The Process App Link (multiple) is able to refer to several instances of the linked app and displayes the data in a table. During the creation of the app link, the design user can determine which components of the instance are to be displayed in the table.

Use Case

Two app projects were created in ACME's Bidding Process which are used independently from each other:

  • Customer Database
  • Service Database

Now Irene Adler wants to provide her employees with a new app that supports them in creating proposals.



To do this, Irene creates the app project Proposal Preparation.

The underlying process in brief:

  1. A customer inquiry arrives.
  2. An employee creates a ticket for the request.
  3. A sales representative processes the ticket and estimates the effort.
  4. If the effort is greater than 5 days, the request must be approved by the production manager before the offer is prepared. If the effort is less than 5 days, an offer can be created directly by the sales representative.
  5. The offer is sent to the customer by e-mail.

The app project Service Database is already used to manage ACME's services. Therefore Irene wants to use the existing data in her new app.

Each instance of the Service Database contains the following information:

  • Service Name
  • Contact
  • Price
  • Currency
  • Unit
  • Max. Discount
  • Notes

Usage of the App Link (multiple)

When a customer request arrives, the ACME sales staff is asked to compile an offer meeting the customer's inquiry.

Since all services are already managed in a separate app, Irene Adler inserts a Process App Link (multiple) in the form Proposal. The app link is named Offered Services.

Now, Irene has to configure the settings of the element:

  • In field App Project she enters the name of the app project she wants to link to: Service Database.
  • Since a multiple app link can refer to many instances of the linked app, Irene needs to  configure the app link's table. She clicks on Column Configuration to open the Column Configuration editor.


Each instance of the Service Database contains the following information:

  • Service Name
  • Contact
  • Price
  • Currency
  • Unit
  • Max. Discount
  • Notes

But Irene only wants to display a part of the information in the proposal form:

  • Service Name
  • Price
  • Currency
  • Unit

So she configures the table of the app link Offered Services accordingly.

You can find helpful information regarding the configuration of tables on the pages Configuring Tables and Configuring Overview Tables.

When the input form Proposal is called up, the app link Offered Services is displayed. The app link's table shows the details as configured:

  • Service Name
  • Price
  • Currency
  • Unit

Irene is going to test her app now.

As she wants to search for already existing instances, she clicks on the icon of the app link Offered Services.

The click opens the overview of the linked app Customer Database.

Irene can now select the instances she wants to link:

  • To link one instance only, she can click on the needed instance.
  • With a multiple app link, she can also link as many instances as she wants using the checkboxes in front of each instance. By clicking on the button Link Selected Values she can confirm the whole selection.

The selected instances are adopted into the app link's table Offered Services. As configured, only Service Name, Price, Currency and Unit are displayed.

All displayed instances are links to the instances in the original app Service Database. By clicking on an instance, Irene can open its original data sheet.

Example:

The instance Expert Training 2 is clicked in the app link's table.

The instance opens in the corresponding form of the app Service Database, displaying the whole data of the instance.

So using the app link gives the employees the possibility to use parts of the data in an offer and allows also to access the whole information such as discount or contact person without having to display it in the app link.

Creating a new Instance

Users can also create a new instance in the linked app using the icon of the Process App Link (multiple).

Instead of the overview, the input form of the Service Database app opens and the user can insert the data of a new service directly. 


After saving, the data is automatically available on both ends: In the Service Database...

... as well as in the app link Offered Services.

Removing Linked Instances from a Table

You can remove linked instances from the table at any time.

Just activate the checkbox in front of unnecessary instances in the app link's table and click on icon .

The instance(s) is/are deleted from the app link.

Adopting Values from Instances

You can also transfer values from the child instances to the instances in the parent app.

Child Instance   = Instance in opening app
Parent Instance = Instance in current app

Open the Column Configuration editor of the Process App Link (multiple) in the parent app.

Example:

Irene Adler opens the Column Configuration in the Proposal form of the app Proposal Preparation.

For every value from the child instance you want to transfer, create a separate column in the Column Configuration editor of the Process App Link (multiple). Activate the checkbox in column Hide to store the values in the parent instances but not showing them in the app link's table.

Example:

Irene adds the value serviceDiscount from the child app Service Database and hides the column.

The hidden values are not shown in the app link's table. Nevertheless they are adopted and available in the parent app, for example for a calculation.

Example:

The values of form field serviceDiscount are not displayed in the app link Offered Services, but they are adopted for every linked instance.

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