IoT Tips

  Utilizing the ThingWorx monitoring system   Guide Concept   Being able to view your logs is an important part of knowing what is happening in your system. You can't keep things secure if you don't know who is doing what.   These concepts and provide you with ways to find information about what is going on in your application and system.   We will teach you how to access the monitoring panel and help keep your application running the way you need it to.     You'll learn how to   How to log data and capture useful information How to filter and find what you need in the monitoring pages.   NOTE:  The estimated time to complete this guide is 30 minutes     Step 1: Example and Strategy   If you’d like to skip ahead, download the completed example of the Aerospace and Defense learning path: AerospaceEntitiesGuide1.zip. Extract, then import the .twx files included.   In the last guide, we ended with viewing the Monitoring section of ThingWorx. What you’ll now learn is a more detailed method to knowing exactly what is happening in your application. Part of the magic in logging comes from informative statements and how you perform your error handling.   We will create an Entity with a number of services that will allow us to see what is happening in our application. In order to automate these services and view the logs that they generate, we’ll be using Schedulers. When we have everything running, we’ll go over how to utilize the Monitoring section to its strengths.     Step 2: Utilizing Logging Functions   Errors happen. Sooner or later, there will be an error. When you have an error in your application, you need to know about it and have information to help resolve the problem. There are 5 main logging functions under the universal logger object – info, debug, trace, warn, and error.   Function  Description  info Used for high level and general information. debug Used for debugging an application and capturing data. trace Used for low level and tracking what is happening. warn Used to warn for possible errors or problems. error Used for showing an error in a log.   Let’s create a Thing that performs logging for different data types (complex types will be handled in the next section).   1.  In the ThingWorx Composer, click the + New button in the top left.  2. In the dropdown list, click Thing.   3. In the Name field, give our agency name, such as  LoggingServices. 4. In the Base Thing Template field, select GenericThing. 5. Select a Project, such as PTCDefaultProject. Set this as the default context if you wish.   6. Click Save.     Let's start creating our services.   1. Click the Services tab. 2. Click the Add button to create a new JavaScript service.   3. Enter LogInformation in the Name field of the service. 4. Enter the below lines as the code for the service.   logger.trace("LoggingServices.LogInformation(): Entering Service."); logger.info("LoggingServices.LogInformation(): Logging at Information Level"); try { var x = 10; var y = 20; var z = 0; logger.debug("LoggingServices.LogInformation(): Logging Addition - " + (x + y)); logger.debug("LoggingServices.LogInformation(): Logging Division - " + (y / z)); } catch(error) { logger.error("LoggingServices.LogInformation(): Error - " + error); } logger.trace("LoggingServices.LogInformation(): Ending Service."); 5. Click the Save and Continue button. Hit the Execute button.   When triggered, this service will print the trace information for the service, the information level logging, the sum of the x and y variables, and our error message (because of our division by 0 attempt). In the next section, we’ll cover the log file types and how to filter to get what we want.       Step 3: Logging Complex Objects   As you know, with JavaScript, objects can be seen as JSON. That being said, The JSON.stringify function is very handy in printing out complex objects in ThingWorx (NOTE: In order to print out an InfoTable, use <infotable>.toJSON() ). Let’s create a new service to log more complex types.   1.     Open our LoggingServices Thing that we created in the earlier sections. 2.     Click the Services tab. 3.     Click the Add button to create a new service. 4.     Enter LogComplexObjects  in the Name field. 5.     Enter the below statements into the code area.   logger.trace("LoggingServices. LogComplexObjects (): Entering Service."); logger.info("LoggingServices. LogComplexObjects (): Logging at Information Level"); try { var x = {}; x.y = 20; x.z = 0; logger.debug("LoggingServices. LogComplexObjects (): Logging Addition - " + (x + y)); logger.debug("LoggingServices. LogComplexObjects (): Logging Division - " + (y / z)); } catch(error) { logger.error("LoggingServices. LogComplexObjects (): Error - " + error); } logger.trace("LoggingServices. LogComplexObjects (): Ending Service.");   After you execute this service, you should be able to see the outcome in the ScriptLog. Try utilizing some of the filtering methods we mentioned in order to find the log statements.       