Unqork Library Elements

Estimated Reading Time:  8 minutes

Overview

Unqork understands that reusability is an important part of application development. Copying and pasting configurations across a large enterprise can be tricky. This approach might lead to inconsistent implementations, tedious manual updates, and other issues. Library elements solve this problem.

Library Elements are modules and data collections that you can add to your environment's Library. The Library is your designated space to track your shared modules and data collections. You can then add and connect these Library Elements to one or more applications. Depending on your RBAC permissions, you can view, edit, and even remove Library Elements.

NOTE  It's always important to be careful when changing or promoting Library Elements. Because you can add Library Elements to other workspaces and apps, changes can break those apps.

You can access the Library from any page of your Unqork environment. Click the Library link in the top menu bar and click Library Elements.

TIP  Library Elements have purple tiles, versus the traditional gray.

What You'll Learn

In this article, you’ll learn how to:

Navigating the Library Element Ellipsis Menus

Managing Library Elements is a lot like working with normal app elements. The only difference is how your team shares the element.

When you click the ellipsis (...) on your Library Element’s tile, you'll see a menu. The menu options are different between modules and data collections. They're also different than unshared modules and data collections. Let's cover the options available in each menu.

Module Library Elements Ellipsis Menu

After opening an application that includes Library Elements, click the Modules tab to the left. You can see that all module Library Elements have purple on their tiles. Open the ellipsis (...) menu to find the following settings:

Option

Description

Settings

Lets you update the module's name, path, ID, and tags. These changes take effect everywhere you reference the module in your environment.

Preview

Opens your module in Express View. Express View displays your application as your end-user sees it.

Duplicate

Creates a copy of the module with all its information and settings.

Access & Usage

Displays a pop-up modal where you control your element's shared location(s).

Set Element Access & Usage

A drop-down where you select where to share your element:

  • Share to Select Workspaces: Lets you limit which of your environment's workspaces you want to share your Library Element.

  • Share to Environment: Your element is available to all current and future workspaces in your environment.

  • Unshare from Library: Removes your element from the Library. You can only unshare an element if no more than one app connects to and uses it. Your element still shows in the environment anywhere you reference it.

Edit

A toggle to allow or disallow edits. To make any changes, set this toggle to ON. By default, the toggle is set to OFF to prevent accidental changes.

NOTE  This toggle only displays if the creator has permission to manage the element.

Share To

A list of all the workspaces available in your environment. If you select Share to Select Workspaces, use the checkboxes to select which workspaces you want to share you element. If you select Share to Environment, all workspaces are automatically selected.

Used By

The number of apps in a workspace that currently use your Library Element.

Remove from App

Removes the module from the application. The module element still exists in the Library and environment.

Here's an example of how the ellipsis menu looks:

Data Collections Library Elements Ellipsis Menu

After opening an application that includes Library Elements, click the Data Collections tab to the left. You can see that all data collection Library Elements have purple on their tiles. Open the ellipsis (...) menu to find the following settings:

Option

Description

Reload CSV

Refreshes the data collection you're in. This is a good way to update changes to your data collection without refreshing the entire page.

Export CSV

Downloads your data collection as a .csv file.

Access & Usage

Displays a pop-up modal where you control your element's shared location(s).

Set Element Access & Usage

A drop-down where you select where to share your element:

  • Share to Select Workspaces: Lets you limit which of your environment's workspaces you want to share your Library Element.

  • Share to Environment: Your element is available to all current and future workspaces in your environment.

  • Unshare from Library: Removes your element from the Library. You can only unshare an element if no more than one app connects to and uses it. Your element still shows in the environment anywhere you reference it.

Edit

A toggle to allow or disallow edits. To make any changes, set this toggle to ON. By default, the toggle is set to OFF to prevent accidental changes.

NOTE  This toggle only displays if the creator has permission to manage the element.

Share To

A list of all the workspaces available in your environment. If you select Share to Select Workspaces, use the checkboxes to select which workspaces you want to share your element. If you select Share to Environment, all workspaces are automatically selected.

