RFL200287: RayFlow 4.1 SP1 Text Datafield SQL Look Up Feature

This article describes how a text datafield can be configured so that it offers values derived from a SQL query. 

To gain access to this feature, a text datafield must be given the ‚Autocomplete‘ datafield property:

Enabling this option allows the ‘LOOK UP SOURCE’ tab to become visible:

The ‘Internal’ option simply allows the text datafield to function in its normal autocomplete mode, where it will remember all values that are entered into it when a task is either created or edited.

Selecting the ‘External’ radial button displays any existing external look up sources:

Pressing the ‘Edit look up source’ icon displays the ‘Look up source configuration’ panel:

Pressing the ‘Create new Datafield Group’ icon allows you to create a new SQL query based look up source:

• The database can either reside locally to RayFlow or on a separate server altogether.
• Both SQl & Windows authentication can be used.
• Queries that merge multiple columns within the SELECT statement can also be utilized, so that the merged values are displayed within the datafield as a look up result.
• Both the connection string and the query can be tested before the configuration is saved.

This example simply targets a custom database that only contains one table:

Pressing the green tick saves the look up source, and pressing the red cross cancel’s your configuration. 

Either option will allow you to either create another look up source, or finally save or cancel the datafields recent configuration:

Once three characters have been entered into the datafield, the datafield will start offering look up results:

Multiple values can be added by entering a semi-colon after a look up result has been selected.