Upload Attachments Interface Backed By Action

Question

Hello, 
 I have this interface where there is a grid that shows uploaded attachments and a button to refresh the grid whenever there is a new attachment uploaded. 
 I am running into an issue where if the user clicks on "Refresh existing attachments" when the grid is empty, then uploads an attachment, the refresh button no longer refreshes. But if they upload an attachment and click refresh after utilizing the action, it functions as expected and the attachment shows on the grid. 
 I am trying to cover this scenario in case a user for some reason decides to click refresh before uploading and the grid is empty. Thoughts?

a!localVariables(
 local!readonly: a!isUserMemberOfGroup(loggedInUser(), cons!FRR_viewerGroup),
 local!existingFolderId: if(
 isnull(ri!requestId),
 null,
 rule!FRR_GET_requestFolder(requestId: ri!requestId)
 ),
 local!existingAttachments: a!refreshVariable(
 value: if(
 isnull(local!existingFolderId),
 null,
 folder(
 local!existingFolderId,
 "documentChildren"
 )
 ),
 refreshAfter: "RECORD_ACTION"
 ),
 local!existingAttachmentData: 
 a!refreshVariable(
 value:
 a!forEach(
 items: local!existingAttachments,
 expression: {
 /*custom dictionary for document properties*/
 name: document(fv!item, "name"),
 dateCreated: document(fv!item, "dateCreated"),
 lastModifiedBy: left(document(fv!item, "lastUserToModify"), 7),
 size: document(fv!item, "size")
 }
 ), 
 refreshafter: "RECORD_ACTION"),
 a!sectionLayout(
 contents: {
 a!columnsLayout(
 columns: {
 /*existing attachment grid*/
 a!columnLayout(
 contents: {
 a!gridField_23r3(
 label: "Existing Attachments",
 instructions: if(local!readonly = true, "", "Newly added attachments may be delayed showing below, please use the refresh button."),
 emptyGridMessage: "No existing Attachments found.",
 data:local!existingAttachmentData,
 columns: {
 a!gridColumn(
 label: "Name",
 sortField: "name",
 value: a!linkField(
 links: a!documentDownloadLink(
 label: fv!row.name,
 document: local!existingAttachments[fv!identifier]
 )
 )
 ),
 a!gridColumn(
 label: "Date-Time Uploaded",
 sortField: "dateCreated",
 value: if(
 isnull(fv!row.dateCreated),
 "",
 todatetime(fv!row.dateCreated)
 )
 ),
 a!gridColumn(
 label: "Last Modified By",
 sortField: "lastModifiedBy",
 value: if(
 a!isNullOrEmpty(tostring(fv!row.lastModifiedBy)),
 null,
 rule!FBCO_UsersDetails(tostring(fv!row.lastModifiedBy)).fullname
 )
 ),
 a!gridColumn(
 label: "File Size",
 sortField: "size",
 value: round(todecimal(fv!row.size) / 1024) & " KB"
 )
 },
 pageSize: 5,
 initialSorts: {
 a!sortInfo(field: "dateCreated", ascending: false)
 },
 accessibilityText: "Existing Attachments Grid"
 ),
 a!sideBySideLayout(
 items: {
 a!sideBySideItem(
 item: a!buttonArrayLayout(
 buttons: {
 a!buttonWidget_23r3(
 label: "Refresh Existing Attachments",
 style: "SECONDARY",
 saveInto: {
 /*reset all the local vars back to load values*/
 a!save(
 target: local!existingFolderId,
 value: if(
 isnull(ri!requestId),
 null,
 rule!FRR_GET_requestFolder(requestId: ri!requestId)
 ))},
 size: "SMALL",
 showWhen: if(local!readonly = true, false, true),
 width: "MINIMIZE")
 },
 align: "START"
 )
 ),
 a!sideBySideItem(
 item: a!recordActionField(
 actions: {
 a!recordActionItem(
 action: 'recordType!{ad7c4098-9372-49bf-a632-2fb45c59f523}FRR Refund Request.actions.{3ed2a393-a04e-4727-aac0-2e8a930f43ce}uploadAttachment',
 identifier: ri!requestId
 )
 },
 style: "TOOLBAR_PRIMARY",
 display: "LABEL_AND_ICON",
 align: "END",
 accessibilityText: "Upload Attachment Button"
 )
 )
 }
 )
 }
 )
 }
 )
 },
 divider: "BELOW"
 )
)

