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What is a JSON Action?

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actions process JSON data, and convert it into specific data objects that can be used by PhixFlow for processing. The JSON action extracts one or more records from the provided JSON object using the JSON path specified.

Creating JSON Actions

Click and drag the
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icon from the toolbar onto the canvas
Enter a name for the JSON action, then select Create Action
In the JSON action
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on the right, populate the following details:

Field Description Example Value

Name Name given to the JSON Node. This will be displayed on the Actionflow canvas. MyJSONReader

Input Expression

The input expression provides the JSON data to be operated upon. Typically, this will be a simple expression pointing at an incoming attribute, such as, the body from a HTTP Node.

In PhixFlow version 11.1 onwards, this field is mandatory.

// Consists of the name of the connector and mapped attribute

in.body

Use Strict JSON parsing

Defines the parsing of the JSON. Disabled is lenient and enabled is strict.

Lenient parsing relaxes validation allowing the following to be present in the JSON data:

Use of single quotes, for example: {'name': 'Some “quotes” in a string'}
Unquoted field names, for example: {name: “value”}
Unescaped control characters, including literal new lines to appear within a string.
Allow trailing commas {“name”: ”value”,}

// Leaving the default option

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Path

The JSON Path expression is evaluated against the data provided by the Input Expression and returns a list of JSON elements. It determines which elements are extracted from the JSON.

The path starts at the root element represented by $ and each element in the path is separated by a full stop. The ^ traverses up a node and a . traverses down the node.

Note that the path determines the number of nodes that are processed, which directly correlates to the number of records returned by the JSON action. For example, if the path returns the route root element of the JSON, only one record will be returned. Whereas a path that returns children nodes will return one record for each child element.

// JSON Path

$.main_page.title

Tip
Use literal values or expressions encapsulated within ${} syntax, for example `${in.MyValue}`.

4.

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all settings

Path Syntax

Expression	Description
`$`	symbol refers to the root element.
`@`	symbol refers to the current element.
`.`	is the dot-child operator, which is used to denote a child element of the current element.
`[ ]`	is used to select a child element of the current element (by name or index number).
`*`	a wildcard, returning all elements regardless of their name.
^	symbol is used to traverse up 1 element in the JSON hierarchy from child to parent.

Output Attributes

JSON is converted into data objects that can be used by PhixFlow, this information is accessed using the syntax, _result.AttributeNameElementName.

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Worked Example

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

In this example, we are using:

A Shop Staff screen containing a grid of the Shop Staff data and a blank tile - 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 these example, we'll be working on the blank tile on the Shop Staff screen.

GIF/SCREENSHOT OF FINISHED RESULT

Calculate Working Days

In this example, we'll use the bank holiday data created in 2.12 HTTP Action Configuration to calculate the remaining working days in the current month and map this onto a screen.

Table Setup

Create a new Insert excerpt_tables_tablesnopaneltrue on your Insert excerpt_erd_erdnopaneltrue to save the working days data to, and ensure it contains the following attributes:

Name: UID
1. Type: Integer
2. Expression: _NULL
Name: Date
1. Type: Date
2. Expression: _NULL

Event Handler Setup

On the Shop Staff screen, find the Working Days tile

Insert excerpt_lock_locknopaneltrue the screen to expand the tile Insert excerpt_unlock_unlocknopaneltrue the screen and click on the chevron (True/False Field) to open its Properties

Create a new Actionflow on an Event Handler that will run when the chevron state is changed

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title	How?

See 2.01 Connecting Actionflows to Events.

On the Actionflow, set the Input as On Change

Extract Actions From Actionflow

We will reuse the Actions created to retrieve the bank holiday dates.

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title	Prerequistites

If you have not completed the worked example in 2.12 HTTP Action Configuration, follow the steps to create the actions required for this chapter, excluding the Open Screen action.Image Removed

Open the Actionflow that retrieves bank holidays from the government website, created in 2.12 HTTP Action Configuration

Hold down Ctrl and click on the Insert excerpt_action_http_action_httpnopaneltrue action, the Insert excerpt_action_json_action_jsonnopaneltrue action and the Insert excerpt_action_save_action_savenopaneltrue actionRight-click and choose Insert excerpt_extract_actionflow_extract_actionflownopaneltrue

Name: Get Gov Bank Holidays

Working Days Actionflow

Click back into the Calculate Working Days Insert excerpt_actionflow_actionflownopaneltrueFrom the toolbar, click on Insert excerpt_actionflow_actionflownopaneltrue to open the list of Actionflows in the repositoryDrag Get Gov Bank Holidays onto the canvas to create an embedded Insert excerpt_actionflow_actionflownopaneltrue nodeConnect the Insert excerpt_input_inputnopaneltrue to the embedded Actionflow nodeAdd a Insert excerpt_action_calculate_action_calculatenopaneltrue action to the canvas and connect it to the the embedded Actionflow nodeOn the Calculate action, add an Output Attribute that works out the last day of the current month:

Name: LastDay

Type: String

Order: 1

Expression:

Code Block

theme	Emacs

do( 
//set $lastDay to the 1st day of the month
    $lastDay = dateSet(now(),_DAY,1),
     
//add a month to $lastDay
        $lastDay = dateAdd($lastDay, _MONTH,1),
        
//minus a day to get the last day of the month
            $lastDay = dateAdd($lastDay, _DAY,-1)
                          
)

Hover over the Calculate action to add a lookup

Create a Insert excerpt_action_view_action_viewnopaneltrue action that retrieves the bank holiday data

Set the Incoming and Outgoing Mappings:

Incoming: LastDay
Outgoing: Date

Create a filter on the View that retrieves only bank holiday dates for England and Wales, and the current month

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On the Calculate action, add an Output Attribute that works out the working days:

Name: CalculateWorkingDays

Type: Structured Data

Order: 2

Expression:

Code Block

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do(

    //Get the last day of the month and set $lastDay to this
    $lastDay = dateGet($lastDay,_DAY),

        //for each day of the month, remove the time and set $allDays to now
        forEach($day,1..$lastDay,
 
            addElement($allDays, removeTime(dateSet(now(),_DAY,$day)
                                )
                        )
                ),

                    //remove BH days from month days
                    excluded($allDays, lu.Date)
)

Hover over the Calculate action and select out, then create a Insert excerpt_action_save_action_savenopaneltrue action to map the data to the Working Days table

Map across the CalculateWorkingDays attribute from the Calculate action to the Date attribute on the Working Days table

Testing

Test your Actionflow by clicking the chevron on the Shop Staff screen

ZB I think the references to elements on this page should be replaced with references to "keys". JSON comes in key/value pairs in the syntax "key":"pair" - see https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_json_syntax.asp. Need to read up on this and make changes to this page.

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Worked Example

Note
This example is taken from 2.13 HTTP Action Configuration. If you have already completed this chapter as part of the Actionflow course, ensure you are familiar with the content before moving onto the next chapter.

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Versions Compared

Old Version 6

New Version Current

Key

What is a JSON Action?

Creating JSON Actions

Path Syntax

Output Attributes

Worked Example

Calculate Working Days

Table Setup

Event Handler Setup

Extract Actions From Actionflow

Working Days Actionflow

Testing

Worked Example

Page Comparison

Versions Compared

Old Version 6

New Version Current

Key

What is a JSON Action?

Creating JSON Actions

Path Syntax

Output Attributes

Worked Example

Calculate Working Days

Table Setup

Event Handler Setup

Extract Actions From Actionflow

Working Days Actionflow

Testing

Worked Example