Idea - Variable Inputs in WebBlocks

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Hugo Bento

Variable Inputs in WebBlocks

On our Radar

Frontend (App Interfaces)

That's about it.

Add output parameters in WebBlocks so you can reuse the data on parent screen or block.

10 May 2011

Kilian Hekhuis

MVP

I really don't get what you mean - a WebBlock is a screen element, so when do you want output? Also, what has that to do with reuse of data?

11 May 2011

Hugo Francisco

I get what he means with output parameters.
He wants to access variables / information inside a web-block.

Could be handy sometimes like when you have the same web-block 2 or 3 times in the same parent screen.

13 May 2011

Hugo Bento

Yes, that´s what I mean, I want to pass a variable to a webBlock that can be accessed in the parent window.

In .net you have ascx controls with public properties, those properties you can "set" and "get" from parent windows (or parent controls for that matters)

20 May 2011

Hugo Bento

In addition to what I've commented previously I just thought I posted another Idea that I hope it makes more sense for you Kilian.
https://www.outsystems.com/ideas/783/

Cheers

20 May 2011

Rebecca Hall

Isn't a "NotifyWidget" action supposed to be able to pass values from a web block back to the parent?

01 Mar 2012

Kilian Hekhuis

MVP

There's only the Message parameter, so if you want to pass multiple values, you'll have to serialize them or the like. Quite a pain actually, but sometimes the only possibility. Also, if there's no button inside that triggers something, you have to do that on each OnChange. Feasible, but totally unnecessary if OS would implement a sane way to access the data inside the webblock (e.g. WebBlockName.WidgetName.DataElement).

02 Mar 2012

enigma

How about output parameters for web blocks?

This could help reusing upto single fields. And reduce bugs, ie. where accidently one attribute wasnt set in 2 out of 50 fields, which then lead to invalid inputs and ofcourse a big expedition to finding the two faulty fields.

ie. you have a date input field, which needs a special logic and is used accross all espaces.

You can create a webblock, with the input field and all required logic, preparation, actions, style etc

Have an input parameter, for the current or initial date and then the new output parameter, to return the changed value.
Date WebBlock

Now the webblock can be implemented in any form, to update the date in any table.
Example Form

(in this example, the date chunk is used for the date of birth. but it would also be any other date field, in other forms, from other tables)

Merged from 'WebBlock - Output Parameter' (idea created on 2012-09-23 16:24:32 by enigma), on 2016-10-25 13:01:17 by Goncalo Borrega

23 Sep 2012

Rebecca Hall

You can notify the parent page / web block using the "NotifyWidget" action and pass these values.

Merged from 'WebBlock - Output Parameter' (idea created on 2012-09-23 16:24:32 by enigma), on 2016-10-25 13:01:17 by Goncalo Borrega

01 Oct 2012

enigma

Thank you very much for the hint! =)
But wouldnt you also preffer an output parameter?
For transparency, but also you wouldnt have to call an action for every such field in the form.

Merged from 'WebBlock - Output Parameter' (idea created on 2012-09-23 16:24:32 by enigma), on 2016-10-25 13:01:17 by Goncalo Borrega

07 Nov 2012

Niels Favreau

Bump
Using OnNotify is such a pain ... That means for every onchange on a field you have to onNotify to the parent and the parent should handle the new changes. Like Kilian Mentioned.

It's really a pain when you have a page with global save, and some form parts are being reused on other pages.
Using OnNotify is almost impossible to maintain and keep the code simple and readable.

Using output parameters (for example of type record) would simplafly by alot this complexity.

30 Jan 2018

Leonardo Fernandes

MVP

Hi Niels. Have you checked the Event System component? It's meant to simplify reusing forms, global saves, validations and a lot more.

30 Jan 2018

Gonçalo Borrêga

Merged this idea with 'WebBlock - Output Parameter' (created on 2012-09-23 16:24:32 by enigma)

25 Oct 2016

Justin James

MVP

Merged this idea with 'Output Parameters for Web Block' (created on 01 Jul 2018 05:15:16 by Imelda Nugraha)

02 Jul 2018

Lia

I understand that there is a way to pass data between Web Blocks and the main screen using OnNotify, but I think it will save time to have specific output parameters for Web Block instead of extracting (and converting) some values from single NotifyGetMessages with Text format.

Regards.

Imelda

Merged from 'Output Parameters for Web Block' (idea created on 01 Jul 2018 05:15:16 by Imelda Nugraha), on 02 Jul 2018 03:03:52 by Justin James

01 Jul 2018

Kilian Hekhuis

MVP

This should probably work like on mobile (i.e. events with parameters).

02 Jul 2018

Tiago Simões

Staff

Changed the status to

Implemented

on 26 Sep 2018

Hi Hugo,

That was indeed a common requirement. To overcome that need we implemented Events in web blocks in OutSystems 11.

They work the same way as mobile block events introduced in 10: they allow you to send values to the parent screen or block using parameters (in a lot more explicit way than OnNotify, as you can specify several parameters with different data types).

Thanks for your idea,
Tiago Simões

24 Apr 2019

Tom Rowland

If this is possible in the framework, I would like to be able to call an action/actions exposed to the parent by a web block that can then be used to return values on demand as this can be more efficient than having it pushed when I don't need it. ie for when I only need the data when a save button is pressed.

25 Oct 2019

Tiago Simões

Staff

Hi Tom,

I understand. Currently we have do not have that functionality, i.e. for now you can only communicate downwards by changing parameters and upwards by raising events. I agree that in some cases calling the action of block would be simpler. There is another idea that I believe match what you want

https://www.outsystems.com/ideas/80/invoke-a-webblock-action-from-a-screen-with-output-arguments?IsFromAdvancedSearch=True

Cheers,
Tiago Simões

25 Oct 2019

Kilian Hekhuis

MVP

Heh, it's even older than this one, 9.5 years :).

25 Oct 2019

Alexander Hagen-Thorn

The status of this idea is incorrect. The feature has NOT been implemented.

Events are different from readable variables.

25 Nov 2019

Tiago Simões

Staff

Changed the status to

On our radar

Hi Alexander,

You are right, this idea seems to be more about about having reference parameters (that work both as input and output) so you don't need events at all, and it would be a lot more direct. A bit like the variable property in built-in widgets. I'll add this yo our radar.

Thanks,
Tiago Simões

25 Nov 2019