Methods and instructions by name

 

Choose from the alphabetic list below to learn about a method. See also Finding methods by function. The Call, Branch, Collect, Java, Queue, and Rule operations are technically "instructions", not methods. For information on these instructions, see:      BRANCH  — Branching to another activity       CALL —  Calling another activity   COLLECT — Begin execution of a collection rule   FLOW-NEW — Start a flow execution      JAVA —  Using Java in an activity step   QUEUE — Execute another activity asynchronously      RULE  — Using the Rule instruction to implement a custom rule type

  A

Method DescriptionActivity-Clear-Status Reset the method status from the previous method.

Activity-End End the current activity and calling activities.

Activity-List-Add Add an activity to an internal dispatch list.

Activity-Set-Status Set a return value.

Apply-DataTransform Update property values based on a data transform.

Apply-Parse-Delimited Execute a Parse Delimited rule in an activity.

Apply-Parse-Structured Execute a Parse Structured rule in an activity.

Apply-Parse-XML Execute a Parse XML rule in an activity.

Assert-No-Invocation Exclude this activity from invocation counting for license compliance.

  C

Method DescriptionCommit Commit all database changes in the Thread.

Connect-dotNet Start a connector to a Web service based on the Microsoft .NET framework.

Connect-EJB Start a connector to an external Enterprise JavaBean.

Connect-File Start a connector to write to a file.

Connect-FTP Copy a file from one location to another using File Transfer Protocol

Connect-HTTP Start a connector to an external system using HTTP.

Connect-Java Start a connector to call an external Java class or JavaBean.

Connect-JCA Start a connector to an external system through a JCA resource adapter.

Connect-JMS Start a connector to an external system using the Java Message Service application

programmer interface.

Connect-MQ Start a connector for a WebSphere MQ connection.

Connect-REST Start a connector for a RESTful connection.

Connect-SOAP Start a connector to invoke a Web service.

Connect-Wait Block (pause) for a time interval to synchronize with a child requestor.

  E F H L M

Method DescriptionEnd-Validate End compilation of referencing rules, for a custom rule type.

Exit-Activity End the current activity.

Flow-End End a flow execution.

Flow-New Start a new flow execution.

History-Add Record your changes to work items or activities

History-List List instances of a class.

Link-Objects Link objects together.

Log-Message Add a message to the Pega log.

Map-Structured Parse or assemble a fixed format data structure.

  O

Method DescriptionObj-Browse Search through and select instances of a class based on tests of values of exposed columns.

Obj-Delete Delete an instance from the database, or mark it for later deletion with the Commit method

Obj-Delete-By-Handle Delete an instance from the database (or mark it for later deletion) using the handle.

Obj-Filter Remove embedded pages of a Code-Pega-List results page that fail to meet criteria specified in a when condition rule.

Obj-List Search through instances of a class and extract selected properties.

Obj-List-View Execute the retrieval and sorting operations of a list view rule, but with no formatting or HTML display.

Obj-Open Open an instance stored in the PegaRULES database or in certain cases an external database.

Obj-Open-by-Handle Open an instance using a permanent unique key.

Obj-Refresh-and-Lock Open an instance and acquire a lock.

Obj-Save Save page data to the database, or mark it for saving (commit) later.

Obj-Save-Cancel Reverse a previous Obj-Save or Obj-Delete method, not yet committed to the database.

Obj-Set-Tickets Set or reset tickets, interrupting the normal sequential processing of a flow.

Obj-Sort Sort the values of a property of mode Page List.

Obj-Validate Run a Validate rule on a set of properties, typically representing user input.

  P

Method DescriptionPage-Change-Class Change the class of a page.

Page-Clear-Messages Remove page messages from the step page.

Page-Copy Copy contents of one page to another page

Page-Merge-Into Merge two or more pages into one page.

Page-New Create a page.

Page-Remove Delete a page from the clipboard.

Page-Rename Rename a page or name a primary page

Page-Set-Messages Associate a message with a page.

Page-Unlock Release a lock held after Commit.

