How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

cedric02 — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 16:16:38 GMT

Very interesting...
thank you for your feedback.

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

Mike Schmitt — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:11:47 GMT

[quote userid="50421" url="~/discussions/f/data/20621/how-to-cast-a-cdt-into-an-new-local-variable-updating-a-field/80392#80392"]if you would not have this plugin, how would you do ?[/quote]

It would be a total pain in the butt and require unreasonable workarounds. In the old days before this plug-in was stable, we just had to be very careful to structure our implementations in such a way that we didn't end up needing it (which is also a pain in the butt).

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

cedric02 — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 07:30:13 GMT

Thanks a lot for your reply Stefan. Yes of course, that makes sense and we already use it for our customers.

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

Stefan Helzle — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 07:22:11 GMT

Using the plugin is the way to go. I am talking to Appian for quite a while to get this function into the product. There is no environment I have ever seen where this is not deployed. In the end, this is what plugins are for and it works pretty well.

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

cedric02 — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 07:12:43 GMT

I'm re-sorry Mike, my previous post was sent too quickly (I've re-edited my previous post).

Thank you, all works fine, but I confirm you that the old "cdt" attribute works well, anyway I have to use the new one.

Stefan, thank you very much for your help. "data[1]" saved my life ;-)

- A last question, if you would not have this plugin, how would you do ?

you would enter the 50 fields of the CDT and update the only one value to change ?

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

Mike Schmitt — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 17:52:20 GMT

oh, also - at the end of your example code you're only outputting the value of local!vehicle, not of local!vehicleUpdateCdt - so we would expect the output you're seeing to only be the original and not the updated version.

Instead your code should look like this:

a!localVariables(
  local!vehicle: rule!TST_GetVehiclesWithFilters(
    id: 1
  ).data[1],
  local!vehicleUpdateCDT: updatedictionary(
    dictionary: local!vehicle,
    fieldsAndValues: {
      make: "test2"
    }
  ),
  
  local!vehicleUpdateCDT
)

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

cedric02 — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 17:38:55 GMT

Sorry Mike, it was an error, of course, I've tested before with the "dictionary" field name.

I have edited my previous post.

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

Mike Schmitt — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 17:23:48 GMT

you're using "updatedictionary()" but then passing it a property named "cdt" instead of "dictionary". This would cause it to assume that the input dictionaryis blank, which is approximately what we're seeing from your output.

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

cedric02 — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 17:06:16 GMT

Very good Idea, I did not think about this :-(

but it still does not work :

a!localVariables(
  local!vehicle: rule!TST_GetVehiclesWithFilters(
    id: 1
  ).data[1],
  local!vehicleUpdateCDT: updatedictionary(
    dictionary: local!vehicle,  /* "cdt" atribute works well too */
    fieldsAndValues: {
      make: "test2"
    }
  ),
  local!vehicle /* sorry variable was incorrect --> local!vehicleUpdateCDT! */
)

Here is the result:

Dictionary

deleted false(Boolean)
value 20(Number (Decimal))
year 2022(Number (Integer))
dateacquired null(Date)
isavailable true(Boolean)
vin ""(Text)
model "model1"(Text)
make "make1"(Text)
id 1(Number (Integer))

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

Stefan Helzle — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:55:33 GMT

OK. Then you need to drill down like local!vehicle.data[1].

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

cedric02 — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:53:30 GMT

It contains a only one item DataSubset :

List of DataSubset - 1 item

DataSubset
- startIndex 1(Number (Integer))
- batchSize 10(Number (Integer))
- sort List of SortInfo - 1 item
  - SortInfo
    - field"deleted"(Text)
    - ascendingtrue(Boolean)
- totalCount 1(Number (Integer))
- data List of Dictionary - 1 item
  - Dictionary
    - deleted false(Boolean)
    - value 20(Number (Decimal))
    - year 2022(Number (Integer))
    - dateacquired null(Date)
    - isavailable true(Boolean)
    - vin ""(Text)
    - model "model1"(Text)
    - make "make1"(Text)
    - id 1(Number (Integer))
- identifiers List of Number (Integer) - 1 item
  - 1(Number (Integer))

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

Stefan Helzle — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:40:44 GMT

In this code of yours

a!localVariables(
  local!vehicle: rule!TST_GetVehiclesWithFilters(
    id: 1
  ),
  local!vehicleUpdateCDT: updatedictionary(
    dictionary: local!vehicle,
    fieldsAndValues: (
      {
        make: "test2"
      }
    )
  ),

  {
    local!vehicleUpdateCDT
  }
)

What is the actual content of local!vehicle? Datasubset / single item / list of items?

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

cedric02 — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:34:10 GMT

yes, this works fine.

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

Stefan Helzle — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:32:19 GMT

a!localVariables(
  local!item: {name: "NOT HANS"},
  updatedictionary(
    local!item,
    {
      name: "HANS"
    }
  )
)

Does this work for you?

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

cedric02 — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:28:13 GMT

My test CDT contains standard data types :

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

Stefan Helzle — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:22:17 GMT

a!localVariables(
  local!item: rule!SBA_QR_GetConfigurationItemByIdent(1),
  updatedictionary(
    local!item,
    {
      name: "Hans"
    }
  )
)

My small test. Works a expected for dictionaries, maps and CDTs. How does your CDT look like? There are some quirks with certain data type.

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

cedric02 — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:16:17 GMT

I've already used this plugin with this ({ }), and it has worked well.

But in my below ER example, it still does not work (according your suggestion).

Would you see another error ?

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

Stefan Helzle — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:09:56 GMT

Lines 7-10 should look like

fieldsAndValues: {
make: "test2"
}

There are to many brackets.

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

cedric02 — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:06:15 GMT

Thank you Stefan but I've already tested it without success.

Am I forgetting something ? (the value of the "make" field does not change)

a!localVariables(
  local!vehicle: rule!TST_GetVehiclesWithFilters(
    id: 1
  ),
  local!vehicleUpdateCDT: updatedictionary(
    dictionary: local!vehicle,
    fieldsAndValues: (
      {
        make: "test2"
      }
    )
  ),

  {
    local!vehicleUpdateCDT
  }
)

RE: How to cast a CDT into an new local variable, updating a field ?

Stefan Helzle — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 15:54:39 GMT

This plugin should help

community.appian.com/.../cdt-manipulation