Hi @Aslam. ,

Binary Data stores raw file content as bytes, whereas File is a higher-level managed data type that stores the file content along with its name and content type. Since an entity can have at most one Binary Data attribute, the File data type is a better choice when you need to attach and manage documents or other files to a record.

Thanks & Regards,
Sudip

Hi @Aslam.

Binary Data represents only the raw binary content of a file. The File data type offers a higher-level approach by managing the file content along with related information such as the file name and MIME/content type. This is particularly useful when a record needs to maintain multiple file attachments instead of relying on a single Binary Data attribute.

Example: An employee onboarding record could contain multiple files, such as an ID document, signed form, and certificate.

Hi Alsam,

Thanks for your question.

The File data type is part of Managed File Storage, a new ODC feature that will be generally available in less than a week. Some customers have been testing it in a Beta program, which is why you may already see the data type in ODC Studio before the documentation is published.

Managed File Storage lets you store files outside the database, in managed cloud storage, with files of up to 2 GB. That removes the current limit of about 28 MB for the Binary Data type.

To clarify a few points mentioned earlier in this thread:

• File doesn’t store the file content in the database. The content is kept in managed cloud storage, and the File attribute holds a reference to it, along with metadata such as the MIME type and the size.
• File doesn’t keep the original file name. If you need it, store it in a separate Text attribute.
• An entity isn’t limited to one Binary Data attribute. You can have several Binary Data attributes, or several File attributes, in the same entity. Each attribute holds one file.
• For a variable number of files per record, such as an employee’s onboarding documents, use a child entity (for example, EmployeeDocument) with one File attribute per record.

The main reasons to choose File over Binary Data are larger files (up to 2 GB), faster queries because the content isn’t in the database, and built-in support in the Upload, Download and Image widgets. Binary Data keeps working as before, and is still a good fit for small files such as icons and settings.

The full documentation will be published at GA.

Best regards,