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Field Description

Basic Settings

Name The name of the Stream Action.

Display Name The name that will be used to display this action on a Stream View

Stream Name The name of the parent Stream that this action belongs to

Show progress indicator after (ms) A number of milliseconds which need to pass after the Action is submitted before the progress indicator is shown .

Context Parameters

A list of the context parameters for this action. For each context parameter, define the following fields:

Name The name of the context parameter

Expression

An expression for the context parameter. The Context Parameter expressions can refer to any values entered on the Form View using the notation

Code Block
_prompt.<Form Field Name>

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

Code Block
<View name or alias>.<Attribute name or alias>

It is not possible to refer to one context parameter from another.

The values returned by the context parameter expressions can be referenced by the Validation expression, the Filter, the Maximum and Minimum Items expressions, any Stream Action Attribute expressions and any dashboard opened by this action.

The context values are referenced using the syntax

Code Block
_context.<context parameter name>

Example

For example, you have a view called 'customers' which shows a list of customers including the account id, name and other account details.
You want to create an action button to open up another dashboard, containing a view called 'invoices', which will show the invoices for the customer selected on the 'customers' view.
To do this:
- Add an action button to the 'customers' view, and configure it to open the dashboard containing the 'invoices' view
- Add a context parameter called 'account' to the action, with the context parameter expression set to customers.account_id
- On the background filter of the 'invoices' view, set the filter to only select those invoices whose account_id is equal to _context.account

Unlike stream action attribute expressions, context parameter expressions can evaluate to a list of values as well as single values.

The usual message functions debug(message), info(message), warning(message), and error(message) are all available to be used in these expressions and will result in messages being written to the system console logs.

Be careful when using the error(message) function - this will stop the action from being completed.

Confirmation Message

Ask for Confirmation

If this flag is ticked, a message will pop up asking the user if they want to proceed with the action. By default (i.e. if you do not enter a value in the field Confirmation Message), the message will have the format:HELPDEVTODO - what is default message format?

Info
Please confirm that you want to apply action "Action Name"

Confirmation Message The message you want to display to users when asking them to confirm whether they want to complete the action.

File Upload

File Upload

If this flag is ticked, users will be prompted to browse to a file and select it for upload when they run this action.

Tag Expr.

An expression that sets the value of the tag for the file. You can use this tag in a file collector to read into PhixFlow files that the action has uploaded.

The tag expression can refer to:

any values entered on the Form View using:

Code Block
_prompt.<Form Field Name>

the values of any Context Parameters using:

Code Block
_context.<ContextParameter Name>

any attributes of any records selected on the view or dashboard from which the action was initiated using:

Code Block
<View name or alias>.<Attribute name or alias>

List of names of uploaded files can be accessed through _files variable.

Action Validation

Validation Expression

The validation expression is evaluated at the start of any stream item Insert or Update actions. If the validation expression generates any error messages (using the error function) then the action is abandoned. The validation expression is not used to decide whether or not to run the selected Task Plan.

The validation expression can include multiple statements by wrapping them in a do() clause. A number of internal variables are available in these expressions:

_this: A reference to all the selected records within the view to perform the action on.
_prompt: A reference to all the user prompted action attributes.

The usual message functions debug(message), info(message), warning(message), and error(message) are all available to be used in these expressions and will result in messages being written to the system console logs.

Be careful when using the error(message) function - this will stop the action from being completed.

Example 1

Validate that the sum of the selected record amounts equate to zero before allowing the action to be executed.

Code Block
if(sum(_this.amount) == 0, info('OK'), error('Not performing Action as the Sum does not equate to zero'))

Example 2

Validate that the user entered comment is at least 10 characters long, else write a warning to the log.

Code Block
if(stringLength(_prompt.UserComment) >= 10, info('OK'), warning('Comment should be at least 10 characters'))

Using values from other views

You can also refer to records selected in other dashboard views by using their dashboard element names. E.g. if the dashboard also contains a view with database element name ACCTS, you could use the following in your validation expression:

Code Block
if(sum(ACCTS.amount) == 0, info('OK'), error('Error as ACCTS Sum does not equate to zero'))

Update StreamItems

Stream Item Action

This drop down has four options:

None
Insert
Delete
Update

Please be aware that deleting records with an action is non-reversible. In some circumstances it may therefore be better to select an Update action to simply mark the records as 'deleted' and then configure an Archive Task to remove records marked as deleted after a certain period of time. This will provide a window of opportunity for these 'deletions' to be reversed manually if they are made by mistake. If you don't want your users to see these deleted records, simply filter them from any views.

Filter Type

This drop down has three options:

Selected Items - Action will only apply to the records selected on the view from which the action was initiated.
View Filter - Action will only apply to the records shown on the view from which the action was initiated.
Action Filter - Action will only apply to the records retrieved by the filter defined in the action.

Condition

This is only available if you have selected Filter Type = Action Filter.

Create a filter to specify the records that an Update or Delete will apply to. Any expressions on this filter can reference the Form View fields, Context Parameters and any attributes from any record selected on the view or dashboard from which this action was initiated. Configure this filter in the same way that you would a pipe filter.

Copy Values By Name

This is only available if you have selected Stream Item Action = Insert or Update.

If this flag is ticked, all Stream Item Attributes which are not present on the Action Attributes list below will take their new values from the current form.

Action Attributes

The list of attributes that will be populated by the action - whether an action update or insert.

This section includes the button - this brings up the list of attributes for the stream that you are building the action on. Drag any attributes you want from this list into the action, or add them by pressing .

For each attribute, configure the following fields:

Order The order in which the action attributes are evaluated.

Attribute The name of the stream attribute that will be populated.

Expression

The expression used to generate the new attribute value. This is written as a PhixFlow Expression.

