About the Standard Process Components by Category

This toic lists the process components, broken down by category is as follows: 

• Entity Operations
• Accounting
• Calendar
• Campaign Management
• Chapter Management
• Committee Management
• Contact Management
• Genreral
• Generic Wizard
• Housing
• Messaging
• Order Entry
• Process Flow Engine
• Scheduling Components
• Subscription processing
• Viewing System

Entity Operations

The process components in this category primarily corresponds to the CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) components created automatically when an administrator saves an entity. See About the CRUD Process Components for details. Note that the items in the (Not Categorized) category are also CRUD components.

In addition to the CRUD components, the following components are in an entity-specific sub-category for this category:

• Company Abbreviated Name Flowdown: This object handles the flow-down of a company name from the Companies entity's Name field into the AbbreviatedName field which is used to store the short/acronym version of a company name. The default functionality in the component automatically populates this field from the Company Name as long as the Abbreviated Name has not previously been manually overridden by the user (this is tested by checking the old value of the Name field of the Company against the value of AbbreviatedName using the same Abbreviated Name generation).
  
  
• Company Directory Sort Flowdown: This object handles the flow-down of a name from the Companies entity's Name field into the DirSort field which is used to handle sorting and searching without special characters. The default functionality in the component automatically populates this field from the Company Name as long as the DirSort has not previously been manually overridden by the user (this is tested by checking the old value of the Name field of the Company against the value of DirSort). In addition, this object will also auto-populate the DirLetter field with the first character in the Name, using the same logic as described above.
  
  
• Scheduled Transaction Group Expansion By Product: This component expands the Scheduled Transaction Groups in a specified View into Scheduled Transactions record based on a supplied Product ID. An administrator can create a Process Flow that uses this component to automatically expand Scheduled Transaction Groups on a pre-determined schedule (as specified in a Scheduled Tasks record). The Scheduled Task fires the Process Flow at the specified time, and an Application Server then expands the scheduled transactions. This process component accepts the following Input Properties to configure its behavior:
  
  
  • SQLWorkingSet: A SQL Statement that returns the IDs of the Scheduled Transaction Groups to expand. If configured, this parameter takes precedence over the ViewID input property. Note that if this parameter is an empty string and the ViewID property is less than or equal to 0, the process component expands all of the pending Scheduled Transaction Groups that have not yet been expanded and that match the specified ProductID (see below).
    
    
  • ViewID: The ID of a View of the Scheduled Transaction Groups service that defines the working set of Scheduled Transaction Groups to expand. Note that if the ViewID is less than or equal to 0 and the SQLWorkingSet property is an empty string, the process component expands all of the pending Scheduled Transaction Groups that have not yet been expanded and that match the specified ProductID (see below).
    
    
  • ProductID: When specified, the process component expands only the Scheduled Transaction Groups whose ProductID equals the ID specified for this Input Property. Note that if the ProductID is less than or equal to 0, the process component expands all of the pending Scheduled Transaction Groups returned by the SQLWorkingSet or ViewID.

Accounting

• Cash Control Batch Demo Import Object: This component provides a default/demo implementation of cash control batch imports from a lock box or other file.
  
  
• Cash Control Batch Match Object: This component is responsible for matching items in an existing cash control batch and will match items that have not previously been matched and update the information in the Cash Control Batch Detail.
  
  
• Cash Control Batch Post Object: This component is responsible for posting an existing cash control batch and posts line items that have been matched or have resolved exceptions.
  
  
• Create GL Export Batch: This component creates a GL Export Batch for Orders, Payments or Scheduled Transactions.
  
  
• Mark A/R to Market: This component corresponds to Aptify's Mark to Market object used to record gains and losses due to foreign currency fluctuations.

Calendar

• vCalendar Writer: This component can automatically generate a vCalendar (VCS) file that contains meeting information that a customer/member can import into Microsoft Outlook to create an Outlook Appointment.
  
  • Used in conjunction with a process flow, this component can automatically send meeting registrants a vCalendar item that corresponds to an event's date and time so registrants can easily add the appointment to their Outlook Calendars.
  • This component supports several Input Properties, including properties that correspond to the calendar item's Start Date/Time, End Date/Time, and Summary (appointment title). Note that if you want to specify a file name for the calendar file using the OutputFilename property, you must enter the full path for the file, not just the file name (for example, enter C:\TEMP\vCalendar.vcs rather than vCalendar.vcs). Note that if OutputFilename is left blank, Aptify automatically generates a .vcs file for you.
  • The component also supports two Output Properties to pass the vCalendar file (the OutputFileName property) or the text of the vCalendar item (vCalendarText property) to another step in a process flow. For example, you can pass a generated vCalendar file as an attachment to an email by passing the OutputFileName output object to the Attachments input property for the Send Email component.
  • Note that Aptify has included the vCalendar standards document as an attachment to the vCalendar Writer Process Components record to assist developers who will utilize vCalendar functionality.

