicking on a file in the upload progress panel will open the file in the User Interface.

Download files

Click the "Download" button next to any file.

The download button

Flow API

The flow API provides methods to read and write file content as bytes, base64 string, or decoded as utf-8 string.

Example

Create, write, read, list, and delete files

import flow_api
def handler(system: flow_api.System, this: flow_api.Execution):
    # store a text (utf8 string)
    system.file('my-file.txt').save_text_content('text content')
    # read as base64
    assert system.file('my-file.txt').get_base64_content() == 'dGV4dCBjb250ZW50'
    # store bytes data
    system.file('my-file.dat').save_bytes_content(b'bytes data \xc3\xa4\xc3\xb6\xc3\xbc')
    # read as text (utf8 string)
    assert system.file('my-file.dat').get_text_content() == 'bytes data äöü'
    # store a base64 encoded string
    system.file('my-file.ext').save_base64_content('Q2xvdWRvbWF0aW9u')
    # read as bytes
    assert system.file('my-file.ext').get_bytes_content() == b'Cloudomation'
    # list files
    for file_ in system.files():
        this.log(file_.get('name', 'size_bytes'))
    # clean up
    system.file('my-file.txt').delete()
    system.file('my-file.dat').delete()
    system.file('my-file.ext').delete()
    return this.success('all done')

Connectors accessing files

SCP

The SCP connector allows to copy files using the SCP protocol.

Example

Read and write a file using the SCP connector.

import flow_api
def handler(system: flow_api.System, this: flow_api.Execution):
    # copy a file from a remote SCP host to Cloudomation
    this.connect(
        'my-web-server',
        src='/var/log/apache2/access.log',
        dst='cloudomation:apache-access.log',
    )
    # access the file content
    content = system.file('apache-access.log').get_text_content()
    # copy a file from Cloudomation to a remote SCP host
    this.connect(
        'my-web-server',
        src='cloudomation:index.html',
        dst='/var/www/html/index.html',
    )
    return this.success('all done')

SMB

The SMB connector allows to copy files using the SMB protocol.

Example

Read and write a file using the SMB connector.

import flow_api
def handler(system: flow_api.System, this: flow_api.Execution):
    # copy a file from a fileshare to Cloudomation
    this.connect(
        'my-windows-host',
        src='share-name\\path\\to\\report.xlsx',
        dst='cloudomation:report.xlsx',
    )
    # copy a file from Cloudomation to a fileshare
    this.connect(
        'my-windows-host',
        src='cloudomation:processing.log',
        dst='report-share\\processing.log',
    )
    return this.success('all done')

GIT

The GIT connector allows to fetch files from a repository and store them in Cloudomation

Example

Fetch files from git and store them in Cloudomation

import flow_api
def handler(system: flow_api.System, this: flow_api.Execution):
    this.task(
        'GIT',
        command='get',
        repository_url='https://github.com/starflows/library/',
        ref='develop',
        files_path='files-from-library'
    )
    # list files which were fetched
    for file_ in system.files(
            filter_={
                'field': 'name',
                'op': 'like',
                'value': 'files-from-library/%',
            },
    ):
        this.log(file_.get('name', 'size_bytes'))
        # clean up
        file_.delete()
    return this.success('all done')

IMAP

The IMAP connector can store email attachments in Cloudomation

Example

Fetch an email and store the attachments in Cloudomation

import datetime
import flow_api
def handler(system: flow_api.System, this: flow_api.Execution):
    # search for todays messages with "report" in the subject line
    today = datetime.date.today().strftime('%d-%b-%Y')
    message_ids = this.connect(
        'my-imap-server',
        name='search for mails',
        command='search',
        folder='INBOX',
        criteria=[
            'SUBJECT', 'report',
            'SINCE', today,
        ],
    ).get('output_value')['result']
    messages = this.connect(
        'my-imap-server',
        name='fetch mails',
        command='fetch',
        message_set=message_ids,
        # attachments are stored as `{message-id}-{attachment-file-name}`
        store_attachments=True,
    ).get('output_value')['result']
    # list all attachments which were fetched
    for message_id in message_ids:
        for file_ in system.files(
                filter_={
                    'field': 'name',
                    'op': 'like',
                    'value': f'{message_id}-%',
                },
        ):
            this.log(f'attachment of message {message_id}: {file_.get("name")})
    return this.success('all done')

SMTP

The SMTP connector allows to send mails with attachments from Cloudomation files.

Example

Send a mail with attachment

import flow_api
def handler(system: flow_api.System, this: flow_api.Execution):
    this.connect(
        'my-smtp-server',
        from='no-reply@example.com',
        to='user@example.com',
        subject='monthly report',
        text='the monthly processing report is attached',
        attachments=[
            # attach files from the Cloudomation files resource
            'cloudomation:report.csv',
            'cloudomation:report.sig',
            # attach files from an URL
            'https://cloudomation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1-1.jpg'
        ],
    )
    return this.success('all done')

REST

The REST connector allows to make multipart POST requests with file parts from Cloudomation.

Example

Make a multipart POST request containing a file from Cloudomation

import flow_api
def handler(system: flow_api.System, this: flow_api.Execution):
    this.task(
        'REST',
        url='https://httpbin.org/post',
        method='POST',
        multipart={
            'parts': [
                {
                    'name': 'string-field',
                    'value': 'spam & eggs',
                },
                {
                    'name': 'file',
                    'file': 'report.txt',
                },
            ],
        },
    )
    return this.success('all done')

Learn more

Git Integration

Tasks reference

Knowledge Base — Previous

Executions

Next — Knowledge Base

Flows