What is a Gateway Action?

The 

Insert excerpt
_action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

 action acts as a decision point and controls the path that records take as they flow through an Actionflow. Data flow is controlled by the expressions on each output connection point and these provide the logic for which path the data flows. Several output connection points can be added, with decision logic on each one.

Exclusive vs Inclusive

Control whether or not a record is pushed through one or more outputs. 

Insert excerpt
_gateway_exclusive _gateway_exclusive nopanel true

 (Single Path)

Toggle on 

Insert excerpt
_toggle_on _toggle_on nopanel true

 to push a record through the first connection point where the condition is met. 

Insert excerpt
_gateway_inclusive _gateway_inclusive nopanel true

 (Multiple Paths)

Toggle off 

Insert excerpt
_toggle_off _toggle_off nopanel true

 to push a record through all connection points where the conditions are met. 

Rules

For each output connection point, rules (expressions) can be defined to be evaluated. If the condition is met, the record will go through the connection point or points (depending on if the gateway is exclusive or inclusive, see above).

Creating Gateway Actions

1. Click and drag the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

    icon in the toolbar onto the canvas
2. Enter a name for the Gateway action, then select Create Action
3. In the Gateway action  Properties on the right:

   1. Toggle on 

      Insert excerpt
      _toggle_on _toggle_on nopanel true

       or toggle off 

      Insert excerpt
      _toggle_off _toggle_off nopanel true

       Exclusive

   2. Define Rules for each output connection point clicking the 

      Insert excerpt
      _addIcon _addIcon nopanel true

       icon 

   3. Insert excerpt
      _finish _finish nopanel true

       all settings
4. Hover over the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

    action on the canvas to see the output connection points
   1. Click on each connection point to connect it to another action node
   2. Once connected, the rules can be changed directly on the connector by right-clicking and choosing 

      Insert excerpt
      _edit_expression _edit_expression nopanel true

Example Setup

This is an example of a simple gateway Actionflow that receives an order status. Where the order status is Complete, the data is saved but where the order status is Open, an email is sent.

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

Worked Example

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

In this example, we are using:  

• A Shop Stock screen containing a grid of the Shop Stock data, a pie chart of the Shop Stock data and a grid of the Shop Departments data  - this screen was created using the Multi-Tile 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 Intermediate Application. For this example, we'll be working on the grid on the Shop Stock screen.

Disable Save For Blank Records

For this example, we'll create an Auto Save Actionflow that includes a 

Insert excerpt
_action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

 action that disables a save action where a record is blank but allows the save where the record is populated.

Setup In-Grid Editing

1. On the Shop Stock screen, open the

   Insert excerpt
   _action_view _action_view nopanel true

    configuration for the Available Stock grid

2. On the

   Insert excerpt
   _property_tabs _property_tabs nopanel true

   , in the View Attributes section, double-click the attribute, itemType 
   1. In the Grid Settings section, untick Read Only

   2. Insert excerpt
      _finish _finish nopanel true

       the View Attribute settings
3. On the

   Insert excerpt
   _action_view _action_view nopanel true

    configuration, click on the

   Insert excerpt
   _property_tabs _property_tabs name action nopanel true

   , and in the Action Settings section, toggle on 

   Insert excerpt
   _toggle_on _toggle_on nopanel true

    Auto Save

4. Insert excerpt
   _save _save nopanel true

    all changes

Auto Save Actionflow

1. In the Action Settings section, under Auto Save Action Method, choose 

   Insert excerpt
   _actionflow _actionflow nopanel true

2. For the Auto Save Actionflow, click the 

   Insert excerpt
   _addIcon _addIcon nopanel true

    icon to create a new Actionflow 
   1. Name: NullCheck
3. On the Actionflow, select Click to Connect and choose the Shop Stock data source
4. The

   Insert excerpt
   _action_connector_mappings _action_connector_mappings nopanel true

    window will open:
   1. For What data is being used? select Edited Records
5. Map in the itemType and itemID attributes into the Actionflow
   1. The itemType attribute is needed for the Gateway Rules
   2. The itemID attribute is needed to save records back to the Shop Stock data 

