Connection Points

Owned by Fiona Sargeant (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jul 10, 2024 by Zoe Baldwin
6 min read

Overview

Use the input and output connection points on nodes in an actionflow to wire the nodes together. 

  • From the Inputs pane on left, into the actionflow.
  • From one node to another within the actionflow. 
    Hover your mouse pointer over a node and click Add Output to add an connector to another node.
  • From a final actionflow node to the Outputs pane on the right of the actionflow.

Connection points available depend on the purpose of the node.

  • Output connection points: 
    • Calculate
    • Gate
    • View

Nodes without an output connection represent:

  • either the end of actionflow processing: Save, Open Screen and Open URL nodes
  • or processing out of the actionflow: Analysis node.

When you wire nodes together, you need to map which attributes pass through to the next node. To change the mapping, click on the connector to open the Mapping window.

Node properties have sections for Input Connection Points and Output Connection Points on the node. Double-click on a listed connection point to open its properties.

The properties available for connection points vary depending on the node on which they occur. 

Driving and Lookup Connection Points

  • If you connect a node via a driving connection, records are returned individually to the connected node and flow one by one through the remainder of the actionflow.
  • If you connect a node via a lookup connection, the records are returned as an array within one recordset. Nodes wired via lookup connection points require both:
    • Data Attributes: add attributes from the view. PhixFlow looks-up data from these attributes. 
    • Request Attributes: when the actionflow runs, PhixFlow returns the data to these attributes.

The following sections explain the properties for input and output connection points.

Connection Points 

Open the  Properties for each connection point (input, lookup, output) by clicking on the node.

 Properties Tab

Parent Details

If this item is within or belongs to another, its parent name is shown here. See the Parent Details section on the Common Properties page for more details.

Basic Settings

FieldDescriptionConnection Point Found On
NameThe name of the Actionflow.

 Input

 Lookup

 Output

Action Phase

The  Phase that the connection point is in. See 2.04 Actionflow Phases

 Input

 Lookup

 Output

Validation

FieldDescriptionConnection Point Found On
Minimum RecordsThe minimum number of records that the Actionflow needs to run. If the received records are not above the minimum set, the Actionflow will not run.

 Input

 Lookup

Maximum RecordsThe maximum number of records that the Actionflow is permitted to run. If the received records exceed the maximum set, the Actionflow will not run.

 Input

 Lookup

Input Parameters

FieldDescriptionConnection Point Found On
Name

The name of the input parameters (attributes) mapped into the Actionflow.

 Input

 Lookup

 Output

TypeThe data type (e.g. integer) of each input parameter (attribute) mapped into the Actionflow.

 Input

 Lookup

 Output

Default Value

Available in PhixFlow 11.1.1+

A value or expression that is evaluated when no value is mapped to the attribute, or if the value is null or unavailable (e.g. if the user did not have permission to see it).

For referencing attributes, use the notation in.attributeName.

Note: Default value expressions do not use the order they are set in and are automatically resolved in the appropriate order based upon other attributes they reference.

 Input

 Lookup

 Output

Input Connection Points

See Input Connection Points.

Input Connections

A grid of Input Connections. 

The following properties are available for Input Connections for open Screen Action nodes only.

FieldDescription
Role

 Specify whether the actionflow will provide data to the view or screen being opened.

  • Primary: selected by default.
    The view or screen opens regardless of data. 
  • Component: 
    The actionflow provides data to the view or screen when it opens.
Type

Available when Role is Component.

Specify the type of connection:

  •  Driving input connection point: there can be only one of these.
  •  Lookup input connection point: there can be multiple of these
Open Mode

Available when Role is Component. For example,

When a screen opens, specify how data fields will display:

  • Insert data fields are cleared and variables are passed to the screen from the actionflow, the screen is then ready for the application user to add new data. Typically used for adding new data.
  • Update Variables created in the actionflow are set on the screen, any filtering is applied, data is retrieved from the server and displayed in the fields. Note the values set by the actionflow are persisted. Typically used for updating existing data.
  • Change Fields Variables passed to the screen are set. Typically used to set a value on one screen from another.

Attributes

A list of attributes available on the input connection point. These directly link to the fields available on the form.

  • Primary connection points display the screen properties as attributes.
  • Component connection points display attributes available on the associated form.

