📋 Universal Export Engine – Detailed Technical Documentation

🎯 Overview

Universal Export Engine is a .NET Extension Service designed for the OutSystems Platform.It enables exporting any data type to Excel (.xlsx), PDF, or CSV with extensive customization, security, and localization support.

Core Principle:Export once – use everywhere – handle everything

📦 Architecture & Components

Class Structure

public class CssUniversal_Export_Engine : IssUniversal_Export_Engine

• Implements: IssUniversal_Export_Engine

• Namespace: OutSystems.NssUniversal_Export_Engine

• Type: .NET Library (DLL)

• Framework: .NET Framework 4.8

🔢 Constants & Enum Values

Export Formats

• EXPORT_FORMAT_EXCEL = 1 → Excel (.xlsx)

• EXPORT_FORMAT_PDF = 2 → PDF (RTL, Watermark, Security)

• EXPORT_FORMAT_CSV = 3 → CSV (UTF-8, Culture-aware)

Delivery Types

• DELIVERY_TYPE_DOWNLOAD = 1

• DELIVERY_TYPE_EMAIL = 2

• DELIVERY_TYPE_STORAGE = 3

Page Configuration

• PAGE_ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT = 1

• PAGE_ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE = 2

• PAGE_SIZE_A4 = 1

• PAGE_SIZE_LETTER = 2

Text Alignment

• TEXT_ALIGNMENT_LEFT = 1

• TEXT_ALIGNMENT_CENTER = 2

• TEXT_ALIGNMENT_RIGHT = 3

Column Data Types

• COLUMN_DATA_TYPE_TEXT = 1

• COLUMN_DATA_TYPE_NUMBER = 2

• COLUMN_DATA_TYPE_DATE = 3

• COLUMN_DATA_TYPE_CURRENCY = 4

• COLUMN_DATA_TYPE_BOOLEAN = 5

🛠 Helper Methods – Data Conversion

ConvertRLStringListToList(...)

Purpose: Convert RLStringListRecordList to List

Process:

• Iterate records

• Extract ssValue

• Return standard .NET list

Usage: Email recipients from OutputConfig.ssAttribute

Default Configuration Methods

• GetDefaultExportOptions()

• GetDefaultLayoutConfig()

• GetDefaultLocalizationConfig()

• GetDefaultSecurityConfig()

• GetDefaultPerformanceConfig()

• GetDefaultOutputConfig()

Purpose: Apply defaults when configs are nullDefaults Source: Structures.cs

🔄 Data Processing Methods

ProcessData(...)

Input: Any OutSystems dataOutput: List>

Flow:

1. Serialize to JSON

2. Parse JSON (JArray / JObject)

3. Reflection fallback

4. Optional flattening

5. Null-safe handling

Handles: empty, null, nested, mixed types, arrays

ProcessJsonObject(...)

• Recursive JSON processing

• Flattens nested objects

• Arrays → comma-separated values

• Preserves key hierarchy

ConvertObjectToDictionary(...)

• Reflection-based conversion

• Recursive flattening (optional)

• Skips unreadable properties

IsSimpleType(...)

Simple types:

• Primitives, string, DateTime, decimal, Guid, Nullable

GetValue(...)

• Extracts value from JValue

• Returns raw object otherwise

📊 Column Processing Methods

CleanColumnName(...)

Removes OutSystems prefixes and formats names.

Examples:

• ssENEmployee._ssName → Name

• Customer.Address.Street → Street

• _Status → Status

ShouldExcludeColumn(...)

Hardcoded exclusions:

• ChangedAttributes

• OptimizedAttributes

ProcessColumns(...)

Modes:

• Auto-Detect: Extract from data

• Manual: Use provided config

Applies:

• Exclusions

• Clean names

• Data type detection

• Sorting by order

DetectDataType(...)

Samples first 10 non-null values:

• Number

• Date

• Boolean

• Default → Text

FormatValue(...)

Formats based on column data type:

• Boolean → Custom text

• Date → TimeZone + format

• Number → Culture-aware

• Currency → Culture-aware

• Null → NullValueText

✅ Validation Methods

MssValidateExportDefinition(...)

Validates:

1. Data existence

2. Export format

3. Column config

4. Layout config

5. Security config

6. Performance config

7. Output config

Returns: RCValidationResultRecord

• Errors (blocking)

• Warnings (non-blocking)

📄 Export Methods

ExportToExcel(...)

• Library: ClosedXML

• Headers, widths, alignment

• Data formatting

• Auto-fit columns

Returns: byte[]

ExportToCSV(...)

• UTF-8 encoding

• Culture-aware formatting

• Proper CSV escaping

Returns: byte[]

ExportToPDF(...)

• Library: iTextSharp

• Page size & orientation

• Headers / Footers

• Watermark & security

• RTL & font fallback

Returns: byte[]

🚀 Main Public Functions

MssExportData(...)

Main entry point

Flow:

1. Apply defaults

2. Process data

3. Limit rows

4. Process columns

5. Export by format

6. Generate filename

7. Populate result

MssPreviewExport(...)

• Exports first N rows

• Prefixes filename with Preview_

• Used for testing & validation

MssValidateExportDefinition(...)

• Pre-execution validation only

🔧 Helper Class – ColumnInfo

Internal structure holding:

• ColumnKey

• DisplayName

• Visibility

• Order

• DataType

• Format

• Width

• Alignment

• WrapText

• DefaultValue

📚 Dependencies & Libraries

NuGet:

• ClosedXML (MIT)

• DocumentFormat.OpenXml (MIT)

• iTextSharp (AGPL)

• Newtonsoft.Json (MIT)

OutSystems Runtime:

• RuntimePlatform

• DatabaseAbstractionLayer

• RuntimeCommon

• REST & SOAP APIs

✨ Key Features & Capabilities

• Dynamic data handling

• Smart column detection

• Advanced formatting

• Full localization & RTL

• PDF security

• Performance optimization

• Large dataset support (1M+ rows)

• Robust edge-case handling

📌 Important Notes

• All configurations are optional

• No assumptions about data shape

• Full error & exception handling

• Optimized for scale

• Easily extensible