25.1.6 Retrieving Data for an Activity

Use activity-level Additional Data to query one row of values the current activity needs.

In addition to the workflow-level Additional Data table or SQL query, every activity also supports an optional Additional Data query. Wherever it adds value, use it to declaratively retrieve a single row of relevant information the current activity requires to get its job done. Using bind variables, the query can reference column values from the workflow-level Additional Data, parameters, and version variables. It can join in data from any tables in the data model and engage functions in its SELECT list. This makes it convenient to perform on the fly computations whose results are useful to the current activity.

Once you've configured the optional Additional Data query on an activity, then in that specific activity you can reference the value of any of its SELECT list columns, using:

• &NAME. in text substitutions,
• :NAME in code and queries, and
• NAME in activity properties requiring an item name.

Tip:

Activity-level Additional Data column values are only available to the activity whose Additional Data query retrieved them. Subsequent activities in the flow cannot reference these values. Retrieve the column in your workflow-level Additional Details SQL query to let all activities reference it. Or, if you need to store a point-in-time value that later activities can reference, use an Execute Code activity to assign it to a workflow variable.