Step 4: Viewing and Filtering Logs   In the table below, you’ll see what each of the logs showcase. Keep in mind, while some of these logs are accessible in the ThingWorx composer, you can view all of these logs on the server in the /ThingworxStorage/logs directory.   Log Description   Application Log  The Application Log contains all of the messages that ThingWorx logs while operating. Depending on your settings, this log can display errors only or every execution of the platform.  Communication Log  The Communication Log contains all communication activity with ThingWorx.  Configuration Log  The Configuration Log contains all of the messages that the ThingWorx application generates for any create, modify, and delete done in ThingWorx. For example, if a Thing or Mashup is created, modified, or deleted, that information will be included in the ConfigurationLog.  Database Log  The DatabaseLog contains all messages related to database activity.  Script Log  The ScriptLog contains all of the messages that the ThingWorx application generates while executing JavaScript services. You can use logger.warn(or logger.info, logger.trace, logger.debug, logger.error). By default, the log displays warnings and errors, so we recommend using the warn function to log this information from the services you are running. Generally, ThingWorx will only publish errors that were incurred while running a service to this log.  Security Log  The Security Log contains all of the messages that the ThingWorx application generates regarding users. This information can include login data and page requests depending on the log level.  Script Error Log  The Script Error Log contains the stack trace for scripts created in the platform and is only available in the ScriptErrorLog.log file. Not accessible in the Composer.   Let’s go to the Monitoring section of the ThingWorx Composer and view the results from the server we triggered earlier.   1.     Click on the Monitoring section on the left-hand side of the Composer.   2.     Click on ScriptLog. Based on your role on this team, this might be the log that you view the most.     3.     You should be able to see or find the logs we recently generated from executing our new service.   The logging views in Composer will generally show you the last 24-hour period. This can be helpful if you know something ran within the last day. Based on the amount of logging your system performs, that can be way too large a window. Let’s start playing with the filters and searches.       # Function  1 The search text box allows you to search for specific words in the log based on your time window. Once you have entered the word, hit the **ENTER/RETURN key on your keyboard. 2 The filter button provides a menu that provides more features to filter the logs. See below. 3 The configure button provides a pop-up that allows you to filter incoming log statements based on a certain logging level. See below. 4 The date range will default to the last 24 hours but can be updated to a wider or smaller window. You will need to click the Apply button when ready. 5 The max rows field provides how many records will come back in the view. The search will continue until it hits this number, or your date range is met. You can shorten this field for faster searching or increase it up to 1000 to showcase more information. You will need to click the Apply button when ready. 6 Apply and Reset buttons. Apply will run the search you currently have on the screen. Reset will reset the date range and max rows ONLY. 7 Auto Refresh allows for the logs to continue rolling in based on your current filters. Think of this as a specified **tail command on a server log. 8 This grid provides the actual logging information. The information provided here can be used to also help filter what you’re looking for. If you see specific thread has the data you need, use the filter menu (2) to filter based on that thread. You can also click on these items to view the log statement clearer. 9 This log message field provides the message from the grid (8) entry clicked on.     The Filter Menu   The filter menu provides very helpful filters. See below for some information on how it works.   # Function 1 This User field allows you to filter the logs to the user that ran the service or function. This is helpful when you know a specific person has logged in and having problems with your application. 2 The Origin field can help when trying to zero in your search. If you notice in the log message grid, there is an origin field. Use this field to help fine tune your search. 3 The Thread field is amazing when you have multiple processes running and would like to see the logs from one process only. You’ll need to find a log entry before you know which thread to filter on. 4 This is similar to the Origin field in the sense that once you find the instance value for a log entry, it can be used here to help filter. 5 The log level range is exactly as the name states. It will help filter message based on logging level.     