Managing files

Kentico allows you to upload files (such as GIF, JPG, SWF, PDF, XLS, DOC, etc.) to the Kentico database or file system and manage them as any other content.

File management approaches in Kentico

If you need to upload files to the Kentico database or file system, you need to distinguish between four types of files:

CMS.File documents

These files are uploaded by content editors as new CMS.File documents into the content tree. You will typically use this type for files that are used as part of unstructured documents, such as document links or images inserted into editable regions of pages. It is advisable to have files stored within folders (CMS.Folder document type). You can also use the File import module when uploading multiple files. The Document library module allows convenient management of CMS.File documents on the live site.

Document attachments

These files are stored as a part of a structured document and their life cycle is also bound with the document (including workflow and versioning). You can have an unlimited number of files attached to a document. You can find a detailed description of the whole concept and examples of typical usage in Attaching files to documents.

Media libraries

The Media libraries application allows you to store large amounts of files, while large file sizes are supported. The application and its typical usage is described in Media libraries.

Unmanaged files

These files are part of the website theme. They should be stored in the <web project>\app_themes\<theme>\images folder on the disk. They usually include images and Flash animations used throughout the site. These files are not managed by the system.