Input Operator

A static image displaying the Input operator and its Info Window.

The Input operator serves as the beginning of your Data Workflow, with a single output port. The Input operator lets you retrieve data from a component and bring it into your Data Workflow.

You can use an Input operator to:

You can use an Input operator to easily reference an end-user's name in a Text Field component. Or, retrieve an email address from an Email component. Then, use other Data Workflow operators to process those pieces of data.

You'll find the Input operator under the I/O group to the left of the Data Workflow canvas.

And here's a breakdown of each setting in the Info window:

Setting

Description

Category

Grayed out and non-adjustable setting indicating the operation type.

Component

 

A component storing the data you'll bring into your Data Workflow. Here, you'll see a drop-down containing every component's Property ID in your module. Select the component you want to reference from the drop-down list.

After selecting a Property ID, the Component field remains editable. You can type in the Component field to define a property path or target fields nested under the selected Property ID.

Your selection displays as the operator's label.

The Data Workflow component supports using grid referencing syntax to target the Dynamic Grid, Uniform Grid, and Freeform Grid components. Grid referencing syntax supports targeting at the component, column, row, and cell level. To learn more, view the following articles in our Documentation Hub: Dynamic Grid: Targeted Logic and Referencing Syntax and Uniform Grid and Freeform Grid: Logic and Referencing Syntax.

Required

When set to Yes, your Data Workflow does not begin until a value is present in the chosen component. So, if you selected a Text Field component, the Data Workflow does not run if the Text Field component is empty.

When set to No, the Data Workflow runs with or without a value in the chosen component.

By default, the Required drop-down is set to Yes.

Source

Sets the type of data the source component contains. To draw the exact value of the component selected earlier, you'll choose Default.

If you work with dynamic values, you'll choose Binded Table. Doing so is useful when using dynamic values in a Data Table component. If you have dynamic values in a Data Table component, select the Data Table component under the Component setting. Then, select Binded Table as your Source. To see an example of configuring a Binded Table, read our Binded Table Use Casearticle.

By default, the Source drop-down is set to Default.

Manually-Defined Inputs

In some cases, you might want to reference an input that does not display in the Info window's Component drop-down. For example, the Property ID of components in imported modules.

To reference an input that does not display in the Component drop-down:

1. Select your Input operator.
2. In the operator's Info window, select any Property ID from the component drop-down. The Property ID displays below the Input operator as a label.
3. On the Data Workflow canvas, double-click the Input operator's label. The field becomes editable.
4. Enter the Property ID to use as an input.
5. Click outside the field to save your manually-defined input.

Reopening the Data Workflow component might not display your manually-defined input on the canvas, though the connection still exists. Consider using the Data Workflow component's Comment field to note the input.

To demonstrate an Input operator, you'll use it to retrieve data from a Data Table component.

These instructions assume you have a new module open, saved, and with a title.

Configure the Data Table Component

First, configure a Data Table component to store some sample data.

1. In the Module Builder, drag and drop a Dropdown Component IconData Table component onto your canvas.
2. In the Property ID and Label Text fields, enter dtDogs.
3. In the data table, enter the following:
  A B C

1

name

breed

color

2

Baxter

Beagle

Brown

3

Scar

Puggle

Brown

4

Pickles

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier

Yellow

5

Holly

Golden Retriever

Golden

A static image displaying the Data Table component's configuration.

4. Click Save Component.

Configure the Hidden Component

Next, configure a Hidden component to store the Data Workflow's output data.

1. Drag and drop a Hidden component onto your canvas, placing it below your dtDogsDropdown Component IconData Table component.
2. In the Property ID and Label Text fields, enter dwfOutput.
3. Click Save Component.

Configure the Data Workflow Component

Now, add a Data Workflow component to process the data.

1. Drag and drop a Data Workflow component onto your canvas, placing it between your dtDogsDropdown Component IconData Table and dwfOutput Hidden components.
2. In the Property ID and Canvas Label Text fields, enter dwfDogs.

Configure the Input Operator

1. Drag and drop an Input operator onto your Data Workflow canvas.
2. Configure the operator's Info window as follows:
Info

Category

Input

Component

dtDogs

Required

Yes

Source

Default

Configure the Output Operator

1. Drag and drop an Output operator onto your Data Workflow canvas.
2. Configure the operator's Info window as follows:
Info

Category

Output

Component

dwfOutput

Action

Value

3. Connect the output port (right) of the Input operator to the input port (left) of the Output operator.
4. Click Save Component.

Here's how the completed Data Workflow looks:

A static image displaying the Input and Output operators on the Data Workflow canvas.

Configure the Button Component

Lastly, add a Button component to trigger the Data Workflow.

1. Drag and drop a Button component Icon Button component onto your canvas, placing it below your dwfDogsData Workflow component.
2. In the Property ID field, enter btnTrigger.
3. In the Label Text, enter Trigger Data Workflow.
4. From the Action Type drop-down, select Event.
5. From the On Click drop-down, select dwfDogs.

A static image displaying the Button component's configuration with the Event Action Type and dwfDogs On Click trigger.

6. Click Save Component.
7. Save your module.

Your completed module looks like the following:

A static image displaying the completed configuration in the Module Builder.

Preview your module in Express View. Open the DevTools Console and click Trigger Data Workflow. Run the Angular command and expand the data: tab. You can see the dog data in both the dtDogs (your Data Workflow input) array and the dwfOutput (your Data Workflow output) array.

A static image displaying the data in the DevTools Console after clicking the Trigger Data Workflow button.