Editing, Placement, and other Block Actions
- 28 Jul 2021
- 9 Minutes to read
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Editing, Placement, and other Block Actions
- Updated on 28 Jul 2021
- 9 Minutes to read
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Contributors
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Print
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DarkLight
Editing, Placement, and other Block Actions
Placement of blocks:
| Block Actions | Screen on Canvas |
|---|---|
Blocks can be dragged and dropped inside a particular lane. When dragged, an outline of the region is displayed inside the lane to indicate where the block can be placed. The region can be displayed above, below, or between existing blocks. If there is no outline displayed, it means the block does not logically fit into the particular lane and placing it will display an error. For example, when an SAP lane is dragged and dropped inside an on-cloud lane without a plugin, it displays an error message on the bottom right of the page. Also, the block that is being dragged displays a shadowy version of how it will appear on the canvas. |  |
Editing of Blocks: (Highlighter)
At any given time, the blocks or variables or dynamic content within the block can be selected and deleted using the delete key. On selection, an outline is displayed on the block indicating that the block can be deleted.
NOTE
Also, in addition, to delete, the standard ctrl+C and ctrl+V actions work when the block is selected.
Block Actions:
On clicking the empty input space, a shortcut block to the math operator or function-related operations can be accessed.
In some cases, variables can also be selected using shortcuts by a single click. Additionally, some of the operations like Ascending/Descending, inequalities/equalities, Base/Hex operations are available as dropdowns along with the select option inside the blocks.
BOS Calling BOS:
When a particular functionality is required at multiple instances, the user can use the BOS calling BOS feature to call the same BOS again and again without having to create a new BOS every time with the same input and output parameters.
For example, if an App is created in Offline mode and requires a Data Sync to be triggered when the device is online is done using the BOS calling BOS block. This way the data is transported from a 3rd party lane (on-cloud or on-premise) and transported to on-device lane without creating a new BOS.
Input,Output, & Local Variables
By default, all variables in the Integration Builder are local variables. They cannot be used externally outside the builder. These local variables are used either as input or output variables to populate the blocks in the Integration builder.
For each service, a set of inputs and their output values are displayed on the right side. The outputs are displayed to the user once the service is complete after data is fetched from the backend system. The contents of the variables are mapped to the output using variable mapping.
When the + button is clicked, it displays a list of all available variables (addition to the variables from the App process modeler). New variables can be created by clicking the Add Variable option at the bottom of the list.
The local variables are programming variables that are used to build logic inside the builder. They are selected intermediately while the service is being executed. They are temporary and not externally available in the UI.
 |  |
Variables and their Properties:
- Input and output variables can be dragged and dropped into the canvas blocks.
- When a table variable is dragged and dropped into the storage block, a popup appears that requests users for column values to be copied from one table to another.
- All tables can be created and retrieved in the Database option of the Project Menu.
NOTE
This option is only available when the output table is empty. The Copy Table option is only available in the output table and not for the input table.
Variable Mapping:
- Once the input and output variables are dragged and dropped into a particular block, a button appears that denotes that the variables are available for mapping.
- On clicking the button, a popup appears that denotes the table and column values that can be mapped appropriately.
- Variable mapping can be done in the Match Fields popup by selecting the variable on the canvas. If the contents of a table need to be mapped in another, then the contents are mapped appropriately using variable mapping.
- This technique is applicable for almost all the block functionalities in the IB for both the EdgeReady DB and other External DB.
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Once the fields are matched, the save button will automatically map all the columns from one table to another.
Testing the Variables
- Once a particular block has appropriate variables mapped onto them, it can be tested in the BOS section.
- On clicking Test, the variables are given input parameters and output is displayed in an output window.
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NOTE
It is recommended to check the debug option while testing in order to fetch a detailed description of the output. If the debug option is unchecked, the execution message is system generated and becomes difficult to interpret.
Session Variables
Apart from the local variables, the BOS also has Session variables.
The options are:
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For example, the response message type is displayed as select options in the below block. The response message is only captured for the last block that is selected. It does not show the response for the entire set of blocks within the lane.
Also, the Response option is block-specific such that for every block that is executed, the response message is refreshed. The response is displayed in the UI and the success message can be verified readily.
NOTE
These environments are used when multiple services are repeatedly declared by several users for the same or different apps. They are also used when there are any errors in the service during execution within the particular block.
Logic & Utilities:
While the servers are used to access the data, the Logic and Utilities block help perform necessary actions and modifications to the data before storing them in the EdgeReady Drive.
Logic:
The logical operations with respect to the variables declared are decided by the logic blocks. Logic and utilities are available in all the 3 lanes.
Features: Configuration UI, Details, Execution.
Utilities:
Utilities help with sorting of data that has been fetched. They have download, generate, and merge options. There is also a parse .csv option where the data can be parsed as a .csv file and uploaded into the table.
The Utility Blocks are explained below:
Generate File: 
Notifications Block:
They are used to provide bulk notifications to users. (Mass Mailing) This is done in case of changes in the App Functionality.
- This block enables notifications once the service is complete.
- All notifications work on-device lanes.
- They have mail, push user, device sync user options.
NOTE
The scheduler is available in the Library section in the main menu.
Operations:
These blocks help decide all actions that can be done with respect to data retrieved from a particular system. They also have blocks for set and append operations.
Drive Blocks:
- These blocks are the services that pertain to the EdgeReady drive itself. Drive can be accessed in the Project Menu.
- The Upload, Download, Copy, Move, Delete, and List operations are done for any service.
- Drives have various formats in which files can be saved. (CSV, PDF etc)
NOTE
Refer Administrator Workbench for more information on Notifications, Drive, and Plugins.
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