Used By

The number of apps in a workspace that currently use your Library Element.

Remove from App

Removes the data collection from the application. The data collection element still exists in the Library and environment.

Here's an example of how the ellipsis menu looks:

Creating and Sharing a New Module

If you don't have an existing module, you can create one from scratch in the Library. You can even share the Library Element as you create it.

To create and share a new module:

1. From the Library drop-down, select Library Elements.
2. To the left of the page, click Modules.
3. In the top-right corner of the page, click Create New.

4. Enter a Module Name and Module Path. Tags are optional.
5. Click Next.
6. Select where you want to share your element.
7. Click Create.

Now your new module displays in the Library Elements under Modules.

Creating and Sharing a New Data Collection

Just like modules, you can also create and share new data collections from the Library.

To create and share a new data collection:

1. From the Library drop-down, select Library Elements.
2. To the left of the page, click Data Collections.
3. In the top-right corner of the page, click Create New.
4. Configure your new data collection and its settings.
5. Close the window and return to the Data Collections page.
6. Refresh the page.

Now your new data collection displays in the Library Elements under Data Collections.

Adding an Existing Element to the Library

If you know which element you want to share, it's simple to do from your workspace.

To add an element to the Library:

1. Open the application that contains your element.
2. To the left of the page, select either Modules or Data Collections (depending on what you want to add).
3. From the element tile's ellipsis (...) menu, select Share to Library.
4. Select where you want to share your element.
5. Click Share.

When you open the Library Elements page, your element is now in the list of Library Elements.

TIP  You can open the Library from your application, too. All you have to do is click the  icon in the top-right corner of the page. From there, you can quickly add elements to your Library. In the ellipsis (...) menu, you can Open in Editor, Preview, and Duplicate to App.

Adding a Library Element to an Application

Conversely, you can also add Library Elements from the Library straight to your application.

To add a Library Element to your application:

1. Open the application you want to add a Library Element.
2. To the left of the page, select either Modules or Data Collections (depending on the type of Library Element you want to add).
3. Click the Library button in the top-right corner of the page.

4. In the list of Library Elements to the right of the page, use the Search field to find a specific Library Element.
5. To add that specific Library Element, click the Add button on its tile.

TIP  To open the Library Element in the Module Builder, click the element tile's ellipsis (...) and select Open in Editor.

Sharing an Existing Library Element

At any time, you can control your Library Elements at the workspace and environment level. But, ensure you have the correct RBAC permission. You need the correct permission to make edits in the Access & Usage pop-up modal.

To edit an element's shared locations:

1. From the Library drop-down, select Library Elements.
2. Locate your Library Element.
3. Click Access & Usage in the element’s tile.
4. Set the Edit toggle to ON.
5. Select the workspace you want to share your element.

6. Click Save.

Unsharing a Library Element

If you no longer want to share a Library element, you can remove it from the Library. But, ensure you disconnect your Library Element from your apps before unsharing. If the element is only connected to one application, it lives there when you unshare it. If it's connected to more, you need to unshare it and choose where it should exist.

To unshare a Library Element from the Library:

1. From the Library drop-down, select Library Elements.
2. Locate the element that you want to unshare.
3. Click Access & Usage in the element tile.
4. Set the Edit toggle to ON.
5. From the Set Element Access & Usage drop-down, select Unshare from Library.
6. From the Set Destination Workspace drop-down, select the workspace in which you want the element to exist.
7. From the Set Destination App drop-down, select the application in which you want the element to exist.

8. Click Save.

Deleting a Library Element

Sometimes, you might want to delete a Library Element if it becomes outdated or irrelevant. You can only delete an element if no application uses that element. Deleting a Library Element removes it from the environment.

To delete an element, unshare it from your applications. Then, follow these steps:

1. From the Library drop-down, select Library Elements.
2. Locate the element that you want to delete.
3. From the element tile's ellipsis (...) menu, select Delete.
4. Enter the element's full name to confirm you want to delete it.
5. Click Yes, Delete.