Page-Validate Validates all properties on a page.

Parse-Byte-Pos Used only in Parse Structured rules.

Parse-Char-Pos Used only in Parse Structured rules.

Parse-Fixed-Binary Used only in Parse Structured rules.

Parse-Packed-Decimal Used only in Parse Structured rules.

Privilege-Check Determine whether a user or requestor has a specified privilege.

Property-Map-DecisionTable Evaluate a decision table and assign the result to a property

Property-Map-DecisionTree Evaluate a decision tree and assign the result to a property.

Property-Map-Value Set the value of a property based on a one-dimensional map value.

Property-Map-ValuePair Set the value of a property based on a two-dimensional map value.

Property-Ref Link reference properties with non-reference properties.

Property-Remove Delete a property from a page.

Property-Seek-Value Use backward chaining to obtain a value.

Property-Set Set the value of one or more specified properties

Property-Set-Corr Save the contents of a correspondence stream as the value of a property.

Property-Set-HTML Save the contents of an HTML stream as the value of a property.

Property-Set-Messages Associate a literal text message with a property or a step page.

Property-Set-Stream Save the contents of a JSP, XML, or HTML stream as the value of a property.

Property-Set-XML Save the contents of an XML stream as the value of a property.

Property-Validate Apply an edit validate rule to test user input.

  Q R

Method DescriptionQueue-for-Agent Enqueue a System-Queue- derived clipboard page into the system queue for background

processing.

RDB-Delete Delete an instance from a relational database.

RDB-List Retrieve rows from an external relational database.

RDB-Open Open an instance from an external relational database.

RDB-Save Save the contents of a clipboard page to a relational database.

Requestor-Stop Stop processing of the requestor.

Rollback Cancel any uncommitted database save operations.

  S T W

Method DescriptionShow-HTML Assemble and send an HTML page to a user's browser.

Show-Page Send an XML representation of a page to the browser.

Show-Property Send a single property value to the browser.

Show-Stream Apply stream processing to a JSP, HTML, correspondence, or XML Stream rule.

Start-Validate Compile referencing rules for a custom rule type.

StringBuffer-Append Manipulate string buffer containing local variables.

StringBuffer-Insert Manipulate string buffer containing local variables.

StringBuffer-Reset Manipulate string buffer containing local variables.

TaskStatus-Set Convey results of activity processing to a calling flow.

Text-Infer Evaluate a parse infer rule.

Text-Normalize Evaluate a parse normalize rule.

Thread-Clear Clear the thread page.

Wait Pause a Thread for a specified time interval.

Help Home

Activities:

The Activity rule formThe most important tab is the Steps tab. Except as controlled by preconditions and

transitions, steps are executed in sequence, starting at step 1.

Each step contains these columns:

Column Description

Label Optional. Provide an identifier for the step that can be referred to from other steps.

(Iteration)

Optional. Loops through the elements a Value List, Page List, Value Group or Page Group and

performs the provided activity method on each value or each embedded page.

You can also create multi-step iterations using the Add Nested Step button. For more information

see How to use multistep loops and nested loops in activities.

Description Enter text that explains to other developers the action that the step is performing.

PreconditionOptional. Provide a condition or When rule that, when, based on the result, will cause the step to execute or be skipped.

Step Page Optional. Identify a Page to be used as the context for referenced properties within the step.

Expand Method

Click the button to expand the parameters for the selected method.

Method Optional. Select the method that this step will execute.

TransitionOptional. Similar to a Precondition. After the step is executed, a condition is evaluated. Based on the result, the activity may jump to another step, or end.

The steps in an activity roughly correspond to statements in a traditional programming

language. The three control structures in activities — iteration, precondition, and transitions

— are intentionally limited.

At runtime, processing control can only jump to a label that is later (higher-numbered step).

Parameters tab:

Define variables that input data to, or return data from, an activity. Parameter names and

values are held on a special page — the parameter page — that is not visible on the

Clipboard tool display.

