1. Streamline Dashboards With List Function Gadgets
User Group Meeting October 12, 2016
Jean Patterson, Pattermatix Consulting

2. Agenda What are List Function Gadgets? How does they help users?
How do you create them?
How can you pass lists to an external API?
Hands on practice

3. Types of Gadgets Link Parameterized SQL (“Drop Drown”)
Smart Table/Grid
Zing Chart
List Functions
Custom HTML
Query

4. List Function Gadgets
User can pass a list of barcodes
Type/paste
Query
User selects action to be performed on objects
Pre-defined set of LIMS functions
Send to external API
No wizard to configure it, but more flexible with what you can configure
Not constrained to a specific entity type

5. Example List Functions
Admin
Inactivate Records
Update Project Associations
Inventory
Print Barcodes
Move Locations
Scientist
Generate Report
Add to Queue

6. Streamline User Experience
Relevant buttons and input box directly on dashboard
Navigate to List Functions page and find operation
Vs.

7. General Gadget Attributes
Only need to set width (gadget height is automatically fit)
Choose Javascript, but enter function directly in Content (no wizard)
No associated reports

8. Content Function Admin chooses: Format:
Which List Functions buttons
Whether users can query from search page or not
Title text
Gadget background color
Text color
What page you will be redirected to after submit
Format:
makeSpecificListFunctionGadget(divId, listFunctionBarcode, withQuerying, g adgetTitle, color, textColor, destinationPage);
All strings use single vertical quotes! ' ' not ‘ ’

9. Function Input Parameters
Parameter Name
Input Type
Description
Example Values
divId
string
the div you want to transform into the gadget
use gadgetConfig.myDiv.Id to indicate the gadget record you are currently creating
listFunctionBarcode
takes a | delimited list of barcodes for the list functions you want the gadget to load support for
'LTFN1|LTFN2|LTFN3'
withQuerying
Boolean
true will let users query by entity type for a list of barcodes; false just lets users input a list of barcodes and the query button will not be displayed in the gadget
true; false
gadgetTitle
displays the specified title at the top of the gadget; null value will display List Function Gadget as the title
'Custom Gadget Title'
color
background color of gadget in hexadecimal or color names; null value displays orange background
'#000000'; 'red'
textColor
color of text in hexadecimal or color names; null value displays white text
'#FFFFFF'; null
destinationPage
page that users will be directed to after function is run in some cases; see online docs for details
'here'; 'corelims?cmd=home'

10. Example #1 LTFN30 = Inactivate/Activate List Function
Query button turned on
Title added
Null = Default background and text colors
Destination page is system home page

11. Example #2 Multiple list functions separated by pipe (|)
Query button turned off
Title added (Tip: title should indicate what type of barcodes will work)
Custom background and text colors
No special destination page

12. Selecting List Functions
List Function barcodes are listed under Functions>List Functions in the main admin panel
Unsupported list functions:
List functions that modify the entity type definition (such as Update Attributes or Update Associations)
List functions that add containers to experiments
List functions that add samples to experiments
Remember to select the appropriate list function
Sample vs. Lots
Single well vs. Multiple well
Tip: Relabel list functions to fit button (make a copy if need 2 labels)

13. Example List Functions
Barcodes may change between systems (be careful when migrating…)
Label can be shortened
Landing page may be defined in URL template or Dest Cmd Key

14. Destination Pages
Can use destinationPage parameter to configure final landing page for some general list functions
Destination URL defined on list function will override parameter
If no destination URL, final page defined within destination command key
'here'
grabs the URL of your current page, recommended if destination command key defines alternate page
does not work for masked URLs
Can also enter final part of URL address (do not need ${ServletUrl} token)
'corelims?cmd=home'  = system home page

15. Posting to External APIs
Barcodes can be passed through a list function gadget to an external API as well as internal pages.
This is a best practice POST method – barcode information is NOT passed through the URL
External APIs must be stored in a Function and NOT a list function

16. Make a Custom Function
External Test Server that shows what you posted (Note: Data is public!)

17. External API List Function Gadget
Connect the gadget to the Custom Function you made

18. Test Server Shows if Post Works

19. Time to Try It Out!

20. For More Information
adgets/List_Functions_Gadgets.htm
adgets/Using_List_Function_Gadgets.htm
PIs/List_Function_Gadgets_to_post_to_External_APIs.htm

21. Acknowledgements
Blake Praharaj
Jim Adinolfi
Sharif Ahmed