Skip to main content
S
silasf799172
March 8, 2024
Question

Why isn't there a default query record function like this following one in Appian which I made by myself

  • March 8, 2024
  • 6 replies
  • 0 views

Description:

rule!OE_QueryOneRecordTypeByForeignKey(recordType, fkField, value)

Gets a record based on its foreign key field value

recordType (RecordType): queried record type

fkField (Record Field): foreign key field

value (Number (Integer)): integer value searched

a!localVariables(
  local!queryData: a!queryRecordType(
    recordType: ri!recordType,
    filters: {
      a!queryFilter(
        field: ri!fkField,
        operator: "=",
        value: ri!value,
        
      ),
      
    },
    pagingInfo: a!pagingInfo(startIndex: 1, batchSize: 1)
  ).data,
  if(
    a!isNotNullOrEmpty(local!queryData),
    local!queryData[1],
    null
  )
)

if it was OE_QueryRecordTypeByForeignKey, then you simply remove the [1] indexing

6 replies

mathieud0001
mathieud0001
March 8, 2024

Closest thing is queryRecordByIdentifier

docs.appian.com/.../fnc_system_a_queryrecordbyidentifier.html

S
silasf799172Author
March 8, 2024

Yes, you're right, thank you. However, what I am trying to do with this post is suggest this as a new feature. Do you know where would be the right place to make this suggestion?

stefanhelzle0001
stefanhelzle0001
Brainy
March 8, 2024

There are several reasons. In my experience, there is no catch all expression. E.g. your code example would not work in a UI refresh scenario because you use a local variable without a refresh-always behaviour.

Next, I am a huge fan of expressive expression names and really prefer a XYZ_GetCaseRecordById() over a generic XYZ_GetSomeRecordsWithAnAndlessListOfOptions().

But there are (number of Appian developers) + 1 opinions.

S
silasf799172Author
March 8, 2024

How would you make this refresh-always behavior? Could you please provide me some example? 

mikes0011
mikes0011
Brainy
March 8, 2024
How would you make this refresh-always behavior? Could you please provide me some example? 

Variables declared in a!localVariables() with default settings (i.e. without using "a!refreshVariables()" to set non-default behaviors) will default to "refresh on referenced variable change" of TRUE and other refresh styles set to FALSE.  When local variables are used inside an expression rule like this, then that rule is used on an interface, it can lead to some tricky and unintuitive weird behaviors when in some instances, one would expect the value to update, but it doesn't.  In this case if a new primary key is passed in, it WOULD update the result, but in some other corner cases it might not.

mikes0011
mikes0011
Brainy
March 8, 2024

This can be simplified a lot...

if(
  a!isNotNullOrEmpty(local!queryData),
  local!queryData[1],
  null
)

can be re-written as just, index(local!queryData, 1, null()).

Additionally: creating a default record (and/or data store) query expression rule is up to the designer - I always do it for every new type I create.  The huge benefit to doing it yourself is you get to develop then follow your own coding convention(s), and build in whatever shortcut(s) you personally like.

For instance, for every "default record/datastore query" expression rule I create, I not only have a rule input to quickly query the Primary Key ID, but i also create other optional rule inputs to query other commonly-used fields if/when necessary.  The great thing about expression rules used in this manner is that they can be made to ignore any rule inputs not provided, so you can include a whole host of options that nest together if/when needed.

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement