Quick first order of business, I am a traditional developer with over 35 years experience in development and design. After being severely frustrated with the capabilities of other low-code platforms I have arrived here with great expectations :)
Because I am an experienced developer I am of course trying to run before I can walk, but this may be partially excused as a need to get going and be productive as soon as possible. My apologies if I have missed something that is obviously answered elsewhere. Any relevant reference links will be appreciated as well as direct responses.
My issue:
My Questions:
If you are kind enough to respond, please explain all of the detail no matter how trivial, not making any assumptions about what I should already have in my app or what I already know. I am very new to this (3 days in, approximately). Thank you in advance, and I look forward to a long and productive relationship with the development community here.
Hi Joseph,
Welcome to OutSystems!
To add to the correct reply already shared to define a Fetch from Other Source Data action, here is an official OutSystems training video that also explains the process:
https://www.outsystems.com/training/lesson/1850/retrieving-data-from-a-rest-api-get
I feel you, when I started with OutSystems, I also struggled initially to let go the patterns and way of work I was used to for many years. My advice go the the OutSystems training material it is really good. All I know is mostly learned from watching the online training material.
Just google the topic "Outsystems <your topic>" and a big change there is a training video or presentation.
Regards,
Daniel
@Daniël Kuhlmann , thanks, this did the trick. Dragging the output into the flow for assignment got me access to the data I needed on the screen. Once I had assigned all the bits and pieces on the property panel on the right, I could do what I needed. On to the next problem! :)
I might be of help in this matter:
You are consuming the API "GetBigThings".
This will have a request. That request will have the input CODE from the interface.
The way to get the response is to test the API in the test tab on the API OutSystems interface, this one:
once you have written the Request in JSON, you can click on test and that will generate a response on the "Response test result" box.
Next you need to copy that response to body (by clicking the button on the bottom) and click finish.
That will create the response automatically in the form of a structure.
You can use that structure for logic or simply to use it in the widgets interface.
Hope it helps
Thanks for the quick response.
As I said in my original post, I have already got the response and "copied it to the body" and saved all of that. That's not my issue.
You say: "You can use that structure for logic or simply to use it in the widgets interface. "
Okay, great. HOW? Specifically?
I right-click on my screen name and select Fetch Data from Other Sources.
That creates an item in the tree which I name GetBigThings. Under that there has been created for me an output parameter called Out1.
I also see this thing on the canvas to the left:
And there is now an Error in the Error and Warnings tab at the bottom of the screen:
What I want to do is:
How EXACTLY do I do this? What do I do now, step-by-step? Sorry but this is just not intuitive to me as my background is to do everything in code [ yes, I am a dinosaur:) ]
Thanks.
Oh, sorry if I miss that on your original post.
Ok, than it is better than I thought.
So, now, you have to drag an assign widget ( on the left column of the service studio) to that flow that you showed on the screen and assign the Out1 to the API response.
Then you have that action that outputs the structure.
To use it on the screen, build a data action like this
To build a Data action:
on the interface, right click on the screen (in the elements tab on the right side), and add data action. This is an asynchronously server call. that will allow you to drag the API action and access its output
I would suggest building a wrapper for the API.
I understand that you want to get in asap in the OutSystems world.
In order to do it in the most efficient way, and since you have experience in the developing world, I would advise checking the learning paths. It will give you the insight into this little things that makes the bridge between traditional developing and OutSystems.
I will be around if you need more help.
Thanks so much @Daniël Kuhlmann and Henrique Ferreira. This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I'm off to the learning path and will check back with progress.
Much obliged, and thanks again.