Data page rules - Using the Definition tab

Note: As of Pega 7.1.8, you cannot reference Connect EJB and Connect SQL rules in data pages.

Data page definition

Field	Description
Structure	Select: `Page` – Create a data page containing a single object of the type specified in the Object type field. `List` – Create a list-type data page containing multiple objects of the type specified in the Object type field.
Object type	Select the data type (class) of the data page to be created. The data type does not have to be the same as the data type of the data sources for the data page.
Mode	Select: `Read Only` – Prevent the data page from being modified, except during page load and post-activity processing. The data page displays in the Data Page list on the clipboard. `Editable` – Allow the data page to be modified. The data page displays in the User Page list on the clipboard. `Savable` – Provides the data page with a save plan through a database source or an activity. Savable data pages are referenceable in save data page locations. Selecting this edit mode opens the Data save options section so that you can select a save plan option.
Restricted feature set for high throughput	Select this option to run the data page in high-throughput mode. Using this mode improves performance; however, not all clipboard features are supported. The following clipboard features are supported: Hierarchical structure – Arbitrarily deep and complex tree structure formed by pages, lists, groups, and so on. Legacy API compatibility via adapters Mutations Complex references – APIs on the page support arbitrarily complex property reference strings, including list subscript symbolics such as <APPEND>, <FIRST>, and so on. Messaging – Message metadata can be attached to properties and pages, for example, as a result of validation, Rule-Declare-Constraints, or various APIs and activity methods. Dictionary – Information specified on the Property rule form is available during clipboard processing. Serialization/deserialization – Save page structure and contents for storage on disk or in a database, then later restore the page into memory. The following clipboard features are not supported: Autopopulate Linked properties Referenced properties Limited support for declaratives Change tracking for property value updates in the user interface
Scope	Select: `Thread` – The page is created in a single requestor thread and can be accessed as often as needed by processing in that thread. `Requestor` – The requestor can access the page(s) loaded across all threads. `Node` – Any requestor executing on the current node can access the pages. Note: Editable pages do not have a refresh strategy and can only have a Thread or Requestor scope.

Keyed page access

For list-structure data pages, you can allow read-only access to embedded pages in the data page by using any properties as the key.

Select the Access pages with user defined keys check box to allow read-only access to individual objects in the list based on the value(s) provided for the key(s) specified in the Page List Keys field.

Select the Allow multiple pages per key check box if the keys are not unique across objects in the list. This provides read-only access to a list of objects that match the value(s) provided for the key(s) in this case.

Data sources

You can identify one or many sources of data for the data page.

If you specify multiple sources, a field displays to the right of each source listing where you can identify the when rule that evaluates whether the current conditions require using the source identified in that row. The condition for the final data source is set as "Otherwise", and that data source is used if all the preceding when rules evaluate to false.

You can drag data sources higher or lower in the list to set the order in which the system checks whether they should be used. If multiple when rules evaluate to true, the system only uses the highest one on the list.

Field	Description
Simulate Data Source	When this check box is selected, the system replaces the current data source with a blank row. You can then select an alternative data source to use during development: a Report Definition, a data transform, or a lookup. You cannot select another connector. You can also select a system that indicates the system to use when the customer switches to the actual system of record.
System name	Select the integration system to use as the source system for this data source or click the gear icon to create a new system. This field is displayed when the Source field is data transform or activity. The system name is displayed for data types on the External Data Entities landing page and the Integration Designer.
Source	Select a source: Connector – Use the response of a connector as the data source. Data Transform – Specify a data transform to use to populate the data page. Lookup – Use an instance of the specified object type as the data source. This source can only be used as a data source for page-structure data pages. Report Definition – Use the results of a report definition as the data source. This source can only be used as a data source for list-structure data pages. Activity – Execute an activity that creates and populates the page. Robotic automation – Obtain information from a robotic process automation. Robotic desktop automation – Obtain information from a robotic desktop automation.

Based on your selection in the Source field, the form changes and displays the following fields:

Connector

After you complete all the fields in this section, click Create Data Source to add the source to the list.

