Adding a Data Refresh Button to Lists that Implement Columnar Tables

To make it easier for a list that uses a columnar table to have up-to-date data, you can add a Data Refresh button to the list. Users can then click this button to run the replication set that refreshes the columnar table for the list.

This procedure assumes you are familiar with the Configuration Console. For more information, see the Configuration Console Guide and the Configuration Console Reference Guide: Landmark Pattern Language (LPL).

  1. Complete the following prerequisites:
    • Ensure that the list that are adding a button to can use columnar data. The LPL for the list must include the line
      implements ColumnarView
    • Ensure that a search form exists for the business class that the list uses and that the lists references this search form. For example, the list LPL would include a line similar to 
      search form is GLTransactionDetailPrimaryList_SearchForm
    • A replication set exists for the business class that the list uses, and that replication set is defined to create a columnar table. See Creating replication sets.
  2. Create a user action.
    1. Access the Configuration Console.
    2. Select Configured Business Classes and, if a business class configuration does not already exist for the business class you want to create a user action for, create a new configuration for that business class and select User Action for the Configuration Type. If the business class configuration already exists, expand the business class, select User Actions, and click the New button.
    3. In the right pane, define the user action:
      Action Name
      Specify a name for the action (do not use spaces). Be sure to follow your configurations naming conventions and prefix the name with a code such as ZZZ, Usr, or characters that represent your company name (for example, ACM for Acme Co).
      Default Label
      Specify the label the user will see, such as "Refresh Data". You can add translated labels by clicking the globe icon and defining Locale Translations.
      Action Type
      Select Import.
    4. Save the user action configuration, then select it in the left pane and click the Edit LPL button.
    5. Add the following to the LPL (where <ReplicationSetName> is the actual name of the replication set that populates the columnar table) and then click Save. 
      Local Fields 
     RepSet is a ReplicationSet 
Action Rules 
     RepSet = "<ReplicationSetName>" 
     invoke Replicate RepSet
    6. Click Configure at the top of the right pane and then the Next button.
    7. Select the check box to create a security class for this user action and then click check boxes for the roles you want to assign the security class to. Then click Save.
  3. Create an action form for the user action you created.
    1. In the Configuration Console, expand Configured Business Classes and then expand the business class you created the user action for.
    2. Select User Forms and click the New button.
    3. Specify a name in the New Name field and click OK.
    4. Select the new form in the left pane and then click the Edit LPL button.
    5. Modify the LPL so that it is similar to the following, where you replace <actionname> with the name of the user action you created earlier and where the paragraph text is what is displayed on the popup when a user clicks the button to refresh data: 
      RefreshDataActionForm is an ActionForm
    action is <actionname>
    Layout
        paragraph
            text of "PressOKToRefreshColumnarData."
  4. Modify the list you are creating the button for.
    1. In the Configuration Console, expand Configured Business Classes and then expand the business class you created the user action for.
    2. In the left pane, select Configured Lists and click the New button.
    3. In the List field, select the list to modify, specify a name in the New Name field, and click OK.
    4. At the top of the right pane, click the Edit LPL button.
    5. Add the following to the LPL for the list, where <UserActionName> is the name of the user action you created earlier: 
      Actions
     action is <UserActionName>
    6. Click Save.
  5. Test if the button on the list performs a data refresh. Note that there will be some lag time before the refreshed data is available. The lag time will depend on the amount of data to refresh, whether many replication set executions are ahead in the queue, how many business classes are in the replication set, and so on.