Mike Schmitt · Accepted Answer

I think your Expression Rule is the culprit. Remember that Appian essentially flattens all levels of code (from parent and child forms as well as expression rules) when it runs, so a variable within an expression rule will (unintuitively) go stale even when the parent form is expected to refresh it. 
 Refresh Variables are automatically set to "refresh on referenced variable change" as TRUE and all other refresh parameters as FALSE (or empty), so take that into account. For now, please try setting local!search to a Refresh Variable with the "RECORD_ACTION" refreshAfter, like your on-form variables. If that doesn't work, I have an alternative trick that can force it to refresh, though it's more involved and less simple, so try this way first.

Mathieu Drouin · Answer

Why do you need the refresh button? I tried your code (with a few mods) and it refreshes automatically. 
 a!localVariables(
 local!readonly: false,
 local!existingFolderId: cons!S_FOLDER_UPLOAD,
 local!existingAttachments: a!refreshVariable(
 value: if(
 a!isNullOrEmpty(local!existingFolderId),
 null,
 folder(
 local!existingFolderId,
 "documentChildren"
 )
 ),
 refreshAfter: "RECORD_ACTION"
 ),
 local!existingAttachmentData: a!refreshVariable(
 value: a!forEach(
 items: local!existingAttachments,
 expression: {
 /*custom dictionary for document properties*/
 name: document(fv!item, "name"),
 dateCreated: document(fv!item, "dateCreated"),
 lastModifiedBy: left(document(fv!item, "lastUserToModify"), 7),
 size: document(fv!item, "size")
 }
 ),
 refreshafter: "RECORD_ACTION"
 ),
 a!columnsLayout(
 columns: {
 a!columnLayout(
 contents: {
 a!gridField(
 label: "Existing Attachments",
 instructions: if(
 local!readonly = true,
 "",
 "Newly added attachments may be delayed showing below, please use the refresh button."
 ),
 data: local!existingAttachmentData,
 columns: {
 a!gridColumn(
 label: "Name",
 sortField: "name",
 value: a!linkField(
 links: a!documentDownloadLink(
 label: fv!row.name,
 document: local!existingAttachments[fv!identifier]
 )
 )
 ),
 a!gridColumn(
 label: "Date-Time Uploaded",
 sortField: "dateCreated",
 value: if(
 isnull(fv!row.dateCreated),
 "",
 todatetime(fv!row.dateCreated)
 )
 ),
 a!gridColumn(
 label: "File Size",
 sortField: "size",
 value: round(todecimal(fv!row.size) / 1024) & " KB"
 )
 },
 initialSorts: {
 a!sortInfo(field: "dateCreated", ascending: false)
 },
 pageSize: 5
 ),
 a!sideBySideLayout(
 items: {
 a!sideBySideItem(
 item: a!recordActionField(
 align: "END",
 actions: {
 a!recordActionItem(
 action: 'recordType!{782cfd87-9585-410b-a55f-844c12b7beb1}S_Client.actions.{e9710958-2828-4798-8067-69b61309ccd6}uploadDoc'
 )
 }
 )
 )
 }
 )
 }
 )
 }
 )
)

Mike Schmitt · Answer

Assuming the initial document is also creating the folder, as seen in your process flow, when the action is completed, the "existing attachments" is set to refresh after RECORD_ACTION, but the "existing folder" is not, so it will stay null, so "existing attachments" will automatically evaluate to null also. 
 The simple solution is to also make local!existingFolderId a "refresh variable" with "record_action" refreshAfter, so the folder ID will populate, so the attachment variable will populate.

Mike Schmitt · Answer

cindyl5142 said: I've attempted to set the local!existingFolderId a "refresh variable" with "record_action" refreshAfter 
 When you test from the interface designer, is the Folder ID getting populated after the action is completed, or no?

Upload Attachments Interface Backed By Action

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