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Table Component

The Table step is only to be used together with an M3 API step. It creates the table on the first run if it does not exist yet. For anything else, such as REST API, Transform or Data Lake, use Table Updater instead.

The Table component creates a custom table inside Vince Platform and writes workflow output data into it. Use it when you want to keep the results of a workflow for reporting, event triggers, or use by other workflows. It is a VXL Live component: you build it in the Vince Platform workflow editor, and the workflow is used from VXL Live.

You choose the columns from the fields returned by the M3 API step.

Example: keep a customer list​

You want a table with the customers an M3 API step returns, refreshed each time the workflow runs.

  1. Build the workflow: Trigger → M3 API (a customer list transaction) → Table.
  2. In Table info, set the Table name to Customers and add a description. Choose Upsert as the Update mode.
  3. Drag Customer number, Customer name and Status into Columns, and mark Customer number as the Primary key.
  4. Select Save and run the workflow.

The first run creates the table and fills it. Later runs update existing customers and add new ones, without duplicates.

Update mode​

Update mode decides how the component handles existing data each time the workflow runs:

Update modeBehaviour
UpsertInserts new records or updates existing ones based on the primary key. No duplicates are created. This is the default.
ReplaceDeletes all existing records in the table and inserts fresh data.
AppendAdds new records without removing existing ones.

Set up a table​

  1. Add the Table component to the workflow.
  2. Select Table info and enter a Table name and a Table description. Both are required, and the name must not be used by another table.
  3. Choose the Update mode, then select Apply.
  4. Open the field panel on the left (Show available fields). It lists the output fields of the M3 API component. Fields already used as columns are not shown.
  5. Drag fields from the panel into the Columns list. Drag a column up or down to change the order.
  6. To change a column, select the pencil. You can edit its Description and Data type, and tick Primary key. The Internal column name cannot be changed.
  7. To remove a column, select the trash icon. Removed fields reappear in the panel.
  8. Mark at least one column as the Primary key. This is required.
  9. Select Save.

The workflow cannot be saved until the table has a name, a description, at least one column and a primary key. A tick in the list shows which columns are primary key columns.

caution

Choose the primary key carefully before you first save. It identifies each record, and Upsert uses it to decide between inserting and updating.

Table actions​

Once a table exists, the following actions are available in Table Management:

ActionWhat it does
Column InfoView the table's structure and field definitions
Edit TableModify column names or data types (primary key cannot be changed)
Upload ExcelImport data from a spreadsheet directly into the table
Show DataBrowse the current records in the table
Copy TableDuplicate the table structure and its data
Delete ContentRemove all records while keeping the table structure
Delete TablePermanently remove the table and all its data
  • Table Updater — the flexible way to write to a table, for steps that are not M3 API
  • Event Trigger — respond automatically when records in this table are created, updated, or deleted
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