The Configure Pop-up     The configure pop-up helps with logging going forward. If you only want to see debug level information or you’d like to see everything down to the trace messages, configure it here and you’ll see the change as new messages come in.     Step 5: Next Steps   Congratulations! You've successfully completed the Tracking Activities and Stats guide, and learned how to use the ThingWorx Platform to help track what is happening in your application.   Learn More   We recommend the following resources to continue your learning experience:    Capability     Guide Build Design Your Data Model Manage Data Model Implementation Guide   Additional Resources   If you have questions, issues, or need additional information, refer to:    Resource       Link Community Developer Community Forum Support REST API Help Center

    Step 4: Implement New Features   The SMT Assembly Line Data Model was built around a sample manufacturing facility that tracks critical data points, including diagnostic information for:   motherboards assembly machines assembly line performance   To make informed decisions based on the diagnostic and performance data, you can add features that will increase analytics capabilities.   In this optional step, we'll add a Line Chart to see the performance of any given assembly machine. Once completed, we can create Services that will be used to make calculations on the data we have generated from the assembly line.   For a final challenge, you can create a service that will compare data points to identify what works best in an assembly machine, a larger internal queue, or more placement heads.   Setup New Mashup   Create a Mashup that is Responsive and name it SMTTimeSeriesMashup. Click the Layout tab and add a column to the canvas. Drag and drop a List Widget onto the left column of the layout. Drag-and-drop a Line Chart Widget onto the other column of the layout.   Configure List Widget   Add the GetImplementingThingsWithData Service of the AssemblyMachineTemplate Thing Template as a data source in the Mashup. Ensure the checkbox for Execute on Load is checked. Drag-and-drop GetImplementingThingsWithData > Returned Data > All Data to the List Widget. On the Select Binding Target pop-up, select Data.   With the List widget selected, for the DisplayField property dropdown, select name. In the ValueField property dropdown, select name.   Configure Time Series Data Add the Dynamic QueryPropertyHistory Service of the AssemblyMachineTemplate Thing Template as a data source in the Mashup. Ensure the checkbox for Execute on Load is checked. Drag-and-drop QueryPropertyHistory > Returned Data > All Data to the Time Series Chart Widget. On the Select Binding Target pop-up, select Data. For the XAxisField property dropdown, select timestamp. For the DataField1 property dropdown, select IdleTime OR MotherboardsCompleted.   Connect Widgets   Drag-and-drop the GetImplementingThingsWithData > Returned Data > Selected Row(s) > name property to the EntityName parameter for the Dynamic AssemblyMachineTemplate data source. Select the GetImplementingThingsWithData service, then drag-and-drop the SelectedRowChanged event onto QueryPropertyHistory.   Click Save. After the save is complete, click View Mashup.   You are now able to see what the idle time is for each assemble machine over the span of its use.   Create Service   You can add JavaScript code to calculate the average completion time for the motherboard assembly.   Open the MotherboardTemplate ThingTemplate in Composer. Create a new Service titled CompletionTime. For the Output type, select Number. Enter the following code into the JavaScript window and save: var diff = 1; if(me.EndTime != null && me.StartTime != null){ diff = Math.abs(me.EndTime - me.StartTime); } //Seconds var result = Math.round(diff/1000); //Minutes //var result = Math.round((diff/1000)/60);   You can now calculate the time it takes for an individual motherboard to be completed. Create a service to be used with the GetCompletedMotherboards service (returns a list of all completed Raspberry Pi motherboards) with the SMTAssemblyLineTemplate ThingTemplate to calculate the average time for your assembly line to complete a motherboard. Finish this Service and add configure it to work with your new Mashup.       Step 5: Next Steps   Congratulations! You've successfully completed the ThingWorx Monitor an SMT Assembly Line Guide, learning how to use ThingWorx to create an application that provides real-time insight into connected assets.   Learn More   We recommend the following resources to continue your learning experience:    Capability      Guide Build Design Your Data Model Build Implement Services, Events, and Subscriptions Connect Java SDK Tutorial   Additional Resources   If you have questions, issues, or need additional information, refer to:    Resource       Link Community Developer Community Forum Support Java Edge SDK Help Center

