Introduction

DiffEntity is an OutSystems External Library that compares two JSON objects and returns the detected differences in a structured format.
It is designed to help developers identify changed, missing, or added properties across JSON payloads used in integrations, audits, and data validation scenarios.

Installation

1. Download and install the library from OutSystems Forge.
2. Reference the external library in your OutSystems application.
3. The DiffEntity action will become available for use in server-side logic.

How to Use in OutSystems

1. Call the Compare action.
2. Receive the result as Text.
3. Use JSON Deserialize to convert the result into a List of Structures.
4. Display, log, or process the comparison results as needed.

Performance Considerations

• Operates entirely in memory.
• Best suited for small to medium JSON payloads.
• Optimized for runtime stability in OutSystems environments.

Compatibility

• Built with .NET 8
• Fully compliant with OutSystems External Library rules
• Works with Reactive and Traditional Web Apps

Limitations

• Supports flat JSON objects only.
• Nested objects and arrays are treated as string values.
• Comparison is string-based and does not infer data types.
• Returns JSON text due to External Library constraints.

Best Practices

• Ensure JSON inputs are valid before calling the action.
• Use getOnlyDeff = true for audit and change tracking.
• Deserialize results inside OutSystems for collection handling.