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Question

Upload multiple files to Quickbase

  • January 5, 2019
  • 0 replies
  • 59 views

Problem: I need to upload 5,000 pdfs into a Document table. 

I have done some research and found a couple options. 

#1) Using a third-party product. 
     - This would be ideal but I do not have the budget to invest in purchasing a product. 
#2) Using API_FileUpload 
     - I could write a script to automate the upload process, but I will be uploading multiple tables a day. I don't know if I can incur that many API calls  
#3) Using the browsers api. 
    - I have read that the new FETCH api can be used to upload files onto Quickbase without using an API call. Does anyone have and leads or resources to learn how to do this? 

Is there a way to solve this problem that is free and does not incur massive amounts of API calls? or am I asking for the impossible? 


Thank you ,
Paul
    This topic has been closed for replies.

    Just FYI, when they say that there is a daily limit on API calls, its not really a daily limit.  It is a monthly limit of the daily limit times ~30.
    • anomDiebolt
    • Quickbase Alumni
    • January 5, 2019
    You need to use the FormData and Fetch APIs and POST to the native action ?a=FinishEditRecord with the hidden parameter subact set to "save". This pastie does a more complicated task of copying a file attachment between tables without an intermediate download but does use the APIs that are needed to perform your task:

    How To Copy File Attachments  Between Tables Without Download?
    https://haversineconsulting.quickbase.com/db/bgcwm2m4g?a=dr&rid=574

    I would advise you that the technical aspects of scripting the upload is not really the most difficult part. You have to assess administrative and workflow issues such as these:
    • file storage and cost
    • upload time, rate limiting and QuickBase quotas
    • associating a particular file with an existing record
    • associating metadata (author, document date & version, notes) with the uploaded file
    • file name uniqueness, primary key selection
    • archiving and restoration of files
    Let's say your files are photos taken in the field of say a house inspection. In addition to uploading the photos you have to associate the metadata for such things as the date and location the photos were taken at and annotations for what the photos represents (kitchen, master bedroom etc).

    If your files are pdf or Word documents there may also be meta data associated with the author, date, version, instructions for using and filling out the document. 


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