Hooking up a dictionary data source

Eximee allows form components to be populated with data from dictionaries — that is, predefined lists of values maintained in the platform. Dictionaries are convenient for drop-down lists or radio button groups, as they centrally manage sets of options (e.g. a list of countries, a list of document types). Updating a dictionary in one place can automatically affect all applications using it.

Step-by-step configuration:

1. Preparing the dictionary: Make sure that the required dictionary has been created in the system (in the Dictionaries Eximee library module). Check whether it contains the current keys and values, and if necessary create a new dictionary according to the requirements (e.g. CountryList with country codes and names).
2. Selecting a component: In Eximee Designer, select the component that is to be populated from the dictionary. These can be: List value selector (Combobox), Text field, Radio group or Checkbox group — all these types support dictionary sources.
3. Selecting a dictionary as the EDS: In the Properties → Interactions of the component, click in the External data source and select Select a service. In the list of available sources, find the name of the appropriate dictionary. The dictionary appears on the list just like services. After selecting the dictionary in the External data source field, its name will appear.

   

   Figure 1. External data source selection window with the selected dictionary
4. Parameter mapping (conditional dictionaries): For a standard dictionary (without conditions), no mapping is required — the component automatically retrieves all keys and values. However, if a conditional dictionary is used, parameters will appear in the Input parameters tab that need to be mapped. These are usually other form fields on which the dictionary content depends (e.g. the Cities dictionary depends on the selected Voivodeship). In such a case, assign the appropriate components to the parameters, similarly to service input mapping.

   

   Figure 2. Example of mapping input parameters for a dictionary with defined conditions for displaying keys
5. Save: After finishing the configuration, save the changes. While the application is running, the component will be automatically populated with data from the dictionary. In the case of a conditional dictionary, the list of values will be refreshed automatically when the field it depends on changes (e.g. changing the Voivodeship will reload the Cities list).

Attaching a script

A script service can also be the data source for a component fed from a dictionary source. This solution makes it possible to write a script that can, for example, calculate dictionary values depending on an input parameter or return different values for different languages.

Figure 3. Example script returning a dictionary with input parameters