Field	Description
Type	Select the type of connector: HTTP JCA Java REST SOAP dotNet SAP
Name	Specify the name of the connector. You can select any connector as the data source. The connector's Applies To class does not have to match the object type of the data page.
Request Data Transform	Specify a data transform that supplies initial values for properties or parameter values that are referenced in a connector rule.
Response Page List	When the data page has a list-structure, specify the response page list to be used.
Response Data Transform	Specify a data transform to be executed after a response is obtained. A response data transform is only required if the Applies To key part of the data source does not match or inherit from the object type of the data page.
Endpoint URL	Optional: If the connector type is HTTP, REST, SOAP, or dotNet, you can override the Endpoint URL value in the rule by specifying a value in this field.

Data Transform

Field	Description
Data transform name	Specify a data transform as the source of the data for the page.

Lookup

After you complete all the fields in this section, click Create Data Source to add the source to the list.

Field	Description
Class name	Specify the class name for the lookup.
Response Data Transform	Specify a data transform to be executed after a response is obtained. This is only required if the Applies To key part of the data source does not match or inherit from the object type of the data page.

Report Definition

Field	Description
Name	Specify the name of the report definition.
Response Data Transform	Specify a data transform to be executed after a response is obtained. A response data transform is only required if the Applies To key part of the data source does not match or inherit from the object type of the data page.

Activity

Field	Description
Activity	Specify an activity to use.

Robotic automation

After you complete all the fields in this section, click Create Data Source to add the source to the list.

Field	Description
Robotic automation	Name of the case type on which the Assign to robot queue smart shape is configured.
Timeout(s)	Value, in seconds, that the data page should wait for the automation to run and return information to the data page.
Request Data Transform	Data transform that maps your input data to the specified case type. The specified case will be initialized with this data, and the robotic automation can use this data within the logic that is defined on the automation.
Response Data Transform	Data transform that maps the response from the robotic virtual machine to the logical data model of your data page.

Robotic desktop automation

The robotic desktop automation is only invoked when the data page is requested from a browser, that is, the data page must be the source for a control in the user interface. The automation is not invoked if it is referred to by an activity or other rule running on the browser.

After you complete all the fields in this section, click Create Data Source to add the source to the list.

Field	Description
Robotic desktop automation	The robotic automation ID that was created when the automation was developed in Pega Robotics Studio.
Timeout(s)	Value, in seconds, that the data page should wait for the automation to run and return information to the data page.
Request Data Transform	Data transform that maps your input data to the specified case type. The specified case is initialized with this data, and the robotic automation uses this data within the logic that is defined on the automation.
Response Data Transform	Data transform that maps the response from the robotic virtual machine to the logical data model of your data page.

Post load processing

If you need to process the data after it loads, you can automatically call an activity to process the loaded data. Use the SmartPrompt display to enter or select the name of the activity that you want to use in the field provided, and then enter parameters.

Data save options

If you select Savable in the Edit mode field, the Data save options section is displayed. These options let you create a save plan to save updated data to a system of record without using an activity.

Field	Description
Save type	Select the save plan that you want to use to save the data. Activity – Select Activity when you are using an activity to save data. Transactionality is not guaranteed when you are using this option. Database save – Select Database save when you configured the savable data page to maintain transactionality when the data is saved. Robotic automation – Select Robotic automation when you are using a robotic process automation (RPA) to source your data page and you want to write updated data back to the external system of record. Robotic desktop automation – Select Robotic desktop automation when you are using a robotic desktop automation (RDA) to source your data page and you want to write updated data back to the external system of record.
Activity name	This field is displayed when you select Activity in the Save type field. Enter or select the name of the activity to use to save the data. You can use this option to create logic to persist data to any system, such as a REST service. Note: If you use an activity save plan, you must customize the WriteNow Boolean parameter that is passed to the activity to be true if you want to save the data in a separate transaction and false if you want to save the data in a single transaction.
Class name	This field is displayed when you select Database save in the Save type field. Enter or select the class whose data you want to persist. If the class in the Class name field is different than the class of the data page, in the Data Transform field, click the rule opener icon to create a Data Transform using a template. This data transform maps the data page class to the Class name field.
Robotic automation	This field is displayed when you select Robotic automation in the Save type field. Enter the name of the case type on which the Assign to robot queue smart shape is configured.
Robotic automation ID	This field is displayed when you select Robotic desktop automation in the Save type field. Enter the robotic automation ID that was created when the automation was developed in Pega Robotics Studio.
Local save	This option is displayed when you select Activity or Database save in the Save type field. Select Local save if you are saving data to the Pega database, not to an external system.