    Step 6: Create Master   Now that we have created our Menu Entity, we can create a Master Mashup to hold a Menu Widget. We'll use the Menu Entity to configure the Menu Widget.     Navigate to Browse > Visualization > Masters.    Click +New.    Leave the defaults and click OK.    In the Name field, type MNWM_Master. If Project is not already set, search for and select PTCDefaultProject.    At the top, click Save.    At the top, click Design.     Add Header   Now that we've created the Master Entity, we need to add space for the Menu Widget.   At the top-left, click the Layout tab.    Click Add Top.   With the new top-section still selected, scroll down in the Layout tab, and select Container Size > Fixed Size.   In the new Height field, type 50, then hit your keyboard's Tab key to apply the change.    At the top, click Save.   Add Menu Widget Now that we have somewhere to put it, we can finally add the Menu Widget and then configure it.   In the top-left, click the Widgets tab.   Drag-and-drop a Menu Widget onto the top Canvas section.   Ensure the Menu Widget is still selected, as well as the Properties tab in the bottom-left.   In the Filter field, type menu.   For the Menu Property, search for and select MNWM_Menu.    At the top, click Save.     Step 7: Menu Navigation   We now have all the elements created to navigate using a Menu. The only thing left is to assign the Master to our Homepage and then view our work.     Return to MNWM_Homepage_Mashup.    In the top-left, click the Explorer tab.   Ensure that Mashup is selected. On the bottom-left Properties tab, in the Filter field, type master.   For the Master Property, search for and select MNWM_Master.    At the top, click Save. At the top, click View Mashup. You may need to enable "pop-ups" in your browser.   Click Park.   Click Amphitheater.   Note that you may wish to set MNWM_Master for the other pages of your application, just in case anyone were to navigate directly there via URL. But simply setting it on the homepage is enough for us to see that Menu navigation is functioning correctly.       Step 8: Next Steps   Congratulations! You've successfully completed the Mashup Navigation with Menus guide. In this guide, you learned how to:   Create a Mashup to be used as a "Home" page Create more Mashups as subpages Create a Menu Entity to track Mashups Create a Master Mashup as a Header Utilize a Menu Widget for navigation   Learn More    Capability     Resource Experience Track Issues with Pareto Chart   Additional Resources   If you have questions, issues, or need additional information, refer to:    Resource       Link Community Developer Community Forum Support Foundation Help Center - Menu Entity Support Foundation Help Center - Menu Widget    

Get Started with ThingWorx for IoT Guide Part 3   Step 7: Create Alerts and Subscriptions   An Event is a custom-defined message published by a Thing, usually when the value of a Property changes. A Subscription listens for a specific Event, then executes Javascript code. In this step, you will create an Alert which is quick way to define both an Event and the logic for when the Event is published.   Create Alert   Create an Alert that will be sent when the temperature property falls below 32 degrees. Click Thing Shapes under the Modeling tab in Composer, then open the ThermostatShape Thing Shape from the list.   Click Properties and Alerts tab.   Click the temperature property. Click the green Edit button if not already in edit mode, then click the + in the Alerts column.   Choose Below from the Alert Type drop down list. Type freezeWarning in the Name field.   Enter 32 in the Limit field. Keep all other default settings in place. NOTE: This will cause the Alert to be sent when the temperature property is at or below 32.        8. Click ✓ button above the new alert panel.       9. Click Save.     Create Subscription   Create a Subscription to this event that uses Javascript to record an entry in the error log and update a status message. Open the MyHouse Thing, then click Subscriptions tab.   Click Edit if not already in edit mode, then click + Add.   Type freezeWarningSubscription in the Name field. After clicking the Inputs tab, click the the Event drop down list, then choose Alert. In the Property field drop down, choose temperature.   Click the Subscription Info tab, then check the Enabled checkbox   Create Subscription Code   Follow the steps below to create code that sets the message property value and writes a Warning message to the ThingWorx log. Enter the following JavaScript in the Script text box to the right to set the message property.                       me.message = "Warning: Below Freezing";                       2. Click the Snippets tab. NOTE: Snippets provide many built-in code samples and functions you can use. 3. Click inside the Script text box and hit the Enter key to place the cursor on a new line. 4. Type warn into the snippets filter text box or scroll down to locate the warn Snippet. 5. Click All, then click the arrow next to warn, and Javascript code will be added to the script window. 6. Add an error message in between the quotation marks.                       logger.warn("The freezeWarning subscription was triggered");                       7. Click Done. 8. Click Save.   Step 8: Create Application UI ThingWorx you can create customized web applications that display and interact with data from multiple sources. These web applications are called Mashups and are created using the Mashup Builder. The Mashup Builder is where you create your web application by dragging and dropping Widgets such as grids, charts, maps, buttons onto a canvas. All of the user interface elements in your application are Widgets. We will build a web application with three Widgets: a map showing your house's location on an interactive map, a gauge displaying the current value of the watts property, and a graph showing the temperature property value trend over time. Build Mashup Start on the Browse, folder icon tab of ThingWorx Composer. Select Mashups in the left-hand navigation, then click + New to create a new Mashup.   For Mashup Type select Responsive.   Click OK. Enter widgetMashup in the Name text field, If Project is not already set, click the + in the Project text box and select the PTCDefaultProject, Click Save. Select the Design tab to display Mashup Builder.   Organize UI On the upper left side of the design workspace, in the Widget panel, be sure the Layout tab is selected, then click Add Bottom to split your UI into two halves.   Click in the bottom half to be sure it is selected before clicking Add Left Click anywhere inside the lower left container, then scroll down in the Layout panel to select Fixed Size Enter 200 in the Width text box that appears, then press Tab key of your computer to record your entry.   Click Save   Step 9: Add Widgets Click the Widgets tab on the top left of the Widget panel, then scroll down until you see the Gauge Widget Drag the Gauge widget onto the lower left area of the canvas on the right. This Widget will show the simulated watts in use.   Select the Gauge object on the canvas, and the bottom left side of the screen will show the Widget properties. Select Bindable from the Catagory dropdown and enter Watts for the Legend property value, and then press tab..   Click and drag the Google Map Widget onto the top area of the canvas. NOTE: The Google Map Widget has been provisioned on PTC CLoud hosted trial servers. If it is not available, download and install the Google Map Extension using the step-by-step guide for using Google Maps with ThingWorx . Click and drag the Line Chart Widget onto the lower right area of the canvas. Click Save

Get Started with ThingWorx for IoT Guide Part 2   Step 4: Create Thing   A Thing is used to digitally represent a specific component of your application in ThingWorx. In Java programming terms, a Thing is similar to an instance of a class. In this step, you will create a Thing that represents an individual house using the Thing Template we created in the previous step. Using a Thing Template allows you to increase development velocity by creating multiple Things without re-entering the same information each time. Start on the Browse, folder icon tab on the far left of ThingWorx Composer. Under the Modeling tab, hover over Things then click the + button. Type MyHouse in the Name field. NOTE: This name, with matching capitalization, is required for the data simulator which will be imported in a later step. 4. If Project is not already set, click the + in the Project text box and select the PTCDefaultProject. 5. In the Base Thing Template text box, click the + and select the recently created BuildingTemplate. 6. In the Implemented Shapes text box, click the + and select the recently created ThermostatShape. 7. Click Save.     Step 5: Store Data in Value Stream   Now that you have created the MyHouse Thing to model your application in ThingWorx, you need to create a storage entity to record changing property values. This guide shows ways to store data in ThingWorx Foundation. This exercise uses a Value Stream which is a quick and easy way to save time-series data.   Create Value Stream   Start on the Browse, folder icon tab on the far left of ThingWorx Composer. Under the Data Storage section of the left-hand navigation panel, hover over Value Streams and click the + button. Select the ValueStream template option, then click OK. Enter Foundation_Quickstart_ValueStream in the Name field. If Project is not already set, click the + in the Project text box and select the PTCDefaultProject.   Click Save.   Update Thing Template   Navigate to the BuildingTemplate Thing Template. TIP: You can use the Search box at the top if the tab is closed.       2. Confirm you are on the General Information tab.       3. Click Edit button if it is visible, then, in the Value Stream text entry box, click the + and select Foundation_Quickstart_ValueStream               4. Click Save     Step 6: Create Custom Service   The ThingWorx Foundation server provides the ability to create and execute custom Services written in Javascript. Expedite your development with sample code snippets, code-completion, and linting in the Services editor for Things, Thing Templates, and Thing Shapes. In this section, you will create a custom Service in the Electric Meter Thing Shape that will calculate the current hourly cost of electricity based on both the simulated live data, and the electricity rate saved in your model. You will create a JavaScript that multiplies the current meter reading by the cost per hour and stores it in a property that tracks the current cost. Click Thing Shapes under the Modeling tab on the left navigation pane; then click on MeterShape in the list. Click Services tab, then click + Add and select Local (Javascript). Type calculateCost into the Name field. Click Me/Entities to open the tab. Click Properties. NOTE: There are a number of properties including costPerKWh, currentCost and currentPower. These come from the Thing Shape you defined earlier in this tutorial. 6. Click the arrow next to the currentCost property. This will add the Javascript code to the script box for accessing the currentCost property. 7. Reproduce the code below by typing in the script box or clicking on the other required properties under the Me tab:           me.currentCost = me.costPerKWh * me.currentPower;           8. Click Done. 9. Click Save. NOTE: There is a new ThingWorx 9.3 feature that allows users to easily Execute tests for ‘Services’ right from where they are defined so users can quickly test solution code.    Click here to view Part 3 of this guide. 

Get Started with ThingWorx for IoT Guide Part 5   Step 13: Extend Your Model   Modify the application model, enhance your UI, and add features to the house monitoring application to simulate a request as it might come from an end user. For this step, we do not provide explicit instructions, so you can use critical thinking to apply your skills. After completing the previous steps, your Mashup should look like this:   In this part of the lesson, you'll have an opportunity to: Complete an application enhancement in Mashup Builder Compare your work with that of a ThingWorx engineer Import and examine ThingWorx entities provided for download that satisfy the requirements Understand the implications of ThingWorx modeling options   Task Analysis   Add a garage to the previously-created house monitoring web application and include a way to display information about the garage in the UI. You will need to model the garage using Composer and add to the web application UI using Mashup Builder. What useful information could a web application for a garage provide? How could information about a garage be represented in ThingWorx? What is the clearest way to display information about a garage?   Tips and Hints   See below for some tips and hints that will help you think about what to consider when modifying the application in ThingWorx. Modify your current house monitoring application by adding a garage: Extend your model to include information about a garage using Composer. Add a display of the garage information to your web application UI using Mashup Builder.   Best Practices   Keep application development manageable by using ThingWorx features that help organize entities you create.   Modeling   The most important feature of a garage is the status of the door. In addition to its current status, a user might be interested in knowing when the garage door went up or down. Most garages are not heated, so a user may or may not be interested in the garage temperature.   Display   The current status of the garage door should be easily visible. Complete the task in your Composer before moving forward. The Answer Key below reveals how we accomplished this challenge so you can compare your results to that of a ThingWorx engineer.   Answer Key   Confirm you configured your Mashup to meet the enhancement requirements when extending your web application. Use the information below to check your work.   Create New Thing   Creating a new Thing is one way to model the garage door. We explain other methods, including their pros and cons, in the Solution discussion below. Did you create a new Thing using the Building Template? Did you apply a Tag to the new Thing you created?   Review detailed steps for how to Create a Thing in Part 2 of this guide.   Add Property   Any modeling strategy requires the addition of a new Property to your model. We explore options for selecting an appropriate base type for the garage Property in the Solution discussion on the next step. Did you add a Property to represent the garage door? Did you use the Boolean type? Did you check the Logged? check-box to save history of changes?   Review detailed steps for how to Add a Property. in Part 1, Step 3 of this guide.   