The attachment form cell is usually part of the create or editing work flow, located at the end of the form. All the attached files should be associated with a certain business object.

In general, users can only add/delete attachments in edit mode. After the changes have been saved, users can view the attached files in view mode, but can’t make any changes. This prevents users from accidentally making changes to attachments. It can also be used to give role-based access, as some users may not be allowed to edit.

Anatomy

Basic Anatomy

A. Header

The header is at the top of the attachment form cell and includes a label, a counter, and an icon or a text button.

B. Attachment Cells

The attachment cells display the attached files. Each item represents one attachment. Attachments can be displayed in a list or a multi-row grid view.

C. Footer (Optional)

The optional footer includes a “See All (n)” button, where n stands for the total number of items in the list. It should be placed below the attachment cells when the number of displayed items is set to a limited number.

Edit Mode

In edit mode, the attachment form cell consists of an attachment header and list of attached files.

Attachment Header

A. Text Label

The text label indicates the name of a section. Use “Attachments” as the default label. The label can be customized based on context. For example, in the process of creating an expense report, the attachment section can be labeled as “Receipts”.

B. Counter

The counter shows the number of attachments.

C. “Add” Button

The “Add” button triggers the workflow of adding an attachment when users tap on it.

Attachment List

The attachment list shows the basic information of each attached item. Each list item consists of:

A. Thumbnail

The thumbnail provides a preview image of the attached file when available; otherwise, display the icon for that file type.

B. File Name

A text string displays the file name with file type extension. The file name can wrap to two lines. If the name is longer than the allocated space, truncate it in the middle to keep the file type visible.

C. File Information (Optional)

The subheading can be used to display additional information, such as file size or description.

D. Attribute (Optional)

The attribute can be used to display short bits of information, such as a timestamp or file size.

E. “Delete” Icon

The “Delete” icon deletes the item immediately when it is tapped.

View Mode

In view mode, attachments can be displayed in list view or grid view.

Attachment Header

The attachment header in view mode has the same structure as in edit mode, except replacing the “Add” button with view switcher icons.

A. Text Label

The text label indicates the name of this section. Use “Attachments” as the default label. The label can be customized based on context. For example, in the process of creating an expense report, the attachment section can be labeled as “Receipts”.

B. Counter

The counter shows the number of attachments.

C. “View Switcher” Icon

The “View Switcher” icon allows users to switch between the two type of views. Use the “Grid View” icon when attachments are displayed in list view. Use the “List View” icon when attachments are displayed in grid view.

List View

In list view, each attached file is displayed as an object cell with:

A. Thumbnail

The thumbnail provides a preview image of the attached file when available; otherwise, display the icon for that file type.

B. File Name

A text string displays file name with file type extension. The file name can wrap to two lines. If the name is longer than the allocated space, we recommend truncating it in the middle to keep the file type visible. The full file name can be retrieved by tapping on the attachment cell that opens the file viewer or a detailed view depending on the app or user device.

C. File Information (Optional)

The subheading can be used to display additional information such as file size or description.

D. Attribute (Optional)

The attribute can be used to display short bits of information such as a timestamp or file size.

Grid View

In grid view, each attached file is displayed as an image cell:

A. Container

The attachment container defines the size and boundary of each cell and is scaling based on the screen size. All attachment items have the same width and height within an attachment form cell.

B. Thumbnail

Provides a preview image of the attached file when available; otherwise, display the icon for that file type.

C. File Name

The file name helps users identify the file. A text string displays the file name with file type extension. The file name can wrap to two lines, then truncates. The full file name can be retrieved by tapping on the attachment cell that opens the file viewer or a detailed view depending on the app or user device.

D. File Information (Optional)

The subheading can be used to display additional information such as file size or description. One line is allocated for the file information, after which the text truncates.

E. Attribute (Optional)

The attribute can be used to display short bits of information such as a timestamp or file size.

Behavior and Interaction

To add an attachment, users have to tap on the “Add” button.

On compact screens, this triggers a bottom sheet, listing out all the possible ways to add a file supported by this app.

On medium and expanded screens, a menu is used instead of bottom sheet.

Users select from the menu based on the location or type of file they want to add. The file selection process is powered by Android system’s default features. From here, users would be led to other apps, such as the camera app if they select “Take Photo”. The details of this process might differ based on device brand and system version.

After users confirm their selection, they are led back to the page where the add action was triggered. The newly added item is shown at the bottom of the list, and the number of attachments is updated.

The number of attachments that a user is allowed to upload can be limited. When reaching the upload limit, the “Add” button becomes disabled. We recommend displaying a message in the section header so that the user is aware of the limit.

Each cell has two touch targets: the “Delete” button, and outside the delete button. Users can directly delete one item by tapping the “Delete” button. To avoid accidental deletion of files, we recommend displaying an immediate confirmation dialog or snackbar after a user taps on the “Delete” button with an option to undo the action.

Users can view the file by tapping outside the “Delete” button. The preview of the file is not handled inside the SAP Fiori app. It is handled by the Android system. Apps that support this file type would be launched to view the file.

Should a user not have permissions to delete a file, the “Delete” icon can be disabled. In this case, we recommend letting users know why the delete functionality is not available.

When users have finished adding files and save the changes, the attachment section or the whole page switches to view mode. In general, there is a “Save” button for all objects in the edit/create workflow. In cases where the object is editable by default and changes are autosaved, the attachment component stays in editing mode all the time.

Based on the floorplan used in the app, the attachment list expands full-width within the content area.

Attachments are displayed in list view by default, users can use the grid view icon to switch to grid view. In certain contexts, the majority of attached files has preview images, such as attached photos, so consider making grid view the default view. No matter what the default view or what view the user is currently looking at, it becomes a list in edit mode.

Resources

Development: AttachmentFormCell

SAP Fiori for iOS: Attachments