You can reference selected records from other dashboard views by using their dashboard element names within the expression. E.g.

Code Block
sum(ACCTS.amount)

will sum up all values in amount from the records select in the view with dashboard element name ACCTS.

If you want to refer to the current values of the record you are about to update, then simply refer to the attribute name with no prefix.

You can reference fields from any user input form associated with this action by referencing the form field name prefixed by _prompt.

The usual message functions debug(message), info(message), warning(message), and error(message) are all available to be used in these expressions and will result in messages being written to the system console logs.

Be careful when using the error(message) function - this will stop the action from being completed for the current stream item. However, it will not stop the action from updating/ inserting other stream items.

Run Task Plan

Run Selected TaskPlan Tick this flag if you want to run a task plan as part of the action. Any expression evaluated during this task plan can reference any Context Parameter.

Task Plan Rules

A list of task plans that can be run for this action, for each one a rule to determine whether the task plan is actually run.

The first task plan whose expression evaluates to true will be run. Only this task plan will be run. If none of the expressions evaluates to true, no task plan will be run.

For each task plan rule define the following fields:

Order The order in which the rules are evaluated.

Task Plan The task plan that will be run if the accompanying expression evaluates to true.

Expression

If this expression evaluates to true, this task plan will be run. A blank (null) expression counts as true.

Action Completion

Close Parent Dashboard If you tick this flag, the initiating dashboard will be closed once the action has completed.

Open Post Dashboard

If you tick this flag, a separate dashboard will be opened once the action has completed. The dashboard to open is determines by the Dashboard Rules. These are only available if you have ticked this flag.

Any filter of any view on the post 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.

URL Expression A URL which will be opened when the Action has completed. This may be provided as a fixed URL or as an expression evaluating to a plain text string. The expression can reference the Form fields, Context Parameters or attributes of Records selected on the view or dashboard from which the action was initiated.

Dashboard Rules

A list of dashboards that can be opened after this action, for each one a rule to determine whether this is the dashboard that will be opened.

The first dashboard whose expression evaluates to true will be opened. Only this dashboard will be opened. If none of the expressions evaluates to true, no dashboard will be opened.

For each dashboard rule define the following fields:

Order The order in which the rules are evaluated.

Dashboard The dashboard that will be opened if the accompanying expression evaluates to true.

Expression If this expression evaluates to true, this dashboard will be opened once the action has completed. A blank (null) expression counts as true.

Result

Result includes Warnings If ticked, warning messages generated by the Action in the Console log will be displayed as part of the result message.

Result includes Errors If ticked, error messages generated by the Action in the Console log will be displayed as part of the result message.

Result Message

The Result Message is displayed when the Action has completed, and can be used to provide a summary of the Action.

The message can contain multiple expressions inside {} brackets - these expressions are evaluated in turn before the message is displayed.

For example:

Code Block
Action {_action} failed with {_errors} errors and {_warnings} warnings.

A number of internal variables are available in these expressions:

_error: Details of the error messages generated.
_errors: The number of error messages generated.
_warning: Details of the warning messages generated.
_warnings: The number of warning messages generated.
_messages: The number of warning messages generated.
_taskPlan: The name of the Task Plan that the Action ran (may be null)
_runId: The runId of any Stream data generated by this Action (may be null).
_action: The name of the Action.
_file: Details of files processed (imported or exported) by the Action.
_fileCount: The number of files processed by the Action.

Access Permissions

All Users Can Run Action If you tick this box, all users can run this Action, provided they have the basic privilege to run stream actions. If you untick this box, then access to the stream action is controlled by associating the action with user groups.

User Groups

This field only appears if the All Users Can Run Action box is ticked. This is a list of the User Groups permitted to run this Action.

This list provides the button - press this to bring up the list of user groups. Drag user groups into the list as needed.

Advanced

Prevent Parallel Processing

If you tick this box, a single user will not be able to run this action more than once at the same time. I.e. if a user has started this action, they will not be able to start it again until the first action has finished.

Form View

You can specify a form view to appear when the user starts the action.They will be able to enter values on this form view, and the values can be used to update selected records for an update action, or populate fields for an insert action.

Select a form view from the drop-down list of all forms views in PhixFlow, or by pressing Image Removed pressing Image Added - this brings up the list of streams in PhixFlow; you can select a form view from a stream, and drag it into the form view field.

Values entered in the form view are referenced in expressions in the action with the form

Code Block
_prompt.<form field name>

For example, if there is a field on the form with the label Name, then the value entered in that field by the user can be referenced in subsequent expressions as

Code Block
_prompt.Name

If this is an update action, then the form will be pre-populated with the values from the selected record. Where multiple records are selected, then only those values which are common to all the selected records will be displayed. For insert action, when the form pops up all fields will be blank.

Description

Description Description of the stream action

HELPDEVTODO NOT IN FORMHELPDEVTODO NOT IN FORM

Field	Description
Maximum Items ExpressionExpr.	This field appears if the update action selected is Update or Delete. The expressions entered here must evaluate to a positive whole number. The expression can reference any fields entered on the Form View associated with this action, any attributes of any records selected on the view or dashboard from which the action was initiated and any of the Context Parameters configured for this action. If the number of items selected on the view from which this action is initiated, or retrieved by the filter configured on this action, is greater than this number then an error message will be generated and no updates or deletes will take place.
Minimum Items ExpressionExpr.	This field appears if the update action selected is Update or Delete. The expression entered here must evaluate to a positive whole number. The expression can reference any fields entered on the Form View associated with this action, any attributes of any records selected on the view or dashboard from which the action was initiated and any of the Context Parameters configured for this action. If the number of items selected on the view from which this action is initiated, or retrieved by the filter configured on this action, is less than this number then an error message will be generated and no updates or deletes will take place.

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