File Storage (files)

Category: data | Form: | Symbol: Fi

Store and retrieve files in a git-backed content-addressable store

File storage backed by a per-element git content-addressable store (CAS). Upload, download, list, and delete files; every write is a commit carrying a message and content hash, and the log op returns the repository’s commit history. Provide file content as base64. Attach to action elements so they can read and write the element’s files through its ops.

Guide

Store and retrieve files via S3-compatible object storage

What It Does

Files (File Storage) is a data-storage element that holds arbitrary file content in S3-compatible object storage backed by RustFS. Any file type can be stored — content is transmitted as base64 and decoded on upload. Each Files element gets its own bucket namespace, so two Files elements never share keys.

Writes are versioned: the operation contract carries commit semantics over the object store — upload accepts a commit_message and returns a content sha, import writes multiple files in a single versioned change, and the log op returns the change history (with an optional path filter). MIME types are inferred from the file extension (jpg, png, pdf, csv, json, wasm, etc.).

Files is a data atom (a leaf with no wired ports). It is not invoked through a port graph — files move in and out through its operations (upload, download, list, delete-file, import, log). Other elements attach to a Files element rather than wiring to it: per the contract, action elements reference a Files element via uses, receiving the S3 endpoint and credentials as environment variables.

Element Definition

Property	Value
Type	files
Category	data
Form	atom
Symbol	Fi
Icon	folder / #6366F1
Workbench	workbench-files-grid

Properties

Field	Type	Required	Constraint	Description
description	string	No	maxLength 512	Human-readable description of what this file store holds

States

State	Meaning
provisioned	Initial state — store created (initial state)
active	Store is live
error	Store is in an error condition

Transitions: provisioned → active, active → provisioned, error → provisioned.

Attachments

Files accepts these modifier attachments (contract.attaches): auth-policy, rate-limit, variable. It has no contains and no uses of its own; action elements reference it via their uses.

Capabilities

Capability	Description
object-storage	Files stored in a per-element S3 bucket namespace (RustFS backend); any file type supported
base64-encoding	Binary content transmitted as base64; decoded automatically on upload
content-type-detection	MIME type inferred from file extension (jpg, png, pdf, csv, json, wasm, etc.)
version-history	Change history accessible via the log op with optional path filter
bulk-import	Multiple files written in a single versioned change via the import op
prefix-listing	Tree listing with optional path-prefix filter via the list op

Error Codes

Code	Class	Retryable	Description
FILES_KEY_EMPTY	validation	No	Upload key is empty
FILES_KEY_TRAVERSAL	validation	No	Upload key contains .. path-traversal sequence
FILES_KEY_TOO_LONG	validation	No	Upload key exceeds 1024 characters
FILES_INVALID_BASE64	validation	No	File content is not valid base64
FILES_NOT_FOUND	not_found	No	Requested file key does not exist in this store
FILES_STORAGE_ERROR	internal	Yes	Object-store operation failed

Operations

upload — POST upload

Uploads a file to the element’s object store. Provide the file content as base64-encoded data with a key/path; the write is recorded with a commit message and content sha. Auth: write.

• Input: key (string, required), content (string, required, base64-encoded), commit_message (string, optional — auto-generated if omitted).
• Output: path (string), sha (string), size (integer).

download — GET files/{file_path}

Returns the content of a file at the given path. Binary files are returned as base64-encoded strings. Auth: read.

• Output: path (string), content (string), size (integer).

delete-file — DELETE files/{file_path}

Deletes a file. Auth: write. (UI section: danger.)

• Output: deleted (boolean).

list — GET files

Returns a tree listing of all files with paths, sizes, and types. Supports optional prefix filtering. Auth: read.

• Input: prefix (string, optional — path prefix filter), recursive (boolean, default true).
• Output: files (array of { path, size, kind }).

import — POST import

Imports multiple files in a single commit. Provide an array of file objects with path and content. Auth: write.

• Input: files (array of { path, content }, required), message (string, optional commit message).
• Output: imported (integer), sha (string).

log — GET log

Returns the change history for this file store, showing past writes with messages and timestamps. Auth: read.

• Input: limit (integer, default 20), path (string, optional — filter by file path).
• Output: commits (array of { sha, message, timestamp }).

