What is

a Bulk Delete Action?

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The 

Incoming API Setup

To enable an Actionflow to receive incoming APIs, it must be defined as an end point, and have a set of predefined input parameters configured on its incoming connection point. These settings are described below:

Step 1 - Actionflow Properties

 action deletes records in bulk from a table, such as deleting all records, or those records which satisfy the specified filter criteria set on the node. 

Note: Bulk Delete actions will only delete records in tables with the Period of Transactional.

For the full list of Bulk Delete

 Adding authorisation is covered later on this page.

, see Bulk Delete Action Properties.

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Step 2 - Input Connection Point Input Parameters

Incoming APIs require a specific set of Input Parameters on the connection point.

 vs 

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Step 3 - Configure your Actionflow

Configure the Actionflow to perform the required tasks.

If you wish to return data from the API:

1. Add a new Connection of type Output
   
   1. The name of the Output Connection Point will be used to retrieve the data as part of the path. This is covered in Calling a PhixFlow API below.
2. Add the required Output Attributes, i.e. the data you wish the API to return - this is optional

Calling a PhixFlow API

Step 4 - HTTP Method and API Mode

1. HTTP Method
   1. To call a PhixFlow API use the HTTP Method GET or POST:
   2. GET simply calls the API with data passed in the body of the request.
   3. POST calls the URL and sends data in the body of the request. The body data is passed into the body attribute of the Actionflow setup above as an Input Connection point. 
2. API Mode
   1. Wait for result (Synchronous) (Default): The API waits for the results or the timeout to occur. Note: If the timeout occurs the command is aborted.
   2. Poll for result (Asynchronous): The API is called and a response is returned immediately including the process ID. Subsequent API calls can be made using the process ID to fetch the status of the action. The asynchronous mode can be thought of as “fire and forget”.

Step 5 - API URL

The API URL can be found in the Actionflow Properties → API Section → URL value

Example URL: https://app.phixflow.com/phixflow/api/1/action/MyApp/My%20API/trigger

The structure of the URL is as follows:

https://<<Server Name>>/phixflow/api/1/action/<<Application Name>>/<<Actionflow Name>>/trigger

note: In version 10 the url structure differed, this old structure has been deprecated: https://<<Server Name>>/phixflow/api/1/action/<<Actionflow Name>>/trigger 
Integrations using this old structure should be updated, however the url structure will still work in version 11.

Step 5.1 - API Status Check (Poll for Result)

1. If calling a PhixFlow Asynchronous API only, a result will be immediately returned which includes a Process ID for that run.
2. The Process ID is returned on the path:
   1. $.processId
   2. This can be accessed in an Output attribute using, _result.value
3. The Process ID can be used to call the following URL which will return the current state of the run:
   1. https://<<Server Name>>/phixflow/api/1/action/<<Application Name>>/<<Actionflow Name>>/poll/<<processID>>

Step 6 - Returned Data JSON Path

If your API has been configured to return data the path will be in the format:

$.data.<<Output Name>> 

Where <<Output Name>> is the Output connection point setup in step 3.

Adding Authentication

Step 7 - Enable Authentication

Step 8 - Create an Authentication User

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Step 9 - Authentication Token KeyStore

A signing key is used to generate the PhixFlow API key and this is stored on the server to ensure secure access.

Using the page Configure a Keystore and Aliases, configure phixflow-api-key to be used as the signing key for PhixFlow API Keys in the same way as the pepperKey is configured. This secret string must be a minimum of 32 bytes length.

Step 10 - Generate Authentication Token

Step 11 - Send Authorization

When calling the Incoming API, the authorisation token must be passed in as a header called: Authorization

Server Console Responses

The item calling the API End-Point will receive the a Response from the API End-Point stating whether it has run successfully (Success) or not (Fail). Responses can be customised to return specific messages.

If you are making the call using PhixFlow the Responses can be access as follows:

1. Click the Actionflow entry
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2. In the Messages section which is opened below, double-click the lines that begin Response
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3. Click the Message Details tab to see the response.

API End-Point Results

1. Click the Actionflow entry for the API End-Point
2. In the Messages section which is opened below, double-click any of the Messages to see more details
3. If you are using a debug() statement these will appear here.

