This page is for application designers who want to configure user interactions with data, such as delete or update. It has the reference information about actionflows and their nodes.

Todo-Fiona: page in draft

Overview

For concepts see Understanding Actionflows

This page outlines how to create actionflows and details of each node. 

Creating an Actionflow

Any Phixflow component with an  tab can have an actionflow added to it. 

To create an actionflow:

1. In a screen, click a component to display its properties. Components that can have actions are:
   • buttons
   • grid view 
   • card/container
   • areas
   • form fields
2. There are 3 ways to add actionflows. In the component properties →  ActionflowSettings:
   • Adding via an event handler
     • click  Add New
     • Event Type select an event type
     • Action Method select Actionflow
     •  Apply
     • Actionflow, click  Add New
       
   • Adding via an action directly
     • Action Method select Actionflow
     • Actionflow, click  Add New.
       
       
       
   • Quick add for buttons
     • Right click on a button and select Add actionflow
       
       
       
3. PhixFlow opens the actionflow canvas.
4. Drag actions from the toolbar onto the central canvas and wire them together. See Wiring Actionflow Nodes
5. Wire the Input connections or event from the triggering dashboard component to the actionflow.
6. Wire the Output connections from the actionflow back to the dashboard components (optional)

Adding Action Nodes

Connection Points

To add action nodes to the actionflow, drag the icons from the toolbar to the canvas. Everything in an actionflow is connection using connection points. They are blue when connected and grey when not connected. Find all the possible connection points below.

Icon	Connection Point	Relevant to	Description
	Interface Driving Connection Point	Input Interface Output Interface	Defines the data attributes the actionflow is expecting as an input. This data is then used in the Actionflow using  Driving connections and remains constant. Defines the data attributes the actionflow is expected to output. This data can then be mapped back onto components on the screen the action is being used. Each instance of the actionflow will map in its own set of data onto the expected data inputs/outputs of the connection point.
	Interface Request Connection Point	Input Interface Output Interface	Defines the data (and events) the actionflow is expecting as an requested input. This data is then used in the actionflow using  Lookup connections and remains constant. Each instance of the actionflow will map in its own set of data onto the expected data inputs.
	Driving Output Connection Point	Input Data Components  Calculate Error rendering macro 'excerpt-include' : No link could be created for '_action_view_driving'.  Gateway  Actionflow	A data source which drives the actionflow. Data is pushed through the actionflow using  Driving connection's. Data flows from the  Driving output connection point to the  Driving input connection point. Has attributes which can be mapped to any  Driving input connection point only.
	Driving Input Connection Point	Output Data Components  Calculate Error rendering macro 'excerpt-include' : No link could be created for '_action_view_driving'.  Gateway  Save  Open Screen  Open URL  Run Analysis  Gateway	A data receiver. Data is received from  Driving connection's. Has attributes which can be mapped to any  Driving output connection point only.
	Request Output Connection Point	Input Data Components Error rendering macro 'excerpt-include' : No link could be created for '_action_view_request'.	Provides lookup data to the actionflow using  Lookup connection's. Any node with a  Lookup input connection point can perform a lookup to a node with a  Lookup output connection point. Has request attributes and data attributes Request attributes are used in filtering. They are mapped to request attributes on the node performing the lookup. Request attributes are referenced in the nodes filter using req.[attributename] Data is flowing from the  Lookup input connection point to the  Lookup output connection point. Data attributes are mapped to data attributes on the node performing the lookup. These attributes are the actual data that is being returned from the lookup. Data is flowing from the  Lookup output connection point to  Lookup input connection point
	Request Input Connection Point	Calculate  Gateway	Performs a lookup to  Lookup output connection point's. Has request attributes and data attributes Request attributes are used in filtering. They are mapped to request attributes on the node being looked up to. Attributes that need to be sent to the node in order to filter the data must be added as request attributes. Data is flowing from the  Lookup input connection point to the  Lookup output connection point. Data attributes are mapped to data attributes on the node being looked up to. These attributes are the actual data that is being received from the lookup. Data is flowing from the  Lookup output connection point to  Lookup input connection point

Action Nodes

The toolbar includes the following actions that you can drag onto the canvas.

Actions can be added to actionflows in 3 ways:

1. Drag actions from the create section in the toolbar
   
   
   
2. From existing action nodes
   Users can create new actions from connections from existing actions.
   
   
   
3. Dragging the following items from the repository using
   •  List Screens
     Will create an  Open Screen node.
     
     
   •  List Tables
     Will ask the user if they would like to create a  Save node, 
     Error rendering macro 'excerpt-include' : No link could be created for '_action_view_driving'.
      node or 
     Error rendering macro 'excerpt-include' : No link could be created for '_action_view_request'.
      node.
     
