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Nappai Documentation

Binary

The Binary component lets you work with files in your Nappai dashboard.
It can take a file that’s already in your system, a link to a file, or a Base64 string, and turn it into a binary object that other components can use.

How it Works

When you drop the Binary component into a workflow, it looks at the Operation you choose.

  • From Base64 – it decodes a Base64 string into raw binary data.
  • From URL – it downloads the file from the web and stores it as binary.
  • From structured data – it builds a binary file from fields like file name, MIME type, and Base64 content that you provide.

All of this happens inside Nappai; no external API calls are needed. The result is a single output called Binary that can be passed to other components such as “Text Extractor”, “Image Analyzer”, or “Upload to Cloud”.

Operations

This component offers several operations that you can select based on what you need to do. You can only use one operation at a time:

  • From Base64: Decodes a Base64 string into a binary file.
  • From URL: Downloads a file from a given URL and converts it to binary.
  • From structured data: Builds a binary file from provided file name, MIME type, and Base64 content.

To use the component, first select the operation you need in the “Operation” field.

Inputs

Mapping Mode

This component has a special mode called “Mapping Mode”. When you enable this mode using the toggle switch, an additional input called “Mapping Data” is activated, and each input field offers you three different ways to provide data:

  • Fixed: You type the value directly into the field.
  • Mapped: You connect the output of another component to use its result as the value.
  • Javascript: You write Javascript code to dynamically calculate the value.

This flexibility allows you to create more dynamic and connected workflows.

Input Fields

The following fields are available to configure this component. Each field may be visible in different operations:

  • Operations: The operation to perform on the binary data.
    • Visible in: From Base64, From URL, From structured data
  • Base64 Content: The base64 content of the file.
    • Visible in: From structured data
  • Base64 String: The base64 string of the file.
    • Visible in: From Base64
  • File Name: The name of the file.
    • Visible in: From structured data
  • Mapping Mode: Enable mapping mode to process multiple data records in batch.
    • Visible in: From Base64, From URL, From structured data
  • Mime Type: The mime type of the file. Example: application/pdf, image/jpeg, video/mp4, audio/mpeg, etc.
    • Visible in: From structured data
  • URL: The URL of the file.
    • Visible in: From URL

Outputs

The component produces a single output called Binary.
This is a binary data object that can be used by downstream components to read the file, extract text, analyze images, or upload it to cloud storage.

Usage Example

Scenario: You have a Base64 string of a PDF and want to convert it to a binary file for further processing.

  1. Drag the Binary component onto the canvas.
  2. Set Operation to From Base64.
  3. In the Base64 String field, paste your Base64 data (or map it from a previous component).
  4. (Optional) Enable Mapping Mode if you have many PDFs to process in a batch.
  5. Connect the Binary output to the next component, such as a “PDF Text Extractor”.

The PDF will be decoded and ready for the next step in your workflow.

  • Text Extractor – Pulls text from a binary file.
  • Image Analyzer – Performs image recognition on binary image data.
  • Upload to Cloud – Sends binary data to cloud storage services.
  • URL Fetcher – Retrieves data from a URL (useful if you prefer to separate downloading from decoding).

Tips and Best Practices

  • Use Mapping Mode when you need to process many files at once; it saves time and keeps your workflow tidy.
  • Keep Base64 strings short; very large files can slow down the dashboard.
  • When downloading from a URL, ensure the link is secure (HTTPS) to avoid exposing sensitive data.
  • Always check the MIME type to confirm the file type before further processing.

Security Considerations

  • Base64 strings may contain sensitive information. Treat them as confidential and avoid logging them.
  • When downloading files from URLs, verify the source to prevent malicious content.
  • Use secure connections (HTTPS) for all external downloads.
  • Store binary data in encrypted storage if it contains personal or regulated data.