Using Smart Components in a Module

Smart Components are added and configured in the Module Builder the same way as any standard component. The settings panel is driven by what the component declares in its interface, not authored per usage.

Adding Smart Components to the Canvas

Public Smart Components appear in the component tray under their assigned category (Primary Fields, Secondary Fields, and so on). Components with no assigned category appear under Uncategorized. Select a component from the tray to add it to the canvas.

Each Smart Component on the canvas displays its type (UI, Logic, or Query) and component name.

Settings Panel

Selecting a Smart Component on the canvas opens the settings panel. The header row includes icon buttons for Notes and Tags, and a menu for Permissions. These work the same way as any standard component. See Component General Settings for details.

Selecting the component name at the top of the settings panel opens the Focused Component View. It displays the component's preview, logic, and revision history without leaving the module.

Component Settings

Every Smart Component on the canvas has component-level settings that define how it integrates with the module.

Permissions are component-level. The Permissions control controls access to the component as a whole. Individual components inside cannot have separate permissions. If a component needs different permissions from the rest, it must be its own Smart Component with its own Property ID.

Configuring Input Values

The Configuration tab displays one field for each input the component declares. Every field accepts one of the following:

• Static value: A fixed value set directly in the field.

• Reference: A pointer to another component's value on the module. Select the reference toggle on the field and choose the source component.

The available fields and their types are set by the component's interface. Adding or removing fields requires editing the component definition in the Smart Component Editor.

Wiring Logic Smart Components

Logic Smart Components have no visual presence on the canvas. They run when triggered and return output data. After configuring input values in the Configuration tab, use the Outputs tab to bind the component's results to other components on the module.

Wiring Query Smart Components

Query Smart Components work like a Plug-In component. The query runs only when triggered, never automatically. Use the Outputs tab to bind the query's results to components on the module. The Triggers tab includes the following fields.

Targeting Smart Components from Logic

The platform can only see and act on the Smart Component as a whole, not the individual components inside it. Actions (Hidden, Visible, Clear, Trigger) apply to the entire component. Individual components inside cannot be named, hidden, triggered, or targeted from outside. If a piece of logic must target a specific component independently, that component must be its own Smart Component with its own Property ID.

Setting a value works differently. Setting a value on a Smart Component writes to submission data at the specified location; it does not act on the component directly. Whether anything changes visually depends on whether a component inside is reading from that same data location.

See Smart Component Output Type Compatibility for the full list of output types that work on Smart Components and which are silently ignored.