How to Use Direct Access Methods
The following describes how to use components with a method interface. You can also:
To configure a method:
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In the Flow Editor, create a new flow (or open an existing flow).
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From the Components pane (in the left bottom pane of the Flow Editor window), do one of the following:
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Double-click a component that supports Direct Access Methods.
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Right-click a component that supports Direct Access Methods and select Methods from the shortcut menu. A list of methods is displayed in the repository.
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Drag a method into the main window of the Flow Editor.
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This opens the Component Properties dialog box. Click Configuration to open the Direct Access Method configuration dialog box. The method will automatically be selected and its parameters will be listed in the right pane.
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Once a method is selected, you cannot re-open the drop-down list in the Name column and the method is only available in read-only mode. This means that if you want to change the method type, you need to delete it and add a new one by clicking New.
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You have the option to add a condition to each method. Click to add a condition using the Expression Editor. If you add a condition in this way, you can see the condition in the form of a tooltip, when you park on the relevant column.
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Enter the values for the parameters that you want to define. Mandatory parameters are listed in bold typeface. The value can consist of any combination of expression, variables, user parameters and free text. Use the Expression Editor to help in creating a value.
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You can select additional methods by clicking New and selecting a method from the drop-down list.
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Click OK to save the configuration or click Cancel to close the dialog box without saving the configuration.
Note:
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You must enter a value for each mandatory parameter (in bold) or the configuration will fail. Entering values for all other parameters is optional.
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You can enter a value in the Value column directly in the field or you can click the button next to the field.
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If you enter a value directly in the field, and you select Alpha as the parameter type, Magic xpi automatically enters single quotes around the value you entered. This indicates that the value is an Alpha string. Make sure that the value entered is a valid string. If you want to enter a value that includes functions, you must remove the single quotes from the function. However, if part of the entered value is a valid string you must make sure that the single quotes remain around the string.
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When you click the button to the right of the Value field, the Expression Editor opens for any parameter that is sent to the method (In). For parameters that are returned from the method (Out), the Variables List is displayed, but it does not include system variables, such as C.sys.ErrorCode.
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To add additional methods:
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Click Add to add a new line to the pane. If you dragged the component into the flow (not the method) and selected Method as the component interface, skip to step 2.
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Select a method from the drop-down list in the new line.
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Enter the values for the parameters as described in step 5 of the operation above and then complete the operation as described in step 6.
To change the order that a method is executed:
Methods are executed in the order they appear in the Methods list. To change the order:
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Select a method from the list in the left pane of the Direct Access Methods dialog box.
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Click the up or down arrow to move the selected method up or down in the list.