Configuring the Button Action Types

A button can use one of the following Action Types:

• Generic Data Wizard Action Type
• Open Form Action Type
• Preview Report Action Type
• Print Report Action Type
• Run Entity Bulk Operation Action Type
• Run Find Dialog Action Type
• Run Process Flow Action Type
• Run Wizard Action Type
• Switch Dashboard Action Type

This topic contains the following sub-topics that describe the action types and how to configure them:

• Configuring the Generic Data Wizard Action Type
• Configuring the Open Form Action Type
• Configuring the Open URL Action Type
• Configuring the Preview Report Action Type
• Configuring the Print Report Action Type
• Configuring the Run Entity Bulk Operation Action Type
• Configuring the Run Find Dialog Action Type
• Configuring the Run Process Flow Action Type
• Configuring the Run Wizard Action Type
• Configuring the Switch Dashboard Action Type

Configuring the Generic Data Wizard Action Type

The Generic Data Wizard action type launches a specified metadata wizard. See Administering Metadata Wizards for information on metadata wizards.

Follow these steps to link a wizard to a dashboard button:

1. From the General tab on the Button Properties form, select Generic Data Wizard from the Action Type drop-down field.
2. Select the Action Properties tab.
3. Enter the Target Entity for the wizard in the field provided. (Each wizard is linked to a Target Entity.)
4. Select an available wizard from the drop-down list based on the Target Entity you selected.
   • Note that only wizards with a scope of Global or Application are available for selection. Application-scoped wizards are only available if you are working with a dashboard linked to the wizard's specified application.
      
5. Click OK to save the button.

Configuring the Open Form Action Type

The Open Form action type opens either a new record, Record Template or an existing record in a new window.

Perform the following steps to configure the Open Form action type:

1. From the General tab on the Button Properties form, select Open Form from the Action Type drop-down field.
2. Select the Action Properties tab.
3. Enter the service whose record you want to open in the Service link box.
4. If a specific record is to be displayed, enter that record's Name or ID in the {_}Service Name_* *record to open link box.
   
   • Leave this field blank to specify that the button should open a new, blank form for the specified service when clicked.
      
5. If a specific record is to be displayed, you can specify a Form Template to use in the New Record Parameters field.
   

   • To specify a Form Template for a specific record, use the following syntax:

     PARAMS(<%FormTemplateID%>=FormTemplateID)

6. If the button opens a new record, you can specify default field values to automatically populate the new record or an existing Record Template in the New Record Parameters field (for advanced users).
   
   • To specify default parameters for new records opened by the button, use this syntax: 
     

     PARAMS(Field1=Value%|Field2=Value)

     
     
     • For example, to automatically populate a new Persons record's Company field with the Company whose ID is 1, enter PARAMS(CompanyID=1)
        
   • To specify a specific Record Template to be opened by this button, use the following syntax:
     

     PARAMS(<%RecordTemplateID%>=RecordTemplateID)
      

   • You can also specify a particular Form Template to use in conjunction with the Record Template with the following syntax:
     

     PARAMS(<%FormTemplateID%>=FormTemplateID|<%RecordTemplateID%>=RecordTemplateID)

      
   • See Working with Record Templates for more information about creating pre-defined templates  for record creation. 
      
7. Click OK to save the button.

Configuring the Open URL Action Type

The Open URL action type opens a specified web page in a new tab in the Aptify Web interface (or in your default browser from the Desktop interface).

Perform the following steps to configure the Open Form action type:

1. From the General tab on the Button Properties form, select Open URL from the Action Type drop-down field.
2. Select the Action Properties tab.
3. In the URL field, enter the web address of the page to be displayed in the new tab.
   • For example: www.aptify.com
   • You do not need to specify http:// or https://, unless you want to ensure the site resolved to a particular protocol, if not done so automatically.
4. Click OK to save the button. 

Configuring the Preview Report Action Type

The Preview Report action type launches an Aptify report in a new window.

 

Perform the following steps to configure a Preview Report action type:

1. From the General Tab on the Button Properties form, select Preview Report in the Action Type field.
2. Select the Action Properties tab.
3. In the Service field, enter the service associated with the report to display.
4. In the View field, enter the view that contains the records to display in the report.
5. Select the report to display from the Report drop-down list, which contains those reports associated with the selected service.
6. Click OK to save the button.

Configuring the Print Report Action Type

The Print Report action type prints an Aptify report to the default printer. A window displays confirming the printing of the report.

1. From the General tab on the Button Properties form, select Print Report in the Action Type field.
2. Select the Action Properties tab.
3. In the Service field, enter the service associated with the report to print.
4. In the View field, enter the view that contains the records to display in the report.
5. Select the report to print from the Report drop-down list, which contains those reports associated with the selected service.
6. Click OK to save the button. 

Configuring the Run Entity Bulk Operation Action Type

The Run Entity Bulk Operation action type runs a specified entity bulk operation.

See Configuring Entity Bulk Operations for information on how to create entity bulk operations.

Perform the following steps to configure the Run Entity Bulk Operation action type:

1. From the General tab on the Button Properties form, select Run Entity Bulk Operation in the Action Type field.
2. Select the Action Properties tab.
3. Enter a bulk operation in the Bulk Operation field.
4. In the View field, enter the view that contains the records on which to run the selected bulk operation.
    
5. Click OK to save the button.

Configuring the Run Find Dialog Action Type

The Run Find Dialog action type launches a Find Items dialog box in a new window for the service specified on the Action Properties tab.

Perform the following steps to configure a Run Find Dialog action type:

1. From the General tab on the Button Properties form, select Run Find Dialog in the Action Type field.
2. Select the Action Properties tab.
3. In the Services field, enter the service in which to perform the search.
    
4. Click OK to save the button. 

Configuring the Run Process Flow Action Type

The Run Process Flow action type executes a process flow using the input values you specify.

See Managing Process Flows for information on configuring and using Process Flows

Perform the following steps to configure a Run Process Flow action type:

1. From the General tab on the Button Properties form, select Run Process Flow in the Action Type field.
2. Select the Action Properties tab.
3. Enter the process flow available in Aptify to run in the Process Flow field.
   • The specified process flow's input properties automatically populate the Input Map.
     
4. Specify a Source Type and Source for each Input Property in the Input Map as necessary to configure the process flow's execution logic.
5. Click OK to save and close the Button record. 

Configuring the Run Wizard Action Type

The Run Wizard action type launches a specified wizard.

Perform the following steps to configure a Run Wizard action type:

1. From the General tab on the Button Properties form, select Run Wizard in the Action Type field.
2. Select the Action Properties tab.
3. In the Service field, enter the service associated with the wizard you want to run.
4. In the View field, enter the view that contains the records that the wizard can use during its execution. This field is not required.
5. Select an available wizard (associated with the selected service) from the Wizard drop-down list.
   
6. Click OK to save the button. 

Configuring the Switch Dashboard Action Type

The Switch Dashboard action type switches to the global dashboard or a specified application-level dashboard.

Perform the following steps to configure a Switch Dashboard action type:

1. From the General tab on the Button Properties form, select Switch Dashboard in the Action Type field.
2. Select the Action Properties tab.
3. Select Global Dashboard or Application Dashboard from the Dashboard Type drop-down menu.
   • If you selected the Application Dashboard, enter the application in the Application field. 
     
     
     
     
4. Click OK to save the button.