API endpoints can be setup to enable external systems to make calls to PhixFlow. API endpoints can be seen in the Repository for your application under 

API Endpoint Setup

API endpoints must be made using the specific option on the 

1. Create a new

    on the 
    homepage using the 
   Open

   

    option  

2. Set a unique name and provide a useful description

3. The API Endpoint 

    will open on the right

   1. In the Basic Settings section, enable Allow Anonymous Connections

      1.  Adding authorisation is covered on 3.12 API Authentication and Secret Keys.

   2. Copy the URL and save it locally, to be used later when calling the API

      1. Example URL: https://app.phixflow.com/phixflow/api/1/action/MyApp/My%20API/trigger

   3. Set the API Mode:

      1. Wait for result (Synchronous) (Default): The API waits for the results or the timeout to occur

         1. Note: If the timeout occurs the command is aborted

      2. Poll for result (Asynchronous): The API is called and a response is returned immediately including the process ID

         1. Subsequent API calls can be made using the process ID to fetch the status of the action

         2. The asynchronous mode can be thought of as “fire and forget”

   4. Set a Timeout (optional) (available in PhixFlow version 11.2+):

      1. Specify a maximum time in milliseconds that the API will wait for before the command is aborted

      2. When a Timeout value is set, it overrides the default timeout, which is 60 seconds where API Mode is Synchronous and 500 milliseconds where API Mode is Asynchronous

         1. However, if a timeout parameter has been provided in the URL calling this API, that will override both this Timeout value and the default value

1.  your changes

2. Configure the Actionflow to perform the required tasks, for example return all company data , or pass in a date and return all companies onboarded after this date

   1. See Worked Example below for an example setup

Input and Output Attributes

API Status Check (Poll for Result)

1. If calling a PhixFlow Asynchronous API only, a result will be immediately returned which includes a Process ID for that run

2. The Process ID is returned on the path:

   1. $.processId

   2. This can be accessed in an Output attribute using, _result.value

3. The Process ID can be used to call the following URL which will return the current state of the run:

   1. https://<<Server Name>>/phixflow/api/1/action/<<Application Name>>/<<Actionflow Name>>/poll/<<processID>>

Calling a PhixFlow API

HTTP Method

This is set on the 

1. To call a PhixFlow API use the HTTP Method GET or POST:

   1. GET simply calls the API with data passed in the body of the request

   2. POST calls the URL and sends data in the body of the request. The body data is passed into the body attribute of the API as an Input Connection point

Returned Data JSON Path

If your API has been configured to return data the path will be in the format:

$.data.<<Output Name>> 

Where <<Output Name>> is the Output connection point.

Server Console Responses

The item calling the API endpoint will receive the Response from the API endpoint stating whether it has run successfully (Success) or not (Fail). Responses can be customised to return specific messages.

The response recorded in the

If you are making the call using PhixFlow the Responses can be access as follows:

1. Click the Actionflow entry

   1. Open

      

2. In the Messages section which is opened below, double-click the lines that begin Response

   1. Open

      

3. Click the Message Details tab to see the response

API Endpoint Results

To see the results of the API Endpoint processing in the 

1. Click the Actionflow entry for the API Endpoint

2. In the Messages section which is opened below, double-click any of the Messages to see more details

3. If you are using a debug() statement these will appear here

Failures

An API Endpoint will fail if the logic in the Actionflow fails or if the error() function is used to force a failure.

If records are passed to the API Endpoint individually a failure will only impact the specific record being processed.

Error Codes

200

• Occurs if the output of an API Endpoint is not connected

• Occurs if the output is connected and a record is returned 

400

• Occurs if the output is connected but no record is returned 

Example 1: Passing Out Data

In this example, we'll configure an API Endpoint that passes out Company ID, Company Name and Industry data from our Companies data.

Create API Endpoint

In this example, we'll set up an API Endpoint to pass out company data.

1. Create a new

    on the 
    homepage using the 
   Open

   

    option
   
   

   1. Name: API Company Data

   2. Click Create

2. The API Endpoint canvas will display, with the 

    open on the right

   1. In the Basic Settings section, enable Allow Anonymous Connections

   2. Copy the URL and save it locally, to be used later

   3.  your changes

Construct JSON

1. Create a 

    action

   1. Name: GetDataAndConstructJSON

2. Connect the input to the Calculate action

3. From the 

    action, create a lookup to the Companies data
   
   

4. On the Calculate action, create an attribute where the JSON will be constructed

   1. Name: JSON

   2. Type: Structured Data

   3. Expression: 

      1. toJson(getCo)

Configure the Output

1. Drag the 

    connection node onto the Calculate node

2. Map the JSON attribute from the Calculate action to the body attribute 

Example 2: Passing in Parameters

In this example, we'll retrieve data from our Companies API and pass in an industry parameter (e.g. "Telecoms") to filter the results to just companies in that industry.

API End Point Setup

1. On the API End Point, create a 

    action to receive the parameter

   1. Name: GetIndustry

      1. Input Expression: in.body

      2. Path: $

      3. Create an Output Attribute on the JSON action

         1. Name: IndustryReceived

         2. Type: String

         3. Expression: _result.Industry

   2. Insert the  

       action between the 
       and 
       nodes

   3. On the Mappings between the 

       and 
       nodes, map across body, contentType, headers and url

   4. On the lookup connector, getCo, map the IndustryReceived attribute as an Incoming Mapping

   5. On the 

       action, add a filter:

      1. Name: ByIndustry

      2. Filter Details: 

          

Call API Actionflow Setup

1. On the screen, Company Call API, add an Actionflow to the Call API button

   1. If you have completed 2.13 HTTP Action Configuration and 2.14 JSON Action Configuration you will recognise the similar Actionflow setup

   2. On the input connection point, map in the Industry drop down field

   3. Create a 

       action:

      1. Name: Call API

   4. Connect the input to the HTTP action and map across the attribute, Industry

      1. HTTP Method: POST

      2. URL: the URL from the API End Point you copied earlier

      3. Body: 

         [{ "Industry": "${in.Industry}" }]

      4. Log Traffic: 

         
         
         
         

   5. Create a 

       action 

      1. Name: ReturnedCompanies

      2. Input Expression: in.body

      3. Path: $.getCo

      4. Create 2 Output Attributes on the JSON action

         1. Name: CoName

            1. Type: String 

            2. Expression: _result.1.CompanyName

         2. Name: CompanyID

            1. Type: Integer 

            2. Expression: _result.1.CompanyID

   6. Hover over the HTTP action and choose out, then connect it to the JSON action

   7. On the Mappings between the HTTP action and JSON action, map the attributes:

      1. body

      2. status

   8. Create an 

       connection point back to the screen

   9. Connect the JSON action to the output, and configure the following mappings:

      1. Open

         

          

   10. Then map the following attributes back to the screen on the output connection point:

       1. Open

          

Testing

1. On the screen, Company Call API, click the Call API button to see the results of the Actionflow