     
     
     
     
   •  List Actionflows
     Will create an  Actionflow node. Doesn't do this yet

Icon	Description	Connection Points	How to wire this action
Create
Actionflow	Add another complete actionflow as a node within this actionflow.  This is useful to reuse existing actionflows, or to refactor a complex workflow by moving part of the logic to its own node.	Driving input connection point  Driving output connection point  Lookup input connection point	The input and output connection points of the actionflow node must be wired into the rest of the actionflow.
Screen	Add an action to open a specified dashboard (screen). Only use this action as the final node in an actionflow or branch of it.	Driving input connection point	Open screen nodes can be created with or without a screen attached. This is useful if the screen has not been created yet. Open screen nodes which do not have a screen attached appear with a warning symbol to remind users that this still needs to be configured.   Each open screen node has 1 primary input connection point by default called 'in'. Connecting to this connection point simply opens the screen and cannot pass any data to it. Do we still need this? Once a screen has been attached to the open dashboard node an input connection point for each form on the screen is created. Each input connection point automatically has any data fields on the form (dynamic text or form fields) added as attributes. These attributes can be mapped to and supplied with data. Each input connection point has the following properties: Type Open Mode Role Attributes Configure the purpose for the screen that will open update: opens form fields with the latest data (tnot clear, refresh) insert: opens the screen with form fields empty clear, not refresh) change: opens form fields with data (not clear, not refresh) To set the actionflow to close the active dashboard on completion, on the top right of the canvas, tick Close Parent Dashboard. Dashboard nodes can have driving connection points to each element on a dashboard.
Error rendering macro 'excerpt-include' : No link could be created for '_action_view_driving'.	Add a node for a data view. The actionflow uses views to look-up additional data to use when processing stream-items.		Connect a view node to the action node that needs to look-up data via the lookup connection   icon page. A look-up connection has 2 parameters: attribute: the attribute in the view from which you want to look-up data. For example, the view may have the attribute staff_number that you require. request attribute: the data returned by the look-up. This maps to an input on the destination point.
Calculate	Add an action to manipulate the data that is passed to the calculate action. In the calculate action, write an expression using one or more of the 115+ functions available in PhixFlow.
Delete	Add an action to deletes the specified stream-items passed to the node.
Gateway	Add a node to specify decision logic. Gateways control the route that stream-items take as they flow through the actionflow.
Apply	Add a node to saves the specified stream-items to their stream.
Tap	tbc
Task	tbc
List
Actionflow	List actionflows available to your application.
Screen	List dashboards available to your application.

Wiring Actions

Wire each node from the output to the input connection points

Mapping Connection Points

Input Connection (available data or user action) map onto the Connection Point in order to pass data to the Actionflow.

1. Drag the Input Connection's "Output Connector"  onto the required Connection Point.
2. The mapping window opens.
3. Drag the attributes from the Input Connection (Left) onto the Connection Point (Right)
   1. Ensure the type of data is the same i.e. we cannot map a text field onto a date field as they are not compatible.
4. Create Target Attributes (Optional): drag an attribute on the left to the white space on the right, this will automatically create an attribute of the same name and type.
5. Confirm the mapping. Now the "Output Connector" will be blue to indicate it has been mapped .
6. Repeat these steps for any additional mappings required.

Building an Actionflow Not sure if we just add the mapping into here?

Data flows through the Actionflow sequentially one stream-item at a time. When a lookup is performed the entire data set is read and processed. 

1. Connect Inputs to Input Connection Points
   1. Create new Input Connection Points
      1. Drag inputs into the white space below the input connection points to create a new one.
         1. Provide a name.
         2. Complete the mappings and confirm. 

      2. Click on the 

         _add

          Add New
         to create new connection points
         1. Provide a name.
         2. Drag Inputs onto the new Input Connecting Point.
         3. complete mappings and confirm.
2. Add Action Nodes
   1. Click and hold on the desired Action Node, now drag this onto the canvas area.
   2. Click and hold on the Input Connection, when release a set of action nodes is displayed, select the desired option.
      1. This process also works from existing Action Nodes.
3.  Connecting
   1. From Input Connection : Click and hold on the input Connection, move the mouse over the desired node and select the input connection point.
      1. check - You will only be prompted to select an input connections if there is more than one input connection point e.g. a dashboard or the connection point is already connected.
   2. Acton Nodes: Click and hold on the Output Connection Point of the Action Node, move the mouse over the input connection of the desired action node and release the mouse.
4. Mapping, once a connection is made a mapping screen will open automatically. As described above click and drag the attributes on the left to create a mapping:
   1. On to an attribute on the right.
   2. Into the blank space to create an attribute and mapping automatically. 
5. Configuring the nodes as described in the nodes section above.
6. Repeat the above steps to create you desired configuration.

Running an Actionflow

Actionflows run from by being:

1. attached to an event such as a Button, a Double Click event on a grid item or any event attached to an item.  link to events
2.  check - started by a task plan.

Action Flow Properties

Basic Settings