Campaign Management

• Campaign List Builder Component: This component runs the Campaign List Builder process to add persons from campaign segments as campaign prospects.
  
  
• Campaign List Import File Process: This component imports items from a Campaign import file into a specified Import Runs record.
  
  
• Campaign List Match Process: This component is responsible for matching items in a Campaign import list with records that may already exist in the database.
  
  
• Campaign List Post Process: This component is responsible for posting items in the Campaign import list and for creating new records as necessary for unmatched records.

Chapter Management

• Get Chapter ID: Used in conjunction with the Chapter Management add-on application for Aptify e-Business, this component can execute a Chapter Proximity Rule to identify the nearest chapter for a particular person or company.

Committee Management

• Add Persons to Committees: This component adds persons to committee terms.

Contact Management

• Outlook Contact Log Import: This component imports emails from Microsoft Outlook into Aptify as Contact Log records.

General

• Aptify FTP Upload Component: This component is used to upload a file to an FTP site and can use an Aptify user account's username and password for authentication. Note that your Aptify installation and user account (if using authentication) must have access to a configured FTP site to use this component. This component supports the following input and output properties.
  • FTP Site URI: This input property specifies the location of the FTP site, for example ftp.ABCCompany.com.
  • FTP Folder: This input property specifies the folder on the FTP site where the file needs to be uploaded.
  • FTP User Account: This input property specifies the user account for authentication into the FTP site. If the FTP site does not require authentication, this property can be left blank.
  • FTP Password: The password associated with the FTP User Account. If the FTP site does not require authentication, this property can be left blank.
  • Local Folder: This input property specifies the local location of the file to be uploaded. For example, c:\FTPUpload
  • Local File Name: This input property specifies the name of the local file to be uploaded.
  • Upload Results: This output property contains the result message string of the upload process and can be used by other steps of the process flow.
    
    
• Aptify FTP Download Component: This component is used to download a file from an FTP site and can use an Aptify user account's username and password for authentication. Note that your Aptify installation and user account (if using authentication) must have access to a configured FTP site to use this component. This component supports the following input and output properties.
  • FTP Site URI: This input property specifies the location of the FTP site, for example ftp.ABCCompany.com.
  • FTP Folder: This input property specifies the folder on the FTP site where the file needs to be downloaded from.
  • FTP User Account: This input property specifies the user account for authentication into the FTP site. If the FTP site does not require authentication, this property can be left blank.
  • FTP Password: The password associated with the FTP User Account. If the FTP site does not require authentication, this property can be left blank.
  • Local Folder: This input property specifies the local location where the file should to be downloaded to. For example, c:\FTPDownloads.
  • Download Results: This output property contains the result message string of the download process and can be used by other steps of the process flow.
    
    
• Input Box: This component displays a message to the user and allows the user to type in a text field to respond.
  
  
• Load Data Table: Using the SQL input provided by a developer, this component loads a data table into the process flow. This component supports the following input and output properties:
  • SQL: This input property specifies a SQL statement to run to populate a data table. This can be a SELECT statement or execute a stored procedure.
    
    
  • CacheSetting: Depending on the design of the process flow, it is possible that the same Load Data Table step may execute multiple times in a single run. In this case, a developer can set this input property to determine how to re-run this step:
    • ByPassCache: This is the default setting for this input property. The component passes the SQL statement to the server without checking the cache, and the results of the SQL statement are not stored in the cache.
    • UseCache: If the data table already exists within the process flow's context object, the process flow uses the existing cache and does not rerun the SQL input.
    • Refresh Cache: If the data table already exists within the process flow's context object, the process flow refreshes the cache but does not rerun the SQL statement.
    • DataTable: This output property passes the generated .NET Data Table Object to other steps in the process flow (typically to a step using the Get Data Table Value or Move Data Table component).
      
      
• Get Data Table: Once you have loaded a Data Table into the process flow (typically using a Load Data Table step), you can use this component to retrieve a value from a particular field for a particular row in the data table. This component supports the following input and output properties:
  • DataTable: This input property specifies a .NET Data Table Object. Typically, you pass the DataTable object into the Context Object using a Load Data Table step. This Input Property allows the Get Data Table Value step to use that Data Table you previously load.
  • Field: This input property identifies a particular field in the data table. In conjunction with CurrentRow, this component retrieves a value for this field from a particular row in the Data Table.
  • CurrentRow: This input property identifies the row in the Data Table from which the value should be retrieved (note that Row 0 is the first row in a Data Table). If you store the CurrentRow in the context object, you can set it initially via an Event Handler or Scheduled Task and then dynamically update it using the Move Data Table component.
  • Value: This output property passes the retrieved value into the context object for use by other steps in the process flow.
    
