How to: Remote Execute With a Calculation Field

Overview

This use case looks at a simple solution that combines Plug-Ins and Calculators with an internal service call. Using this configuration, you can successfully carry out a remote execute call. Let's start by looking at why remote executes are more secure.

To recreate this use case, you'll use the following modules:

  • Front End module (1): Manages the front-end functions. It's here that your end-user selects the inputs for the insurance cost calculation.

  • Back End module (2): Manages the back-end functions and includes the ID used by your remote execute.

Why Are Remote Executes More Secure?

Running everything in the browser is not secure. If an API call runs in the browser, any end-user can open the DevTools panel. There, they could potentially inject malware and access private information. By creating remote executes, you prevent malicious actors from seeing sensitive data. That sensitive data is instead hidden, processed only in the remote-execute module.

Putting internal API calls (such as Get Submissions, Create Submission, or Update Submission) in server-side modules is extremely beneficial. These benefits include:

  • Speed: API calls happen via a remote server, easing overburden on the browser.

  • Security: Bad actors can’t access Personally Identifiable Information (PII) through the Console.

  • Easier Debugging: Creating modular API modules provides a smaller code-base for debugging.

Configuration Part 1: Front End Module (1)

To recreate this use case, you'll first build your Front End module. This module gathers details on what your end-user is insuring. So, are they insuring a house, a car, or a boat? Then you'll capture the age of the insured item. Your Front End module also includes a field to display the calculated insurance rate. Your Back End module handles this calculation. Let's set up your Front End module step-by-step.

Here's what your Front End module looks like in the Module Builder:

What You'll Need

For this module, you'll need:

  • 1 Radio Buttons component
  • 1 Number component
  • 1 Text Field component

Configure the Radio Buttons Component

The first question you'll ask your end-user is what they're insuring. To do that, you'll add a Radio Buttons component.

1. Drag and drop a Radio Buttons component onto your canvas.
2. Enter insuredAsset in the Property ID.
3. Enter What do you need to insure? in the Label Text.
4. In the Labels and Values table, enter the following:

Option Label

Value to Store in Submission Data

House

house

Car

car

Boat

boat

5. Click Save.

Configure the Number Component

Next, you'll add a field that asks how old your end-user's insured asset is. To do that, you'll use a Number component.

1. Drag and drop a Number component onto your canvas. Place your Number component below your Radio Buttons.
2. Enter assetAge in the Property ID.
3. Enter How old is your home, vehicle, or boat? in the Label Text.
4. Click Save.

Configure the Text Field Component

Now, you'll add a field to show the insurance cost. You'll use a Text Field component to do that. And because this field holds a monetary value, you'll set a dollar sign prefix.

1. Drag and drop a Text Field component onto your canvas. Place your Text Field component below your Number component.
2. Enter insuranceRate in the Property ID.
3. Enter Your insurance will cost: in the Label Text.
4. Enter $ in the Prefix.

5. Click Save.
6. Save your module.

Configuration Part 2: Back End Module (2)

Let's move on to the Back End module. The purpose of this module is to store the data collected in your Front End module. So, you'll include a Hidden component for each field in your Front End module.

The Back End module serves a second purpose, though. In this configuration, your insurance rate calculation happens in your Back End module. For that, you'll use 3 Calculator components. Each Calculator handles a different asset rate, one each for:

  • House

  • Car

  • Boat

To trigger the appropriate Calculator, you'll include an Initializer component.

Here's what your Back End module looks like in the Module Builder:

What You'll Need

For this module, you'll need:

  • 3 Hidden components
  • 3 Calculator components
  • 1 Decisions component
  • 1 Initializer component

Configure the Hidden Components

First, you'll add fields to store the data from your Front End module. You'll use 3 Hidden components to do that.

1. Drag and drop 3 Hidden components onto your canvas.
2. Enter the following Property IDs and Label Text:

Property ID

Label Text

insuredAsset

insuredAsset

assetAge

assetAge

insuranceRate

insuranceRate
3. Save each component as you add it.

Configure the Home Insurance Calculator Component

This is the first Calculator component in this configuration. This Calculator holds the formula to calculate your home insurance rate.

1. Drag and drop a Calculator component onto your canvas. Place your Calculator component below your Hidden components.
2. Enter calcHouse in the Property ID and Label Text.
3. Select Manual from the Trigger Type.
4. In the Inputs table, enter the following:
a. Property ID: enter assetAge.
b. Alias: enter A.
5. In the Outputs table, enter the following:
a. Property ID: enter insuranceRate.
b. Alias: enter =A*2.

6. Click Save.

Configure the Car Insurance Calculator Component

This is the second Calculator component in this configuration. This Calculator holds the formula to calculate your car insurance rate.