Quick Start

Create a Files element

POST /api/{circle}/{project}/
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "element_type": "files",
  "slug": "reports",
  "name": "Quarterly Reports",
  "spec": {
    "description": "Generated PDF and CSV reports"
  }
}

Upload a file

content must be base64-encoded:

POST /api/{circle}/{project}/reports/ops/upload
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "key": "reports/q1.pdf",
  "content": "JVBERi0xLjQKJ...",
  "commit_message": "Add Q1 report"
}

Response: { "path": "reports/q1.pdf", "sha": "...", "size": 20480 }.

List, download, and inspect history

GET  /api/{circle}/{project}/reports/ops/list?prefix=reports/
GET  /api/{circle}/{project}/reports/ops/files/reports/q1.pdf
GET  /api/{circle}/{project}/reports/ops/log?limit=10

Bulk import in one commit

POST /api/{circle}/{project}/reports/ops/import
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "files": [
    { "path": "reports/q1.pdf", "content": "JVBERi0x..." },
    { "path": "reports/q1.csv", "content": "ZGF0ZSx..." }
  ],
  "message": "Import Q1 set"
}

Common Mistakes

Sending raw (non-base64) content. upload/import content must be base64-encoded — the executor decodes it. Non-base64 content fails with FILES_INVALID_BASE64.

Path traversal in the key. A key containing .. is rejected with FILES_KEY_TRAVERSAL. Use forward slashes for directory paths (e.g. reports/q1.pdf); never ...

Empty or over-long keys. An empty key returns FILES_KEY_EMPTY; a key longer than 1024 characters returns FILES_KEY_TOO_LONG. Keep keys non-empty and ≤ 1024 characters.

Downloading a key that was never written. A missing key returns FILES_NOT_FOUND — call list first to confirm the path exists before downloading.

Description over the limit. The description spec field is capped at 512 characters; longer values fail element create/update validation (description_max_length).

Relationships

• Attaches to: auth-policy, rate-limit, variable

Capabilities

• git-backed-storage: Files committed to a per-element CAS git repository; any file type supported
• base64-encoding: Binary content transmitted as base64; decoded automatically on upload
• content-type-detection: MIME type inferred from file extension (jpg, png, pdf, csv, json, wasm, etc.)
• version-history: Full git commit log accessible via the log op with optional path filter
• bulk-import: Multiple files committed atomically in a single git commit via the import op
• prefix-listing: Tree listing with optional path-prefix filter via the list op

Properties

Property	Type	Default	Description
description	string	—	Human-readable description of what this file store holds

Operations

activity

Get /ops/activity | Auth: Read

Get activity events for this element

Scope depends on element capabilities: individual elements query by element_id, project-form elements with activity-scope-members include member activities, circle-level elements with activity-scope-all query the entire circle. Gracefully returns empty list if activities table is missing (old circles).

attachments

Get /ops/attachments | Auth: Read

List all modifiers and resources attached to this element

Returns both modifiers (policy enforcement) and resources (data injection) with is_modifier flag to distinguish. Items in the generated MODIFIER_TYPES list are modifiers; everything else is a resource. Includes cascade_policy and version pin info.

batch_stats

Get /ops/batch_stats | Auth: Read

Get per-element statistics for all children of this element

Returns per-child stats plus an aggregate. Most meaningful on compound or manifest form elements (repositories, circles, projects); atoms have no children so the result is an empty children array with a zeroed aggregate. Uses efficient GROUP BY SQL. Weighted averages for eval scores.

compose

Post /ops/compose | Auth: Execute

Batch add and remove modifiers on this element in a single call

Declarative composition: add modifiers by ref path (slug or path@version) and remove by attachment ID, all in one atomic call on the target element. Each ‘add’ entry resolves the source element, validates topology, attaches with optional priority and cascade policy. Each ‘remove’ entry deletes the attachment row. Returns a summary of what was added and removed. Example: compose({ add: [{ref: “my-prompt”}, {ref: “rate-limit/api@v2”, priority: 50}], remove: [{attachment_id: “uuid”}] })

context

Get /ops/context | Auth: Read

Get connected elements (graph traversal)

Graph traversal showing all connected elements with their relationship type (contains, contained_by, references, referenced_by, attaches, etc.). Use ?depth=N to control traversal depth (default 1) and ?types=actor,data to filter by element types.

create

Post /ops/create | Auth: Write

Create child element

POST to the parent path — element_type goes in the request body, NOT the URL. Both element_type and slug are required and must be non-empty. Name is derived from slug if omitted. Writes to both Git and PostgreSQL. All elements are stored flat under the circle — no intermediate library wrapper rows.

delete

Delete /ops/delete | Auth: Admin

Delete element (soft delete)

Soft delete — sets state to ‘deleted’ but retains the record. Cannot delete elements that have children (has_no_bond precondition) or active runs. Requires admin auth and confirmation.

delete-file

Delete /ops/files/{file_path} | Auth: Write

Delete a file

disable

Post /ops/disable | Auth: Admin

Disable element (hides and prevents use)

Idempotent — safe to call on already-disabled elements. Optionally pass a reason string. Disabled elements cannot be invoked or executed. Inverse of enable.

download

Get /ops/files/{file_path} | Auth: Read

Download a file by path

Returns the content of a file at the given path. Binary files are returned as base64-encoded strings.

enable

Post /ops/enable | Auth: Admin

Enable element (makes usable and visible)

Idempotent — safe to call on already-enabled elements. Transitions element to ready/enabled state. Cannot enable deleted elements. Inverse of disable.

export_bundle

Get /ops/export/bundle | Auth: Read

Export element as downloadable git bundle

On non-root-namespace elements, returns a binary git bundle. On root-namespace (circle) elements, dispatch hands off to the circle’s own export_bundle op, which returns a multi-element JSON envelope with one base64 bundle per child element — this is intentional, not an error.

get

Get /ops/get | Auth: Read

Get element details

Element is already resolved by the routing layer — this returns the cached element, not a fresh DB query. Use the path /api/{circle}/{slug} to address elements.

import

Post /ops/import | Auth: Write

Bulk import files

Imports multiple files in a single commit. Provide an array of file objects with path and content.

import_bundle

Post /ops/import/bundle | Auth: Write

Import git bundle into element

Accepts a base64-encoded git bundle in the JSON bundle_base64 field. Use overwrite=true to replace existing elements with same slug (default skips duplicates). Imported elements get new UUIDs. Returns counts of imported/skipped elements and any errors.

intention

Get /ops/intention | Auth: Read

Get element intention with full inheritance chain

Returns three levels: direct (this element’s intention), inherited (from category and root), and resolved (final merged intention). Useful for understanding an element’s purpose in context of its hierarchy.

list

Get /ops/files | Auth: Read

List all files in the repository

Returns a tree listing of all files with paths, sizes, and types. Supports optional prefix filtering.

log

Get /ops/log | Auth: Read

Get commit history

Returns the git commit log for this file repository, showing all past commits with messages and timestamps.

promote

Post /ops/promote | Auth: Admin

Promote element configuration to a target environment

Only for manifest-form elements (projects). Environments advance: dev → demo → live. dev→demo requires member+ role, demo→live requires admin. Freezes member versions at promotion time (creates snapshot). Persists environment config to spec.environments.

readme

Get /ops/readme | Auth: Read

Get element README.md content

Reads README.md from the element’s git repository. Returns empty content (not an error) if no README exists. Always returns markdown format.

readme_update

Post /ops/readme_update | Auth: Write

Update element README.md content

Creates or overwrites README.md in the element’s git repo. Commits to the draft branch. Content must be provided as a markdown string.

remove-modifier

Post /ops/remove-modifier | Auth: Execute

Remove an attached modifier from this element by attachment ID

Removes a modifier/resource attachment by its row ID. The ID comes from the attachments or context API. This is the reverse of attach — called on the target element, not the source.

restore

Post /ops/restore | Auth: Admin

Restore element to a specific version

Automatically snapshots the current state before restoring (creates a ‘Before restore to vN’ version entry). Writes restored spec to git as .triform/spec.yaml. Git failures warn but don’t fail the operation — DB state is authoritative. Cannot restore deleted elements.

schema

Get /ops/schema | Auth: Read

Get element input/output schema (MCP tools/list compatible)

Returns type-level port schemas from the TypeRegistry — not instance-specific overrides. Includes direction (input/output), required flag, and JSON schema per port. Useful for understanding what data an element accepts and produces.

source

Get /ops/source | Auth: Read

Get any file’s content from the element’s git repository

Reads an arbitrary file from the element’s CAS-backed git tree by its relative path. Same store as readme, just generalized. Path safety: rejects .. traversal, leading /, and null bytes. Use this to view main.py for action elements, asset files for SPAs, etc. Returns empty content (not an error) if the file doesn’t exist.

