- Created by Zoe Baldwin , last modified on Sept 01, 2023
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Overview
There are a number of ways to quickly create test data in PhixFlow, which can be manually edited and added to. On this page, the following methods will be covered:
Creating an Editable Grid - This method is best for using existing data and making amendments.
Using Input/Output Multipliers - This method is best for small datasets, with specific examples. For example, testing the results of a function.
Using External APIs - This method is best for large datasets and existing data.
Creating an Editable Grid
Use a simple ERD and Screen setup to create an editable grid.
Step 1: Create a table
On an ERD, either:
Create a new table by dragging Table from the toolbar onto your ERD canvas
- Add an existing table by clicking Table on the toolbar, then dragging a table from the Repository onto your ERD canvas
- Import an Excel CSV file by dragging it from your PC onto your ERD canvas
If you create a new table, PhixFlow automatically adds the following attributes to the table:
Primary key: UID
Display Name: Name
Add as many new attributes to your table as you need by clicking Add on the table, and give your attributes appropriate names
Step 2: Create a Screen
- To create a screen using your ERD data, click on your table and choose Create Screen
- On the Create Screen wizard, enter the following:
- Name: give your screen an appropriate name
- Open Maximised: toggle
- Description: give your screen an appropriate description to indicate its purpose
- Template: choose Edit Form
- Click Create Screen
- The Available Attributes selector will automatically appear, press the cross to close this
- To select the attributes you wish to see on your screen, select Attributes in the toolbar
- Click the tickbox next to each attribute, or click the top tickbox to select all the attributes, and drag them onto your screen
- PhixFlow will ask how you would like the attributes to be displayed, choose Grid
- PhixFlow will ask if you would like to add actions, choose Yes
- On the Grid Actions wizard, drag Delete Selected Records onto the Delete button on your screen
- Close the Grid Actions and Available Attribute wizards
Step 3: Set up the Screen
- Click on the grid on your screen to highlight it in the Layers panel on the left within the Body
- The View Component Properties will show on the right, click the View hyperlink
- In the View Properties, toggle on Auto Save
- Click Apply and Close
- In the Layers panel, click on the area FieldContainer to open its Properties on the right
- Click on the Styles tab and within the Style Settings section, change the Width and Height to
100%
- Click Apply and Close
- Click on the Name header on the grid to open the View Attribute Properties on the right
- On the Properties tab, within the Grid Settings section,
untick
Read Only - Repeat this step for all of your attribute headers, except UID
- Note: Unticking Read Only will allow you to manually enter information into these columns on your grid
- Then click Apply and Close
- With Auto Save set up, the screen no longer requires a Save button
- To delete the Save button, click on it on the screen to highlight it in the Layers, right click it in Layers and select Permanently Delete
Adding a Button
- Open the Palette by clicking Palette on the toolbar
- Expand the Buttons - Primary section and drag the Add button onto your screen - the screen will highlight the areas where the button should be dropped
- Give your button a name
- Optional: In the Layers panel, expand the area Window CRUD Bar. Then, while holding
shift
, drag and drop your Add button onto either the Left or Right area within the Window CRUD Bar
- Optional: In the Layers panel, expand the area Window CRUD Bar. Then, while holding
Check Point
At this point, your screen should look similar to this:
Step 4: Add New Records via an Actionflow
- Right-click on your new Add button and choose Add Actionflow
- Give your actionflow a name
- To configure the input connection, within the Connections section on the left, click on Click to Connect
- Choose the On Click Action Event, then select Connect Input
- Drag the Calculate node from the toolbar onto the canvas
- Give it a name
- The Properties for the Calculate node will show on the right
- In the Output Attributes section, add a new attribute by selecting
- Give it a name and set the expression to
"new"
- Drag the Save node from the toolbar onto the canvas, give it a name, set the Type to Auto Insert/Update, and from the Table dropdown list, choose your table
- Connect the out pipe from the Calculate node to the Save node
- Map across your Output Attribute from the Calculate node onto the Save node
- Drag the Input Connection Point onto the Calculate node
- Close the Actionflow and open the screen you created earlier
- Lock the screen, then select the Add button
- The Actionflow will fire and a new record will be created on the grid, with a unique ID (UID)
- Double click on the fields to manually enter information
- Repeat these steps of adding a new record and updating the information as many times as required
- Each record will save automatically
Check Point
At this point, your screen should look similar to this:
Using Input and Output Multipliers
Use a simple table configuration on an Analysis Model.
Create a Multi-Record Table using an Array
This example uses an array to create static data. The table in this example will produce the exact records as stipulated in the Input Multiplier.
- On an Analysis Model, create a blank Calculate Table
Within the Table's Properties tab, add Attributes to the table, which will act as column headers
- Add the Expression _inputMultiplier, followed by .1, .2, .3, etc. to the relevant attributes
- In the Analysis Options section, in the Input Multiplier box, add an array, like the example here
- Input Multiplier
[ [1,'CHAIR',100], [2,'TABLE',430], [3,'MONITOR',800] ]
- Apply and Close the Properties, then Run Analysis on the table
- Hover over the table and select Show view
- For this example, the data shows three records, with each record assigned the UID, Item name and Quantity as specified by the Input Multiplier, along with the Last Updated date
Alternatively, an Output Multiplier can be used to create data. Repeat the steps above, but with the following changes:
- The Expression for all of your attributes must be _outputMultiplier, followed by .1, .2, .3, etc.
- Add the same array as above, but to the Output Multiplier box
- Add 1 in the Input Multiplier box to indicate the number of times the table should run
Using External APIs
Configure an Analysis Model to import data stored outside of PhixFlow using an API.
Create a Multi-Record Table using an API
This example uses three elements, a HTTP Datasource, HTTP Collector and Table to create dynamic data. The table in this example will pull across data, as stipulated by the attributes, and this data will change each time the user clicks Run Analysis.
The HTTP Datasource will connect to the external source, the HTTP Collector will read the data and the Table will store the data in PhixFlow.
For more information on how these three elements work, see Importing Data Through an API.
- On an Analysis Model, create a new HTTP Datasource
- Set up your HTTP Datasource to match the below settings
- Set up your HTTP Collector to match the below settings
An HTTP datasource is a modelling object whose properties provide the information needed to connect to an external source of data via HTTP. This may be a web site, a web service or some other target that allows XML, HTTP or text data to transferred over HTTP.
You must have one HTTP datasource for each HTTP location to which you need to connect. Each HTTP datasource must have at least one HTTP datasource instance. You can add several instances if you want to configure different settings.
In an analysis model, you can add:
- a HTTP Collector to load data from a site or service.
- a HTTP Exporter to update the site or service with processed data from the model.
An HTTP collector reads data from a HTTP Datasource. The collector defines how the data needed from the datasource is extracted to be used in PhixFlow.
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