Failures

An API End-Point will fail if the logic in the Actionflow fails or if the error() function is used to force a failure.

If records are passed to the API End-Point individually a failure will only impact the specific record being processed.

The key difference between 

To delete records and persist the audit history of the record, see Delete Action Properties.  

Creating Bulk Delete Actions

1. Click the 

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

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       to create a Bulk Delete node
2. Alternatively, drag the 

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    icon from the toolbar onto the canvas
3. In the Create Bulk Delete Action window:
   1. Enter a Name
   2. Choose a Type from: 
      1. Delete: allows only records satisfying the specified filter criteria to be deleted
         1. Set the filter criteria in the Bulk Delete Action 

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             under Data Retrieval Options - see section below
      2. Delete All: deletes all data from the selected table 
   3. Choose to Allow Audited Table to display tables with Audit Manual Changes enabled in the Table drop down
      1. By default, tables with Audit Manual Changes enabled are not shown in the Table drop down list
   4. Choose the Table from the drop down where the records will be deleted
      1. Or click the table icon to display tables in the Repository
   5. Select Create Action

When creating delete actions it can be useful to set up confirmation messages that allow users to confirm or cancel the deletion. See Confirmation Message Configuration

Setting Delete Action Filter Criteria

Where the Type is set to Delete on the

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1. Choose a Data Range from:
   1. Latest: selects data from the latest recordsets
   2. All: selects data from all recordsets (default)
2. Set the Filter Criteria to specify which records will be selected for deletion. See Filter → Filter Details
   1. Incoming attributes mapped to the Bulk Delete node can be referenced in the Data Retrieval Options using the syntax, ConnectorName.AttributeName, e.g. in.MyAttribute

Bulk Delete Output Attribute (modifiedRows)

The output attribute, modifiedRows, automatically shows when mapping from a Bulk Delete action. This attribute is a count of the rows that are updated by the action, but if the Type (see above) is set to Delete All then the value is unavailable.

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Worked Example

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

In this example, we are using:  

• A Shop Staff Company Rejected Companies screen containing a grid three grids of the Shop Staff Companies, Orders and OrderLines data - this screen was created using the Multi-Tile with Buttons template

Example 1: Passing out data

Actionflow Properties

Bulk Delete Rejected Companies

In this example, we'll set up an Actionflow to pass out company data.

delete all companies with a Status of Rejected, along with any associated Orders and Order Lines.

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View Setup

1. Open the Company Rejected Companies screen
2. Create an Actionflow on the Delete All button
   1. Name: BulkDeleteRejectedCompanies
3. Configure the input connection point to

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    from the Actionflow home page
   1. Set a unique name and provide a useful description
4. When the Actionflow opens, on the toolbar, click Create a

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5. In the API section of the properties, enable API End-Point
6. This allows the Actionflow to receive an incoming API
7. Enable Allow Anonymous Connections to the Companies data to output the CompanyID of rejected companies only
8. Connect the input to the View 

Checkpoint

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Lookup Setup

Create a lookup to the Orders data to retrieve the orderIDs as an array. The orderID can then be used to bulk delete the orders and orderLines. A lookup is used to pass a large block of data (an array) rather than one record at a time.

Setup the Input Connection Point Input Parameters

Configure your Actionflow to Return Data

View the Return Data

Example 2: Passing in parameters

Actionflow

In this example, we'll .

Checkpoint

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Bulk Delete Action Setup

1. Create three

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    actions for deleting from the three tables: Companies, Orders and OrderLines
2. Map the associated ID attribute into the relevant Bulk Delete node

   1. 
      

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      title How?
      Map the following attributes from the Calculate action to the Bulk Delete action specified below: Delete Companies: CompanyID (from the View) Delete Orders: OrderID (from the Calculate) Delete Order Lines: OrderID (from the Calculate)

      
      

3. Set up filters on each node in the Data Retrieval Options section to ensure only records associated with a rejected company are deleted

Checkpoint

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Testing

1. Return to the Company Rejected Companies screen and lock the screen
2. Press the Bulk Delete button
3. Refresh the data in each grid to see the results
4. Review the Orders and Order Lines data to check there are no orders or order lines with a blank company 

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