Help with web components

Question

Hello, 
 I'm trying to figure out how to integrate an external web site with Appian. I have a JAVA war file that contains JavaScript files. The war was produced by another organization, and I expect to have occasional updates. I have the war hosted and running on its own server. What I would like to do is push a button on an Appian form that launches the web page created in the war. The user then selects different options in the popup and hits submit. The external web site produces an XML string and sends it back to Appian. Appian then displays the processed XML on the form. Later, when the Appian form is completed and submitted, Appian saves the XML to the DB. I've tried using Web Content Field. It displays the button and launches the external web page. I have no idea how to send the XML back to Appian. Web Content Fields don't retrieve data as far as I can tell. I also thought about setting up an Appian Web API for the external site to call and send the data, but I'm not sure how to tell the Web API which form the XML should go to. 
 Next, I tried setting up an Appian Integration and Connected System. It seems like the web site has to already be running in order for data to be passed back. Maybe I can try a combination of Web Content field, Integration and Connected system? 
 I even tried creating my own component plugin but couldn't get the developer token to work and we are unable to provide our production URL and component for inspection to get a production token. 
 I appreciate any guidance you can provide.

Stefan Helzle · Answer

joeys987 said: I also thought about setting up an Appian Web API for the external site to call and send the data, but I'm not sure how to tell the Web API which form the XML should go to. 
 This sounds like a reasonable idea. Can you explain what you mean with the following? 
 joeys987 said: tell the Web API which form the XML should go to 
 An API in Appian can just take any XML you throw at it.

Mathieu Drouin · Answer

This seems like a lot of trouble just to save on the development (and potential changes) of a form. 
 Have you considered replicating the form on your end, submit via API and display the response?

Stefan Helzle · Answer

This does not work in sites. 
 Appian can display a XML string.

vimalkumars · Answer

Hi joeys987 , 
 As Yogi mentioned, you can generate an instance id(Eg:12045) of the form that is rendered and send that to the external site by passing it as an URL Parameter. 
 Based on your response, it seems like you can do step 1 and 2. 
 
 You can do step 3 by, one of the below 
 Option 1: Using Local Variables Refresh: 
 Have a local variable which will refresh in appian for every 30 seconds, this local variable value should call the query to pull the data pushed to Appian using Step 2. 
 Option 2: Using Refresh Icon: 
 Have an Icon/button within the page, which upon clicked should call the query to pull the data pushed to Appian using Step 2. if value is returned you can update your interface as you want or else you can continue to show the refresh and wait for results.