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Creating a Data Set

How to create a data set

Data sets retrieve information from external sources such as IFS, SQL Server, or any system that provides an API. They are configured to fetch data automatically when a user accesses a form. This allows forms to be dynamically populated with relevant information from other systems.

For example, if a customer has five associated contact records, selecting that customer on the form will automatically populate a table with all five contacts.

Data sets can also be added to Lookup, Select, Radio inputs and Segmented Buttons.

To use a data set, a data connection needs to be set up to retrieve information. This connection links the form to your primary data source, such as:

  • SQL Server

  • REST APIs

  • IFS Apps 10

  • IFS FSM

  • IFS Cloud

Once the connection is set up, you can create one or many datasets from it to pull specific types of information into your form.

The data set can be filtered by connecting form fields to the data set. If the data in data sets is editable, it is editable in the dynamic table as well. Sub-tables can be a field type of a dynamic table, which is opened from a row or column. A sub-table can contain a sub-table and there is no limit, other than what is usable on the device and report.

  1. From the Reusable Components menu, select Data Sets. Click New Data Set. The Data Set Designer opens.
  2. In the Data Set Name field, enter a name for the data set. Duplicate names for data sets are not allowed. The name must be unique.
  3. Toggle the Real Time Data Set toggle on if the data set should retrieve data in real time (on demand) rather than only during a form sync. If this toggle is enabled, you must select at least one parameter. This helps filter the data request and prevents a large amount of data from being pulled unnecessarily. Even if you're not using it strictly for real-time purposes, enabling this toggle also includes the data set as part of the device sync process, depending on how it's configured.

  4. You can control how long synced data is stored on the device and when it should be refreshed with updated data. In the Refresh App Data field, choose when the data set should be synced:

    • At Sync
      The data set is refreshed every time the app is synced. Use this option if the data changes often and needs to stay up to date.

    • On Demand
      The data set is synced only when it is first used on a form. After that, the data remains on the device until it's manually refreshed.

      If no data has been synced yet, the data set will remain empty until the user clicks Refresh Now.

    Click Refresh Now to immediately sync the data set. This ensures the data is up to date the next time a form is used. Use On Demand for large or rarely changing data sets to reduce sync time and improve performance.

  5. From the Data Connection field, select the data connection from which the data is to be retrieved. 

  6. In the Data Origination field, select how you want to retrieve data from the connected source. Available options include:

    • SQL Query – Use a SQL statement to pull data from a database.

    • HTTP GET – Use a URL to retrieve data from a REST API.

    • XML Query – Use an XML structure to request data, often from systems like IFS FSM.

  7. Click + Parameter to add a Parameter field. Parameters are used in a deep link to filter the data that is retrieved from the server, ensuring that only the relevant information is returned. These parameters are provided when the deep link is executed. Keep in mind the data set parameter is passed in as a string, even if it is a number. If the value needs to be treated as a number, you’ll need to convert it to an integer.
  8. After selecting the data origination method, enter the appropriate query or stored procedure that will be used to retrieve the data fields for your data set.
  9. Click Generate Data Fields to run the query and display a subset of the data to help you determine whether the query is correct. If the data retrieved does not return any rows it displays a row of sample data. The Format Data Set Data window can still be used.
    Note: If you edit the query, click the Generate Data Fields button again to display the changes in the data.
  10. If you want to provide the ability to change the labels for use on the app, click Data Set Properties to open the Format Data Set Data window. 
  11. You can reuse data sets on multiple forms, but there may be times when want to make a slight change to the data set and don't want to create a brand-new data set. Click Copy to copy the data set then make changes as needed to the copied data set.
  12. Click Save to save the data set.
  13. To review a data set's performance, view the Data Set Performance Log.