Use the notation param.<ParamName> to reference a parameter value.

Pages & Classes tab:

Define pages to be used as Step Pages for the steps of the activity. Enter a page name and

associate each name with a class.

At runtime, the system uses this information to find properties that are referenced on

the Steps tab using the notation .<propertyname> where the page name is identified in the

Step Page field.. The leading period (or dot) is required.

The system also uses information on this tab to interpret property references of the

form<pagename>.<propertyname>, which may appear in various fields on the Steps tab.

Security tab:

Specify the type of activity and optionally restrict how this activity can be started. Select the

May Start? check box to allow interactive testing of the activity with the Run toolbar button (

 ).

Note: The most common activity type is Utility.

MethodsMethods are individual operations that are performed in one step of an activity. This section

provides usage information on some of the most used methods. Consult the help system in

your system for additional details and descriptions of other methods.

Property-Set

Use the Property-Set method to set the value of one or more properties.

Usage

Specify the property in the PropertiesName field, and the desired value in

the PropertiesValue field.

Call

The Call method instructs the current activity to find and run another activity using Rule

Resolution. After the called activity completes, the calling activity resumes processing. The

called activity can use its own parameter page, or share the parameter page of the calling

activity. Configure this by selecting the Pass the current parameter page? option in the

method parameters.

The main advantage of being able to call an existing activity is reuse. Instead of rewriting

the called activity's steps in the calling activity, you can reference the activity.

Usage

Identify the activity you are calling by typing Call in the Method field, followed by a space,

and the activity name. For example, Call UpdateRecords. After you type or select the

method Call, you can use the SmartPrompt to select an activity.

Branch

Similar to the Call method, the Branch method refers to another activity. Execution of the

original activity ends when execution of the branched activity is complete.

Usage

Similar to the Call method.

Obj-Browse

The Obj-Browse method searches instances of one class and copies specified properties

onto the clipboard, creating a list of instances, each on an embedded page.

Usage

At a minimum, complete the PageName and ObjClass fields, along with the properties you

wish to have returned.

The field section of the method is similar to using a WHERE statement in a SQL command.

The following conditions are available for comparing properties to values.

The conditions highlighted in green do not use the Value field.

A completed Obj-Browse method is similar to a SQL statement of this form:

Select <FIELDS> from the <OBJCLASS> where <CONDITIONS = A VALUE> and place them on the <PAGENAME> page.

Note: You can use as selection criteria only those properties that are exposed as database

columns. However, the method can retrieve values of properties that are not exposed as

columns, including embedded properties.

Obj-Open

The Obj-Open method returns a single instance stored in the PegaRULES database, or in

an external database table that is linked to an external class. The returned instance is then

converted to a clipboard page. This method differs from the Obj-Browse method by not

allowing you to define search criteria; you must identify the key of the instance.

Usage

In the OpenClass field, enter the class in which the system should start searching for the

desired instance. The search continues up through the class hierarchy until the instance is

found. Use thePropertyName and PropertyValue fields to specify the key of the

instance.

If your application is to update and save the instance, check the Lock parameter to prevent

other requestors from attempting to update the same instance while your requestor is using

it. 

Information from the returned instance is placed on the page listed in the Step Page field.

Page-Copy

The Page-Copy method replicates the entire contents (all properties and embedded

properties) of an existing clipboard page to a new or existing clipboard page.

Usage

In the CopyFrom and CopyInto fields, enter the page to be copied, and the destination

page, respectively.

Use the Model field to apply a model, which is located by rule resolution, to the destination

page before the page is populated with data.

Use the PageList field to save the name of the new page as the final element in a Value

List.

Page-Remove

The Page-Remove method deletes one or more named pages from the clipboard.

To remove a page, enter one ore more pages in the Page field, or enter the page in

the Step Page field.

Be sure to remove clipboard pages after they are no longer needed, to reduce system

overhead and improve performance.

Show-Page

The Show-Page method sends an XML representation of the current page (as specified in

the Step Page field) to your browser window. This method is primarily used for debugging.