1. Drag and drop a Calculator component onto your canvas. Place your Calculator component below your calcHouse Calculator.
2. Enter calcCar in the Property ID and Label Text.
3. Select Manual from the Trigger Type.
4. In the Inputs table, enter the following:
a. Property ID: enter assetAge.
b. Alias: enter A.
5. In the Outputs table, enter the following:
a. Property ID: enter insuranceRate.
b. Alias: enter =A.

6. Click Save.

Configure the Boat Insurance Calculator Component

This is the third Calculator component in this configuration. This Calculator holds the formula to calculate your boat insurance rate.

1. Drag and drop a Calculator component onto your canvas. Place your Calculator component below your calcCar Calculator.
2. Enter calcBoat in the Property ID and Label Text.
3. Select Manual from the Trigger Type.
4. In the Inputs table, enter the following:
a. Property ID: enter assetAge.
b. Alias: enter A.
5. In the Outputs table, enter the following:
a. Property ID: enter insuranceRate.
b. Alias: enter =A*3.

6. Click Save.

Configure the Decisions Component

To trigger the correct Calculator component, you need a rule. Remember, rules are set using a Decisions component. Your insuredAsset Hidden component works as the Input for your Decisions component. So, the value in insuredAsset sets which Calculator triggers.

1. Drag and drop a Decisions component onto your canvas. Place your Decisions component below your Hidden components.
2. Enter ruleCalculator in the Property ID and Label Text.
3. Select Manual from the Trigger Type.
4. In the Inputs table, enter the following:
a. Property ID: enter insuredAsset.
b. Type: select exact.
5. In the Outputs table, enter the following:

Property ID

Type

calcHouse

trigger

calcCar

trigger

calcBoat

trigger
6. In the Micro Decisions table, enter the following:

insuredAsset

calcHouse_trigger

calcCar_trigger

calcBoat_trigger

house

GO

 

 

car

 

GO

 

boat

 

 

GO

7. Click Save.

Configure the Initializer Component

Now, you'll add an Initializer that triggers the Decisions component. Your Decisions component triggers whenever your end-user submits their application. Or, you could say the Initializer fires on each new submission.

1. Drag and drop an Initializer component onto your canvas. Place your Initializer component below your Decisions component.
2. Enter initNewSubmission in the Property ID and Label Text.
3. Select New Submission from the Trigger Type.
4. In the Outputs table, enter the following:
a. Property ID: enter ruleCalculator.
b. Type: enter Trigger.
c. Value: enter GO.

5. Click Save.
6. Save your module.

Configuration Part 3: Updating the Front End Module (1)

Now that you have your Back End module configured, you'll tie the two modules together. You'll do this by adding a Plug-In component to your Front End module. Your Plug-In will handle the remote execute and create each new submission. You'll also add a Button component so your end-user can submit their responses. The Button triggers the Plug-In. Let's make some updates!

This is what your updated Front End module looks like in the Module Builder:

What You'll Need

To update this module, you'll need:

  • 1 Plug-In component
  • 1 Button component

Configure the Plug-In Component

Your Plug-In component is what ties your two modules together. You'll configure an API call to execute your Back End module based on your end-user's responses.

1. Drag and drop a Plug-In component onto your canvas. Place your Plug-In component below your Number component.
2. Enter pluginRemoteExecute in the Property ID and Label Text.
3. Select Manual from the Trigger Type.
4. In the Inputs table, enter the following:

Property ID

Mapping

insuredAsset

data.insuredAsset

assetAge

data.assetAge

Note: The Property ID column refers to the input fields in your Front End module. The Mapping column refers to the destination fields in your Back End module. You're mapping your end-user's data to fields in your Back End module. The data will store there in submissions.

5. In the Outputs table, enter the following:
a. Property ID: enter insuredRate.
b. Mapping: enter data.resolved.insuranceRate.

Note: Your Outputs table accepts the insurance rate calculated in your Back End module. It then maps that insurance rate into your Text Field component for your end-user to see.

6. Select Execute Module from the Internal Services drop-down. The Request Type and Data Source URL auto-populate.
7. In the Data Source URL, replace {moduleId} with the module ID of your Back End module.

Note: You can pull the module ID from the Back End module’s URL as follows: https://training.unqork.io/#/form/5d9e06f2b5871a004223b54e/edit.

8. Click Save.

Configure the Button Component

As the last step, you'll add a Button component to trigger your Plug-In. This button submits your end-user's response to the application. On button-click, data sends to your Back End module. Then, the corresponding Calculator triggers, returning the insurance rate.

1. Drag and drop a Button component onto your canvas. Place your Button component below your Plug-In component.
2. Enter btnSubmit in the Property ID.
3. Enter Submit in the Label Text.
4. Set the Hide Success Message toggle to ON.

Note: You can leave this toggle set to OFF. But there's no need for a Success message on this example. A returned insurance rate is enough to show that your end-user's submission was a success.

5. Enter pluginRemoteExecute in the Trigger on Click.

6. Click Save.
7. Save your module.

Lab

You'll find the completed modules for this use case using the following links: