8.5.1 Use Cases for Temporary Storage

Use temporary storage for multi-page tasks, query-by-example searches, temporary data collections, and file uploads.

Four key use cases that require temporary storage include:

• Tasks Involving Multiple Pages

  User-entered values need to "hang around" while a user visits multiple pages to work on a task. Your app saves these temporary values only once the user confirms they have completed the job. A three-page Onboard New Employee wizard is a perfect example.

• Query-by-Example Search Pages

  Users may appreciate their filter criteria "staying sticky" across multiple uses of a particular business function during their session. Their criteria values are not meant to ever be saved in an application table, but their temporary storage during the user's session improves usability.

• Temporary Data Collections

  Imagine a shopping cart page flow where the end user repeats a sequence of searching for an item, adding it to their cart, and adjusting the quantities they want to purchase. Until the user clicks (Check Out) to make a purchase, the set of product codes and quantities in their cart is a temporary collection. During order creation, your app iterates through the shopping cart items to create the permanent order lines of the new order.

• File Uploads

  In a page flow where a user requests a medical insurance reimbursement, they may need to upload one or more attachments to support their claim. The uploaded files need temporary storage until your business logic can move their contents to appropriate application tables when a task completes.