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Inserting an Entity into a Procedure

Use the Insert Entity dialog box to insert an entity into the current procedure.

  • Inserting a branch entity

  • Inserting an error entity

  • In the Procedure Diagram Pane of the Procedure Editor, click the entity that precedes the insertion point for the new entity.

  • Click the Insert Entity button on the Icon Button Bar to open the Insert Entity dialog box.
  • Choose the entity to insert from the Entity list.

Using the Entity Dialog Box

The Insert Entity dialog box provides the fields listed below. Take the default values of these fields, or modify the values to work correctly with your procedure.

  • Entity List — The Entity box lists all the entities in the current table. Click an entity name to insert it at the current location.

    A green ball identifies those entities that can be successfully traversed from the insertion point. A red X indicates Host Integrator cannot navigate to that entity; there is a problem with either the navigation path or input parameters. You can add an entity with a red X, but you need to correct its navigation or parameters to provide a way to traverse to the added entity.

  • New Entity or a Sandbox Entity Radio Buttons — These radio buttons affect the entity list by listing all the entities available or a sandbox entity. A New Entity is a modeled host screen containing attributes or recordsets that you want to make part of the procedure.

  • Sandbox Entity — This entity is one that has been removed from the procedure, but retains all the customization you have done on that entity. For example, you may have added an entry and mapped its attributes, but later you need to move it to a different location in the procedure. You can delete the entity, which moves it to the sandbox, and then insert the entity without losing the mapping. The Sandbox Entity radio button is disabled if there are no sandbox entities.

  • Insert after entities — The new entity is inserted after the selected entity with a path between the two. If there is a branching operation prior to the insertion point of a new entity, and you wish to have multiple paths to the new entity, select additional originations here.

  • Path to entity — Specify a dynamic or static path to the entity. Select a dynamic path to allow Host Integrator to determine the best path to this entity based on the defined entities and operations. If a path cannot be found, the Host Integrator returns an error message. A static path requires you to select an operation from the list. Note: Only static paths can branch.

    It is important to select Path to entity whenever you have "loopback" operations. When a default "Use for navigation commands to this destination" is not in place and multiple loopback operations exist, from the Path to entity drop down list, select the explicit operation to ensure it is inserted as the correct operation and that the Path to entity is read.

  • Preview Pane — As you build the procedure, the Preview pane displays a visual layout of the relationship of the entities, operations, and recordsets in the procedure.

Inserting a branch entity

Use the Insert Branch Entity dialog box to provide more than one path through the procedure. The paths can be based on a user's input or the outcome of an entity. For example, the user may make a selection on a host application screen that would bring up either the Add Customer screen or the Update Customer screen. Or, the entity may display the next entity based on the customer's credit balance.

To insert a branch entity in a procedure

  1. In the Procedure Diagram Pane of the Procedure Editor, click the entity that precedes the insertion point for the new branch entity

  2. Click the Insert Branch button on the Icon Button Bar to open the Insert Branch Entity dialog box.

  3. Click the entity to insert from the Entity box.

  4. If there is more than one option in the Branch until box, select the duration of the branch (either until the procedure moves to another entity or until the end of the procedure).

The Preview Window displays a preview of the new entity's place in the procedure, along with the operations that are able to navigate to it.

Using the Insert Entity Dialog Box

The Entity box lists all the entities in the current table. Click an entity name to insert it at the current location.

A green ball identifies those entities that can be successfully traversed from the insertion point. A red X indicates a problem with either the navigation path or input parameters that mean Host Integrator cannot navigate to that entity. You can add an entity with a red X, but you need to correct its navigation or parameters to provide a way to traverse to the added entity.

  • New or Sandbox Entity - These radio buttons affect the entity list by listing all the entities available or a sandbox entity. A New Entity is a modeled host screen containing attributes or recordsets that you want to make part of the procedure.

    A Sandbox Entity is an entity that has been removed from the procedure, but retains all the customization you have done on that entity. For example, you may have added an entity and mapped its attributes, but later you need to move it to a different location in the procedure. You can delete the entity, which moves it to the sandbox, and then insert the entity without losing the mapping. The Sandbox Entity radio button is disabled if there are no sandbox entities.| - Branch until - If there is more than one option in the Branch until box, select the duration of the branch. This is either until the end of a procedure, or until the procedure moves to the entity that you identify in this box. - Preview Pane - As you build the procedure, the Preview pane displays a visual layout of the relationship of the entities, operations, and recordsets in the procedure.

Inserting an Error Entity

Error Entities are screens containing patterns that indicate an error has occurred in the procedure. You can define error entities by purposely entering bad data in a host application and capturing the resulting screen as an entity. Adding one or more error entities to a procedure is a way to build error checking into your model.

Note

If the procedure is using an operation that includes the error entity, you do not need to insert it into the procedure.

To insert an error entity in a procedure:

  1. In the Procedure Diagram Pane of the Procedure Editor, click the entity that preceded the insertion point for the error entity.
  2. Click the Insert Error Entity button on the Icon Button Bar to open the Insert Error Entity dialog box.
  3. Select the entity you want to insert as an error entity from the Entity box.

Using the Insert Error Entity Dialog Box

The Insert Error Entity dialog box enables you to select the error entity to insert into the procedure.

  • Entity - The Entity box lists all the entities in the current table. Click an entity name to insert it at the current location.

    A green ball identifies those entities that can be successfully traversed from the insertion point. A red X indicates Host Integrator cannot navigate to that entity; there is a problem with either the navigation path or input parameters. You can add an entity with a red X, but you need to correct its navigation or parameters to provide a way to traverse to the added entity.

  • Preview Pane - As you build the procedure, the Preview pane displays a visual layout of the relationship of the entities, operations, and recordsets in the procedure.