Initializing help system before first use

VDL Actions

VDL Actions are operations that you can instruct Xpress Insight to perform in response to an input from the user. A VDL Action is a function that can be triggered from the vdl-event attribute attached to certain VDL elements.

VDL actions enable a user to load data, update values, run scenarios, manage attachments, and edit expressions from within the published Insight view. Using VDL actions to perform these operations offers greater protection to the system.

VDL Designer is deployed with a set of standard actions that can be added to any vdl view immediately. It is also possible to write your own actions and deploy them in a similar manner.

VDL Actions are added to an action group when they are added to a view. Additional actions can then be incorporated into that group to provide more advanced functionality. Actions in the action group are executed in sequence.

To coincide with the introduction of vdl actions, the button options vdl-execute-button and vdl-attachment-button have been deprecated.

Covered Topics
  • Introduction to VDL Actions
    Each vdl action initiates a single operation, such as running a scenario, updating an entity, and displaying a message.
  • Using the Built-in VDL Actions
    To add a VDL Action to a page, drag the item from the Actions pane in the Palette onto the VDL page. A VDL Action can also be attached to any element in a view that generates an HTML event, such as an input field or check box.
  • Using VDL Actions
    VDL Actions offer an HTML button element , as well as loops, conditions and the ability to pass values from a range of html inputs.
  • Model Execution using VDL Actions
    VDL actions provide the functionality that enable a user to trigger loading the model or running a model in one of a number of modes.
  • Generating Messages and Dialog Windows with VDL
    VDL Actions offer a range of on-screen dynamic alerts including 'Toast' messages (temporary panels that display at the bottom of the page and expire automatically) and alert boxes (modal dialog boxes that require a user to click on an option.)
  • VDL Entity editing
    Entity values can be set, updated, and removed using vdl actions.
  • Variable Editing with VDL Actions
    Variables can be incremented using a button.
  • Attachment Management using VDL Actions
    VDL Actions make it easier to create apps that can upload, download, and manage the attachments associated with the Scenario or the App.
Parent Topic Exploring the Core Components