Data Attributes

This section has a toolbar with standard buttons. The grid contains a list of the attributes that will pass through the wire into this node. All nodes can have a driving input connection, which passes data records one-by-one into the node.

To refer to these attributes in an expression, specify the names of the connection point and attribute with the syntax:

connectionpointname.attributename

Double-click on an attribute in the list to display tje properties related to this node and connection. This can include Name, Type, Component, Primary Key etc.

  • To create a new attribute: click  Add New and set the Name and Type; see Attribute.
  • To add an existing attribute to this list, open the list of attributes and drag one onto the grid.
  • To open its properties, double-click one of the listed attributes.
  • To remove an attribute, select one and click  Delete


The Calculate and Analysis nodes, and their connection points, can have an attribute type of Structured Data. Use this if you need the Actionflow to pass a list (an array of values), such as a list of identifiers.

Request Attributes

Available for View, Gate and Calculate nodes, which can have Lookup connection points.

This section has a toolbar with standard buttons. The grid contains a list of the attributes that you want to lookup from another table. Lookup connections pass a complete set of records into the node. 

To refer to these attributes in an expression, specify:

req.attributename

Double-click on an attribute in the list to display its properties related to this node and connection. This can include Name, Type, Component, Primary Key etc.

  • To create a new attribute: click  Add New and set the Name and Type; see Attribute.
  • To change its properties, double-click an attribute in the list; see View Attribute
  • To delete an attribute, right-click and select  Delete.


The Calculate and Analysis nodes, and their connection points, can have an attribute type of Structured Data. Use this if you need the Actionflow to pass a list (an array of values), such as a list of identifiers.

 Audit Tab

Audit Summary

See the Common Properties page, Audit Summary section.

Output Connection Points 

This section is not available for nodes that do not require output connections because: the node represents the end of actionflow processing: Save, Open Screen, Open URL, and Analysis nodes.

For all other nodes, the output connection point has an expression that specifies the logic to control whether or not records flow to the next action node. The syntax for a driving connection is:

connectionpointname.attributename

The syntax for a lookup connection is:

req.attributename

If the expression evaluates to true for the record flowing through the node, it will pass through the connection point onto the next node in the sequence. 

Property Pane Toolbar

For information about the toolbar options, see the Common Properties page, Toolbars and Controls section.

 Properties Tab

Parent Details

If this item is within or belongs to another, its parent name is shown here. See the Parent Details section on the Common Properties page for more details.

Basic Settings

Field

Description
NameEnter a name for the output connection point
Order

Enter a number to indicate the order in which this expression will be run.
Remember that an expression that generates a value must run before an expression that uses the value.

The order is very important for exclusive gateway nodes, as the records pass through the first output connection that meets the expression condition.

Expression

Enter an expression that evaluates to true or false to specify whether or not records pass through this connection point. To work in a larger popup window, click  Show field in a large editor.

See also:


Gateways can have an unlimited number of output paths. If the Gateway Node is Exclusive records only pass through the first output path where the expression condition is met.

 Audit Tab

Audit Summary

See the Common Properties page, Audit Summary section.

Actionflow Wire Properties

Wire properties do not include the name. 

Basic Settings

FieldDescription
InputThe name of the node at the start of this wire.
Input Connection Point

The name of the connection point.

OutputThe name of the node at the end of this wire.
Output Connection PointThe name of the connection point.

To remove a mapping, right-click and select  Delete Mapping

Input Mappings

The left grid contains a list of attributes available from the input.  

Output Mappings

The right grid contains a list of attributes available to map to in the output.   

 Audit Tab

Audit Summary

See the Common Properties page, Audit Summary section.


Learn More

For links to all pages in this topic, see Understanding Actionflows. 



Terminology changes in progress

As part of the redesign of PhixFlow, we are changing the following terms:

dashboard → screen   
stream → table
stream attributes → attributes
stream item → record
stream set → recordset
stream view → view
stream item action → record-action 
stream action → table-action
driver class → database driver

Sections on this page

Learn More

For links to all pages in this topic, see Understanding Actionflows. 


Terminology changes in progress

As part of the redesign of PhixFlow, we are changing the following terms:

dashboard → screen   
stream → table
stream attributes → attributes
stream item → record
stream set → recordset
stream view → view
stream item action → record-action 
stream action → table-action
driver class → database driver