Action helpers

The basic functionality of the CrossmarX Application Engine is finding, reading and manipulating data that is stored in a database, and can be accessed through web pages by different user groups. Extra functionality like sending emails to a group, can be added as an action component. The CrossmarX Application Engine contains several built-in components than can be activated easily.

Types of action components

There are two types of action components: session actions and class actions.

• session actions
  Session actions are not related to a particular class and are usually activated from the main menu of your application. They can also be started by a batch process.
• class actions
  Class actions are always related to a particular class and are always activated from the search or details window of this class.

At the bottom of this page is a comprehensive list of session and class actions in the CrossmarX development platform.

Creating an action

Actions can be created in the blueprint by first clicking on the "actions"-button on the top-left of the screen, followed by the "add action"-button.
Make sure to set all required parameters and preferences.
When a class is selected for the action, it automatically becomes a class action, which can also be viewed in the blueprint entry of the selected class itself, under the tab 'actions'. Click on the "Go to details"-button to edit the action settings here. The action can also be created within the class instead.

 E.g.: you want to send emails to a group of persons

• Select the tab 'Actions' in the class 'person'
• Add an action and give the action the name 'Email'
• Select the type, in this case: Outgoing email 
• Click "edit parameters" to set parameters, click "ok"  when done
• Check the property 'At search results' to enable the email action to be executed from a search result window
• Save your action

Now, in your application you'll find an extra button "Email" above the selected persons. Below, the first image shows you the 'Email' button in the search screen. The image below it shows how the form looks like.

After selecting one or more persons and clicking the email button you can enter the body of the email. See example below.

When you check the property 'At details' the email button will also appear in the details screen of the person.

Session action reference

• Anonymization batch
  -- description yet to come --


• Blob cleaner
  -- description yet to come --


• Calendar cell editor
  -- description yet to come --


• Create Schedule
  Creates records in a schedule clazz from a set of rules, contained in records of a schedule rule clazz.
  
  
• Database integrity checker
  

  Does a set of standard database checks and sends a report.

  
  
  
• Email cleaner
  -- description yet to come --


• Email receiver
  -- description yet to come --


• Email sender
  

  This action can dispatch incoming email, e.g. from a html form. It always send the email to a specified email address. In the email other data from the html form can be included.

  
  
  
• Export analyser
  

  This action analyses the executed exports and creates an incident report when exports are found with more exported records than the set threshold. An optional report email address can be set.
  A reported Export execution can be approved by an admin user.

  
  
  
• File transfer
  

  Use this action to download files to or upload files from a remote server. Supported protocols are FTP, FTPS and SFTP.
  Note that FTP is an unsafe protocol and should be avoided when possible.

  
  
  
• Import
  -- description yet to come --


• JAVA plugin helper
  A session action implemented in a JAVA class file. This option is not available yet for external developers. CrossmarX can program the calculations in the mean time. If you want to develop the calculation your self, please use Velocity.
  
  
• Lucene Search Index Builder
  

  Rebuilds the lucene search index of given clazzes. The lucene search index is used by the lucene wild card search helper.

  
  
  
• Message
  Displays a message. The message content may contain velocity.
  
  
• Multiple class search
  This component enables you to search in more than one class (cq. table).
  
  
• My details
  This actions takes the user immediately to his/her own details. If you like, you can also select a foreign class, e.g. the company of the user.
  
  
• Ogone payment service
  Handles payments with Ogone (a Payment Service Provider)
  
  
• Query runner
  Runs stored queries in batch, and notifies the owner when new objects match the critieria.
  
  
• Questionnaire
  -- description yet to come --


• Read log analyser
  

  This is a paid functionality. Contact CrossmarX is you want to add this to your application.

  
  
  
• Script
  

  Use this helper to define an action in a script.

  
  
  
• SOAP service
  Use the SOAP service action helper to implement your own SOAP webservice in Velocity.
  
  
• Unsubscribe
  

  This action is usually called from an unsubscribe link in a mail or newsletter.

  
  
  
• Value setter
  This action sets the value of a field.
  
  
• Velocity
  

  You can write your own action and integrate it in the Application Engine. You can also just call the script file directly with a request however if you do so you must handle user rights in the file itself. If you define the script as an action, the in-built relevance system can be used. In that case, if you use a script file, you should use the extension .pm so the file cannot be called with a direct url. Defining a session action can also be convenient if you want to schedule the action.

  
  
  
• XML Import
  This action allows a xml import in the database from a http request.
  
  

Class action reference

• Anonymize record
  This action helper allows you to anonymize personally identifiable information. It can be used for manual anonymization of your client's personal data, or, in conjunction with the Anonymization filter defined on your classes, in batch.
  
  
• Chat (not yet implemented)
  -- description yet to come --


• Confirmation
  

  This is an extra module for the implementation of Digital signing of documents. Contact CrossmarX if you want to use this module.

  
  
  
• Confirmation reminder
  

  Work in concert with the confirmation helper and confirmation status calculation. It is used to send reminders to people for digital signing. The reminder is considered to be scheduled as a job with a query selecting record (usually documents) that still have to be signed. The query can be used to filter a certain set of records and set a reminder interval.