    
• Move Data Table: This component moves to a new row in the Data Table based on the input properties provided. Using this component, you can create a series of repeatable steps that retrieve a value from a row, process that value, move to the next row in the table, and then repeat the previous steps to retrieve and process the value. This would continue until the end of the table is reached. (While this component supports the standard SUCCESS and FAILED result code, it also includes result codes for EOF (End of File) and BOF (Beginning of File) so you can determine a course of action (such as End Process) when the start or end of the table is reached.) This component supports the following input and output properties:
  • DataTable: This input property specifies a .NET Data Table Object. Typically, you pass the DataTable object into the Context Object using a Load Data Table step. This component moves to a new row in that table.
    
    
  • CurrentRow (Input): This input property identifies the current row in the Data Table that serves as the starting point for this component. Depending on the Type selected (described below), the component can move up one row or down one row from this current row.
    
    
  • Type: This input property identifies the movement within the Data Table:
    • MoveNext: Move to the next row in the table.
    • MoveFirst: Move to the first row in the table.
    • MoveLast: Move to the last row in the table.
    • MovePrevious: Move back one row in the table.
    • CurrentRow (Output): This output property specifies the new row position after the Move Data Table operation. This value can then be passed to other steps within the process flow to process information from that particular row.
      
      
• Message Box: This component displays a message box to the user and captures the response from the user.
  
  
• Run Entity Bulk Operation: This component automates the execution of entity bulk operations. It operates on the set of records defined by the ViewSQL, ViewID, or SelectionList input property. The component reviews the provided input values in order from ViewSQL, to ViewID, and finally to SelectionList, and uses the first value that is not blank to generate the recordset for the entity bulk operation. For example, if a developer provides a value for all three input properties, then the component will use the ViewSQL input since it is evaluated first. This component supports the following input properties:
  • EntityBulkOperationID: This specifies the ID of the Entity Bulk Operation to execute.
  • ViewSQL: This input specifies a SQL Statement that returns the set of records to which the Entity Bulk Operation is applied.
  • ViewID: This input specifies the ID of a Views record within Aptify that returns the set of records to which the Entity Bulk Operation is applied. This property is only used when the ViewSQL property is blank.
  • SelectionList: This input specifies a comma-delimited list of Record IDs to which the Entity Bulk Operation is applied. This property is only used if both the ViewSQL and ViewID properties are blank.
    
    
• Value Retriever: This component is used to retrieve values from a GE object, from an entity in the database, or from the context object. Simply provide the Entity Object or Entity Name and Record ID, and provide the field name to be retrieved and the value will be returned as the RESULT CODE for the component. Alternatively, specify the Value property which will be used directly for a value comparison which can allow for simple branch conditions based on the result code of this component.
  
  
• Value Tester: This component is capable of testing any value against another value. It is useful for doing quick checks against database, GE Object, and context object values to determine workflow logic and other business rule processing.

Generic Wizard

• Set Wizard Result: This component is used to specify a next step for a metadata wizard based on a previous result. It provides administrators and developers with the ability to define conditional logic in wizards.

Housing

• Housing Import: Imports Housing/Hotel Information from file(s) provided by a hotel, including confirmation numbers for each reservation processed.
• Housing Transfer: Transfers (exports) Housing reservation information from the Aptify to a file or files that can be sent to a hotel for processing.

Messaging

• Message Engine: Provides the functionality to send a Message Run for the Aptify Messaging system. Accepts the specified Message Run ID and then sends the messages associated with that ID.
• Send Email: Provides functionality to send an email (including attachments), allowing the user to define the sender and recipient, as well as the text included.
  • The Send Email component that is included in the standard installation of Aptify uses a customized property user interface as shown in the figure below. See Using the Generate Data Mapper Process Component Wizard for information on how to define customer property sheets for process components.

Order Entry

• Order Credit Check: This component checks to see if a Person's or Company's credit is approved or declined for a given Order.
• PaymentGenGL: This component generates GL entries for Payments records.
• Standing Order Fulfillment: This component fulfills standing orders.

Process Flow Engine

• Compile Process Flow Component: This is the component that compiles a process flow into a .NET assembly after you save a Process Flows record with Compile Mode set to Compiled. See Using the Process Flow Compiler for details.

Scheduling Components

• RemoteSchedulerDelete: The system uses this component to delete a Scheduled Tasks whose Service is set to Remote Scheduler. This allows non-administrative users to indirectly delete Scheduled Tasks on an Application Server.
  
  
• RemoteSchedulerUpdate: The system uses this component to update a Scheduled Task's Service from Remote Scheduler to Windows Scheduler. This allows non-administrative users to indirectly create or modify Scheduled Tasks on an Application Server.

Subscription Processing

• Renew Subscriptions: This component invokes the Aptify.Applications.Subscriptions.SubscriptionRenewal class to renew subscriptions based on the provided Input Properties, including specifying a due date.

Viewing System

• Execute View with No UI: This component is used by the system's View Scheduling functionality to execute views at the time scheduled by the user without requiring any user intervention.