What is a View Action?

The 

Insert excerpt
_action_view _action_view nopanel true

 action selects and filters additional data to use in an Actionflow. This is useful where the originating screen or component does not include all of the data required by the Actionflow. 

Excerpt
name LookupVsView
Views vs Lookups There are two kinds of View. Section Column Views Insert excerpt _action_view _action_view nopanel true s return a set of individual records which flow through the Actionflow one-by-one. Typically, Views are used where the data requires processing, e.g. sending emails to individuals. This is the most common type of view. Column Lookups Lookups are a type of View but they return records as an array within one recordset.  Generally, Lookups are used where data requires listing, e.g. to display in a filter. See 1.16 Lookup Configuration

Creating View Actions

1. Click the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_view _action_view nopanel true

    icon in the toolbar to display existing tables in the application
   1. Existing tables can be dragged from the Repository onto the canvas - choose

      Insert excerpt
      _action_view _action_view nopanel true

       in the pop-up box to create a View action node
2. Alternatively, drag the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_view _action_view nopanel true

    icon from the toolbar onto the canvas and select a primary table to view from the drop down list

HTML Comment
hidden true
Insert excerpt View Node View Node nopanel true

Example Uses

Insert excerpt
_action_view _action_view nopanel true

 actions are useful in these example scenarios.

Example: Many Attributes are Needed in the Actionflow

Solution: Rather than map all of these attributes into the Actionflow, the primary key can be mapped in and a

Insert excerpt
_action_view _action_view nopanel true

 used to access all of the other attributes.

Example: Not all Attributes are Displayed on the Screen

Solution: Where attributes from the table are needed in the Actionflow but are not displayed on the screen,

Insert excerpt
_action_view _action_view nopanel true

s can be used to access all of the attributes in the table.

Worked Example

Here's a worked example using the School Data (available from the Learning Centre).

In this example, we are using:

• A Teacher Management screen containing a grid of the School Teachers data - the screen was created using the Tile with Buttons template
• A Teacher Form screen containing form fields and associated with School Teachers data by a background filter - the screen was created using the Edit Form template
• A Course Management screen containing a grid of the School Courses data - the screen was created using the Tile with Buttons template

Tip
If you are completing this chapter as part of the Actionflow course and using a training instance, the data and screens have already been pre-loaded into the Actionflow Foundation Application. For this example, we'll be added extra functionality to a button on the Teacher Form.

We want the status of a course to be dynamically updated to On Hold if the associated teacher's status is changed to Inactive. To do this, we will add

Insert excerpt
_action_view _action_view nopanel true

 and

Insert excerpt
_action_calculate _action_calculate nopanel true

 actions to a Save Actionflow.

Dynamic Updates Between Tables

Using a View Action, modify the Save Actionflow for the School Teachers data to dynamically retrieve and update the School Courses data.

Configure a View Action

Create a View Action to access the School Courses data within an Actionflow for the School Teachers data.

1. Open the

   Insert excerpt
   _save_icon _save_icon nopanel true

    Save Actionflow for the Teacher Form
2. Right-click on the input connection point, under Connections, and select 

   Insert excerpt
   _mappings_configure _mappings_configure nopanel true

3. Drag the TeacherStatus attribute from the left into the Drag and Drop area on the right 
   1. Click Save
4. Drag a

   Insert excerpt
   _action_view _action_view nopanel true

    Action from the toolbar onto the canvas
   1. Name: Get Courses
   2. Primary Table: choose School Courses 
   3. Select Create Action
5. Drag and drop the Get Courses 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_view _action_view nopanel true

   Action onto the in connector between the

   Insert excerpt
   _input _input nopanel true

    Node and the

   Insert excerpt
   _action_save _action_save nopanel true

    Action
6. Click on the in connector between the 

   Insert excerpt
   _input _input nopanel true

    node and the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_view _action_view nopanel true

   Action to open the Mappings
7. Drag both the TeacherID and TeacherStatus attributes from the left into the Drag and Drop area on the right
   1. Select Save
8. Click on the Get Courses 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_view _action_view nopanel true