  
  
  
• Connected records adder
  

  A quick way to add multiple records to a connected class, from the detail screen of the foreign record. Instead of adding records row by row, a popup will appear, that can be used to select multiple values from a list. For each selected value a record will be added.

  
  
  
• Copy
  Copy one or more records. You can also copy specific fields only or copy records over a period of time.
  
  
• Copy to Velocity
  -- description yet to come --


• Date picker invite
  The date picker can be used to allow a group of people pick a date for an event, like a meeting. It needs 5 classes:
• the class for the event (this is the class of the action)
• a class with persons
• a class with invitees. This should be a connected class of the event and a connected class of the person
• a class with the options, containing date/time combinations, this should be a connected class of the event.
• a class where the answers can be stored. This should be a connected class of the option and the person.
  
  
• Deduplicate
  You can use this action for deduplication of objects in your database. E.g. for identifying persons or organizations that have more than one record in your database and grouping them together. From those groups you can merge your duplicates into 1 record.
  
  
• Deep copy
  -- description yet to come --


• Duplicate marker
  You can use this action for marking duplicates.
  
  
• Duplicate matcher
  This action creates duplicate groups according to the rules defined in the matching profile.
  
  
• Duplicate merger
  

  This action merges duplicate groups according to the rules in the merging profile.

  
  
  
• Email campaign
  -- description yet to come --


• Email campaign A/B Test
  -- description yet to come --


• Email Client
  For sending, replying, forwarding email stored in a class.
  
  
• Export
  

  You can use this action to export data from your database in different file formats.

  
  
  
• Export clieop
  This action allows you to make a standard clieop file. The file is written explicitly in ISO_8859_1 format to meet the requirements of the banking applications used by our customers.
  
  
• Global delete
  This action places a button to remove records in a class at the search results screen.
  
  
• Global replace
  This action can be used to perform a global replace on one field in a group of selected records. The value that will be placed in this field can be predefined or entered by the user.
  
  
• Insert
  Inserts records in a selected connected class. If no class is specified in the action details all connected classes will be shown. The user can enter the values for fields specified in the action parameters.
  
  
• JAVA plugin helper
  A class action implemented in a JAVA class file. This option is not available yet for external developers. CrossmarX can program the calculations in the mean time. If you want to develop the calculation your self, please use Velocity.
  
  
• Manual merger
  

  The manual merger can be used to merge a selection of records to a single record, with the possibility to select for each field the value to be preserved from all records that are to be merged.

  
  
  
• Maps
  

  This action puts objects onto a OpenStreetMap map or Google map. The action requires two fields in your class that contain latitude and longitude data. The default is Open Streetmap but if you want Google you have to fill in your own Google API key.
  
  There are several ways to find the latitude/longitude of an object. If one wants to find the longitude/latitude manually, try: http://www.gpscoordinaten.nl/bepaal-gps-coordinaten.php.
  You can put this information in the instruction of the longitude/latitude field of your application.

  
  
  
• Merger
  This action attaches the connected records of the records in a double group to the target record, and removes all the records of the double group. Note: it is also possible to merge the data of the records in the double group with the data of the target record. This action is limited to copying the value from the first double record with a value, but only when the value in the target record is null.
  
  
• Multiple blob download
  

  Zips blobs from selected records into 1 zip file for downloading.

  
  
  
• Multiple blob uploader
  This action allows the user to upload several files at the same time, instead of uploading one file at the time. The action creates a record for each uploaded file.
  This action can only work for a class with at least one field with data type 'image' or 'blob'.
  
  
• Outgoing email
  

  You can deploy this action for sending emails to a group of selected objects (usually persons or organizations).

  
  
  
• PDF generator
  Converts a HTML page to a PDF. The HTML page can be generated from a velocity template.
  
  
• PDF merger
  This action merges a selection of pdf's into a single pdf file. This is often used for batch printing purposes.
  
  
• Recalculate
  This action forces recalculation of all calculated fields within a class record. Connected field records from classes specified in the parameter list will be recalculated too.
  
  
• Schedule
  Shows a table from a class as as schedule/calendar if it contains a date or date/time field.
  
  
• Script
  

  Use this helper to define an action in a script.

  
  
  
• SMS
  -- description yet to come --


• String splitter
  The String splitter is able to split string values in one field into multiple values, to be put in other fields. For example if you want to split an adress in a column which contains both a street and number and affix into separate columns for street, number and affix
  
  
• Tell a friend
  Create a button/link to send a mail from a record detail page.
  
  
• URL checker
  Checks if the url's in the specified table are still alive. When they have not responded for a specified number of times they are set as "dead". The class this action is set on must contain a field with data type "url".
  
  
• Value setter
  Can be used to set the value of a field.
  
  
• Velocity
  

  You can write your own action and integrate it in the Application Engine. The velocity action executes the script on a record or a list (table) of records.

  
  
  
• Webshop basket
  For selling products in a web shop.