Gateway Setup

1. Drag a 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

    action onto the canvas and give it a suitable name
2. Drag the

   Insert excerpt
   _input _input name icon nopanel true

    input connection point node onto the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

    action
3. Click on the connector between the the

   Insert excerpt
   _input _input name icon nopanel true

    input connection point and the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

    action
   1. Map in the attribute, itemType, into the 

      Insert excerpt
      _action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

       action 
4. Click on the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

    action and toggle on 

   Insert excerpt
   _toggle_on _toggle_on nopanel true

   Exclusive
5. In the Rules section, double click on the top rule to open the Output Connection Point properties:
   1. Rename this, Save

   2. Enter the Expression:
      
      

      Code Block
      theme Emacs
      in.itemType != _NULL

      
      

      1. This will map records where the Item Type is changed and is not blank

   3. Insert excerpt
      _finish _finish nopanel true

       the Output Connection Point properties

      
      

6. In the Rules section, add another rule:
   1. Name: Stop

   2. Enter the Expression:
      
      

      Code Block
      theme Emacs
      in.itemType == _NULL

      
      

      1. This will map records where the Item Type is changed and is blank

   3. Insert excerpt
      _finish _finish nopanel true

       the Output Connection Point properties

7. Insert excerpt
   _finish _finish nopanel true

    the Gateway properties

   Expand
   title Checkpoint

   
   

Save Setup

1. Add a

   Insert excerpt
   _action_save _action_save nopanel true

    action to the canvas that saves records to the Shop Stock Processed table
   1. Toggle on

      Insert excerpt
      _toggle_on _toggle_on nopanel true

       Auto Save Attributes in the properties and 

      Insert excerpt
      _save _save nopanel true

2. Hover over the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

    action and select the save output connection point, then connect this to the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_save _action_save nopanel true

   action
   1. Map across the itemID attribute from the 

      Insert excerpt
      _action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

       action to the 

      Insert excerpt
      _action_save _action_save nopanel true

      action
      1. Note that this attribute was not directly mapped into the 

         Insert excerpt
         _action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

          action and has instead passed through it
         1. For more information on setting up a Save action, see 1.09 Save Action Configuration 

Expand

Stop Setup

For the stop route in our Actionflow, we want the record to not be saved back to the table if it is blank and instead we want to show an error popup to the user.

1. Add a

   Insert excerpt
   _action_calculate _action_calculate nopanel true

    action to the canvas 
2. Create an Output Attribute, named ErrorText and containing the string:

   
   

   Code Block
   theme Emacs
   "Please provide an item type"

   
   

   1. For more information on setting up a Calculate action, see 1.11 Calculate Action Configuration 

3. Add an

   Insert excerpt
   _action_screen _action_screen nopanel true

    action to the canvas that opens the screen, Shop Error Popup
4. Hover over the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_gateway _action_gateway nopanel true

    action and select the stop output connection point, then connect this to the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_calculate _action_calculate nopanel true

   actionMap the itemType attribute from the  Insert excerpt_action_gateway_action_gatewaynopaneltrue action to the  Insert excerpt_action_calculate_action_calculate
5. nopaneltrue actionHover over the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_calculate _action_calculate nopanel true

   action and select the out output connection point, then connect this to the 

   Insert excerpt
   _action_screen _action_screen nopanel true

   action
   1. Map the Output Attribute, ErrorText from the 

      Insert excerpt
      _action_calculate _action_calculate nopanel true

      action to the dynamic text component, ErrorMessage on the screen, Shop Error Popup

      1. For more information on setting up an Open Screen action, see 1.07 Open Screen Action Configuration
         

         Expand
         title Checkpoint

         
         

Testing

1. Insert excerpt
   _finish _finish nopanel true

    the Shop_Stock_Processed View configuration properties
2. Close the Actionflow and Shop Stock screen
3. Reopen the Shop Stock screen and 

   Insert excerpt
   _lock _lock nopanel true

    it 
4. Double-click on a cell in the Item Type column on the Available Stock grid and make the following changes to see your Actionflow in action:
   1. Edit the text in a cell, then click into another cell to see the first cell auto save
   2. Delete the text in a cell, then click into another cell to display the error popup
      1. Note, the cell will not save unless it contains a value