    Action to open its 

   Insert excerpt
   _property_settings _property_settings nopanel true

   1. In the Output Attributes section, select the 

      Insert excerpt
      _attributes_icon _attributes_icon nopanel true

       icon
      1. Drag the CourseID and CourseStatus attributes into the Output Attributes section in the

         Insert excerpt
         _property_settings _property_settings nopanel true

      2. Select OK
   2. In the Data Retrieval Options section, click the 

      Insert excerpt
      _addIcon _addIcon nopanel true

       next to Filter and create a filter:
      1. Name: ByTeacher
      2. Filter Details: 
      3. Select 

         Insert excerpt
         _finish _finish nopanel true

   3. Select 

      Insert excerpt
      _finish _finish nopanel true

       on the

      Insert excerpt
      _property_settings _property_settings nopanel true

Expand
title Checkpoint

Configure a Calculate Action

Create a Calculate Action to alter the CourseStatus data based on the TeacherStatus data.

1. Drag a 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_calculate _action_calculate nopanel true

    Action from the toolbar onto the canvas
   1. Name: Change Course Status
   2. Select Create Action
2. Drag and drop the Change Course Status 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_calculate _action_calculate nopanel true

    action onto the in connector between the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_view _action_view nopanel true

    action and the

   Insert excerpt
   _action_save _action_save nopanel true

    action
3. Click on the in connector between the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_view _action_view nopanel true

    action and the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_calculate _action_calculate nopanel true

    action to open the Mappings
4. Map across the CourseStatus, TeacherID and TeacherStatus attributes, as these are needed for the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_calculate _action_calculate nopanel true

    action
   1. Select Save
5. Click on the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_calculate _action_calculate nopanel true

    action to open its 

   Insert excerpt
   _property_settings _property_settings nopanel true

    
6. In the Output Attribute section, click 

   Insert excerpt
   _add_icon _add_icon nopanel true

    to create a new attribute:
   
   1. Name: NewCourseStatus
   2. Type: Choose String

   3. Expression: 

      
      

      Code Block
      language js theme Emacs
      // If TeacherStatus is Inactive, set CourseStatus to On Hold if( in.TeacherStatus == "Inactive", $pfCourseStatus = "On Hold", // Else, set CourseStatus to Open $pfCourseStatus = "Open" )

      
      

   4. Select 

      Insert excerpt
      _finish _finish nopanel true

Expand
title Checkpoint

Configure an Additional Save Action

As we are modifying the Save Actionflow for the Teachers table, we need an additional

Insert excerpt
_action_save _action_save nopanel true

 Action to save the NewCourseStatus to the Courses table.

1. Drag a

   Insert excerpt
   _action_save _action_save nopanel true

    Action from the toolbar onto the canvas
   1. Name: Save Courses
   2. Table: Choose the School Courses table
   3. Select Create Action
2. In the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_save _action_save nopanel true

    Action's Properties, toggle on

   Insert excerpt
   _toggle_on _toggle_on nopanel true

    Auto Save Attributes
3. Select

   Insert excerpt
   _finish _finish nopanel true

4. Hover over the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_calculate _action_calculate nopanel true

    action and select out
5. When the red arrow shows, click on the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_save _action_save nopanel true

    Courses action node
6. On the Mappings window:
   1. Drag the NewCourseStatus attribute from the left onto the CourseStatus attribute on the right
   2. Drag the CourseID attribute from the left onto the CourseID attribute on the right

   3. Select Save
      

      Expand
      title Checkpoint

      
      

7. Close the Actionflow and return to the Teacher Management screen

8. Insert excerpt
   _lock _lock nopanel true

    the screen and select a record to Edit
9. On the Teacher Form, change the teacher's Status to Inactive and press Save
   
   1. To see that the Actionflow has worked, open the Course Management screen
   2. Any course(s) assigned to the teacher you just updated should have a Status of On Hold