A Stream Action carries out the following steps, in the following sequence. All of the steps are optional and are only carried out if configured in the action.
| Step | Name | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open a Form View | Allow the user to provide some parameters for this action | ||||||
| 2 | Open a File Explorer window | Allow the user to navigate to a directory and select one or more files | ||||||
| 3 | Evaluate context parameters | The Context Parameter expressions can refer to any values entered on the Form View using the notation
The Context Parameters can also refer to any attributes of any records selected on the view or dashboard from which the action was initiated using the notation
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| 4 | Evaluate the file upload tag expression | This expression can refer to:
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| 5 | Upload the selected files | Mark them with the evaluated tag value so that they can be retrieved later by a suitably configured File Collector. | ||||||
| 6 | Evaluate the validation expression | This validate action expression can reference any values entered on the Form, the values of any Context Parameters, using the notation
and any attributes of any items selected on the view or dashboard from which the action was initiated. If the validation expression generates any error messages (including by using the error function) then no further action processing will take place. | ||||||
| 7 | Retrieve a set of records from the database | Retrieve a set of records for this Stream. The records retrieved will either be based on a filter specified on the Update StreamItems Filter, or, if no filter is specified, the records selected on the view from which the action was initiated. If a filter is specified then any expression on the filter can refer to the Form View fields, Context Parameters or attributes of items selected on the view or dashboard from with the action was initiated. This step will only be carried out if the user has selected either the Update or Delete Action on the Item Updates tab, and then Filter Type = View Filter or Action Filter. | ||||||
| 8 | Perform stream item updates | Carry out any stream item updates configured in the Update StreamItems section. Update and delete actions will be applied to the records retrieved from the database in step 7. When carrying out Insert or Update actions, each Stream Action Attribute expression will be evaluated in turn to calculate the new value for that attribute. These expressions can refer to the Form View values, the Context Parameters, the values of any attributes of items selected on the view or dashboard from with the action was initiated. Or, for Updates, the values of attributes from the records retrieved from the database. To refer to values of attributes retrieved from the database simply refer to the attribute name without any prefix. Please note, even where a record retrieved from the database is based on a record selected on a view, the values on the record retrieved from the database may differ from those on the view as the record in the database may have been updated by another user since the view was last refreshed. If any attribute expression fails, or an error message is sent using the error function, then that record will not be updated, deleted or inserted. However, if multiple records are being updated, a failure of one record will not prevent the others from being updated or deleted. | ||||||
| 9 | Run task plan | If a task plan has been specified, run this now. Any Context Parameters can be referenced by any expression run during that task plan. | ||||||
| 10 | Open post-dashboard | If a post dashboard has been specified, open this now. Any filter of any view on that dashboard can reference any Context Parameters set on this action. If the specified dashboard is already open it will be brought to the front and refreshed rather than a second instance of the dashboard opening. | ||||||
| 11 | Close starting dashboard | If Close Parent Dashboard has been set, close the dashboard from which the action was initiated. |
Once configured, a Stream Action can be dragged and dropped onto Stream Views associated with the Stream on which the Action is configured to create a set of Action Buttons which appear on the top of the Stream View. Actions can also be dragged into the menus belonging to an Application.
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