1. Developing Integrated Spreadsheets Using Oracle Visual Builder Add-in for Excel
  2. Create Layouts in an Excel Workbook
  3. Work with Service Path Parameters in a Table Layout

Work with Service Path Parameters in a Table Layout

Some service paths include path parameters. The add-in provides support for configuring a Table layout using a parameterized service path. It automatically extracts the path parameters and prompts the user to provide the corresponding values at download time.

To configure a Table layout with a parameterized service path, first provide an OpenAPI-compliant service metadata document. When prompted, choose a child business object or any parameterized path from the business object picker. Then complete the layout configuration.

Tip:

When working with ADF REST services, you should start with the web address to the parent business object metadata (and not the child address). For example, for a parameterized service path such as /ExpenseReports/{ExpenseReports_Id}/child/Expenses/, provide the address to the ExpenseReports metadata (not Expenses). ADF REST services cannot provide OpenAPI service metadata documents for parameterized service paths.

When a business user clicks Download Data from the Oracle Visual Builder ribbon, the add-in displays the Service Path Parameter Editor where the user can provide the required path parameter values that allow the download to proceed.


Description of service_path_parameter_editor.png follows
Description of the illustration service_path_parameter_editor.png

In this example, the layout uses a service path with an embedded parameter for the expense report Id ({ExpenseReports_Id}):

/ExpenseReports/{ExpenseReports_Id}/child/Expenses/

Note {ExpenseReports_Id} is in the middle of the service path.

If the user provides a value for {ExpenseReports_Id} in the given field, the add-in substitutes this value for the path parameter when creating the request to the service. If the user provides an expense report Id of 123456, the add-in uses the following path:

/ExpenseReports/123456/child/Expenses/

A request using this service path returns all the expenses for expense report 123456.

Path parameters of type string or integer are supported; other data types are not supported. For string-typed path parameters, values that users enter in the Service Path Parameter Editor are used verbatim when the add-in constructs the request to the service. For integer-typed values, certain culture-specific formatting is removed (for example, commas for thousands separators, parentheses for negative). In all cases, the add-in applies URL-encoding to the value entered in the prompt.

The Service Path Parameter Editor does not validate the value(s) that users enter. The value(s) that users provide must be valid. If the path includes multiple embedded parameters, the Service Path Parameter Editor prompts the user to provide a value for each embedded parameter.

The add-in remembers the values provided at download time. These values are used again at upload time to construct the upload requests. If you upload without having done a previous download (for example, when exclusively creating new rows), you'll be prompted for the path parameter values at the beginning of the upload.

Note:

Since business users may not know the path parameter values at download time, consider using a Form-over-Table layout or a set of dependent layouts instead. See Create a Form-over-Table Layout in an Excel Workbook or Use Multiple Layouts for Multi-level Business Objects.