source_branches

Get /ops/source/branches | Auth: Read

List Source branches for this element

Returns the standard draft/demo/live Source branches, their current commits, and promotion relationships. Use GET /api/{element_path}/ops/source/branches.

source_fixtures

Post /ops/source/fixtures | Auth: Write

Dry-run or apply approved Source seed fixtures

Scans .triform/fixtures/ manifests from the addressed data element Source repo. Defaults to dry_run=true and never imports live runtime data. Apply requires dry_run=false plus confirm=true and dispatches approved records through existing generated element ops.

source_promote

Post /ops/source/promote | Auth: Write

Promote Source branch forward

Promotes draft to demo or demo to live through the generated element op path. Direct Git pushes to demo/live are blocked by Source policy.

source_repair

Post /ops/source/repair | Auth: Write

Inspect or repair the element Source index

Runs Source repair through the element operation path. Defaults to dry_run=true; set dry_run=false only after reviewing a dry-run report.

source_status

Get /ops/source/status | Auth: Read

Get Source control status for this element

Returns the branch-aware clone URL, checkout commands, current draft commit, child source-link count, portable export summary, Source health, warnings, and auth hints for the addressed element. Use the element-first path: GET /api/{element_path}/ops/source/status.

source_validate

Post /ops/source/validate | Auth: Read

Validate Source branch contents

Validates a Source branch before accepting local Git workflow changes or promotion. Defaults to branch=draft and rejects runtime data, generated output, secret material, and unreadable CAS refs.

stats

Get /ops/stats | Auth: Read

Get aggregate statistics for this element

Health status is computed: error if errors_per_day > 5 or success_rate < 0.8, warning if errors_per_day > 0 or success_rate < 0.95. Firing alerts escalate health to error/warning. Default period is ‘day’. Returns runs_per_day, success_rate, avg_duration_ms, and more.

tree

Get /ops/tree | Auth: Read

Get the element’s position in the graph — ancestors, children, references, and subtree statistics

Uses per-circle ElementGraph cache for O(1) lookups. Returns ancestors (containment chain), children (direct), members (references), referenced_by (reverse refs), attachments, and subtree stats. Default depth is 3, max is 10. Pass ?include_metadata=true for name/state on each node.

update

Patch /ops/update | Auth: Write

Update element

Partial update — send only the fields you want to change. spec, name, and intention are all independently optional. spec MUST be a JSON object when present; deep-merged into the existing spec by default. Empty {"spec":{}} preserves existing spec content but still records a new version (no-op for content, not for version state). To clear/replace the entire spec wholesale send {"spec":{...},"deep":false}. List-typed spec fields use replace semantics (the patch list replaces the existing list, no array merging). Coordinates Git + DB writes. Slug cannot be changed after creation.

update_meta

Patch /ops/update_meta | Auth: Write

Update element metadata (lightweight merge — does NOT bump version or snapshot spec)

Shallow JSONB merge into element.meta. Top-level keys in the provided value replace existing meta values; other keys are preserved. Used for UI metadata like canvas positions, panel state, viewer preferences. Wire-shape op_name is update_meta (distinct from update) so SSE subscribers + the cache auto-invalidator can distinguish lightweight metadata changes from spec edits without inspecting the payload. The MutatingElementStore wrapper stamps this op_name on the lifecycle event emitted by update_element_meta storage calls.

upload

Post /ops/upload | Auth: Write

Upload a file

Uploads a file to the element’s CAS repository. Provide the file content as base64-encoded data with a key/path. The file is committed to the git-backed store. Content must be base64-encoded.

version

Get /ops/version | Auth: Read

Get current version or full history

Returns current version by default. Pass ?history=true for full version history (up to ?limit=N, default 50). Versions are backed by the element_versions table. Every spec update creates a new version entry.

Error Codes

Code	Class	Retryable	Description
FILES_KEY_EMPTY	validation	no	Upload key is empty
FILES_KEY_TRAVERSAL	validation	no	Upload key contains ‘..’ path-traversal sequence
FILES_KEY_TOO_LONG	validation	no	Upload key exceeds 1024 characters
FILES_INVALID_BASE64	validation	no	File content is not valid base64
FILES_NOT_FOUND	not_found	no	Requested file key does not exist in this repository
FILES_STORAGE_ERROR	internal	yes	CAS git repository operation failed