Add Widget   In order to display the garage door status, you must add a Widget to your Mashup. We used a check-box in our implementation. We introduce alternative display options in the Solution discussion on the next step. Did you add a Widget to your Mashup representing the garage door status? Review detailed steps for how to Create an Application UI in Part 3, Step 8 of this guide.   Add Data Source   If you created a new Thing, you must add a new data source. This step is not required if you added a Property to the existing Thing representing a house. Did you add a data source from the garage door Property of your new Thing? Did you check the Execute on Load check-box? Review detailed steps for how to Add a Data Source to a Mashup in Part 4, Step 10 of this guide.   Bind Data Source to Widget   You must bind the new garage door Property to a Widget in order to affect the visualization. Did you bind the data source to the Widget you added to your Mashup? Review detailed steps for how to Bind a Data Source to a Widget in Part 4, Step 10 of this guide.   Solution   If you want to inspect the entities as configured by a ThingWorx engineer, import this file into your Composer. Download the attached example solution:   FoundationChallengeSolution.xml Import the xml file into, then open MyHouseAndGarage Thing. See below for some options to consider in your application development.   Modeling   There are several ways the garage door property could be added to your existing model. The table below discusses different implementations we considered. We chose to model the status of the garage door as a Property of a new Thing created using the building Template. Modeling Method Pros Cons Add Property to BuildingTemplate The Garage property will be added to existing house Thing All future Things using Building Template will have a garage door property Add Property to existing house Thing House and garage are linked No separate temperature and watts Property for garage Add Property to new Thing created with BuildingTemplate All Building features available No logical link between house and garage   Property Base Type   We chose to represent the status of the door with a simple Boolean Property named 'garageDoorOpen' Thoughtful property naming ensures that the values, true and false, have a clear meaning. Using a Boolean type also makes it easy to bind the value directly to a Widget. The table below explains a few Base Type options. Modeling Method Pros Cons Boolean Easy to bind to Widget Information between open and closed is lost Number Precise door status Direction information is lost String Any number of states can be represented An unexpected String could break UI   Visualization   We chose a simple Check-box Widget to show the garage door status, but there are many other Widgets you could choose depending on how you want to display the data. For example, a more professional implementation might display a custom image for each state.   Logging   We recommended that you check the Logged option, so you can record the history of the garage door status.   Step 14: Next Steps   Congratulations! You've successfully completed the Get Started with ThingWorx for IoT tutorial, and learned how to: Use Composer to create a Thing based on Thing Shapes and Thing Templates Store Property change history in a Value Stream Define application logic using custom defined Services and Subscriptions Create an applicaton UI with Mashup Builder Display data from connected devices Test a sample application The next guide in the Getting Started on the ThingWorx Platform learning path is Data Model Introduction.

Get Started with ThingWorx for IoT Guide Part 4   Step 10: Display Data   Now that you have configured the visual part of your application, you need to bind the Widgets in your Mashup to a data source, and enable your application to display data from your connected devices.   Add Services to Mashup   Click the Data tab in the top-right section of the Mashup Builder. Click on the green + symbol in the Data tab.   Type MyHouse in the Entity textbox. Click MyHouse. In the Filter textbox below Services, type GetPropertyValues. Click the arrow to the right of the GetPropertyValues service to add it.   Select the checkbox under Execute on Load. NOTE: If you check the Execute on Load option, the service will execute when the Mashup starts. 8. In the Filter textbox under Services, type QueryProperty. 9. Add the QueryPropertyHistory service by clicking the arrow to the right of the service name. 10. Click the checkbox under Execute on Load. 11. Click Done. 12. Click Save.   Bind Data to Widgets   We will now connect the Services we added to the Widgets in the Mashup that will display their data.   Gauge   Configure the Gauge to display the current power value. Expand the GetPropertyValues Service as well as the Returned Data and All Data sections. Drag and drop the watts property onto the Gauge Widget.   When the Select Binding Target dialogue box appears, select # Data.   Map   Configure Google Maps to display the location of the home. Expand the GetPropertyValues service as well as the Returned Data section. Drag and drop All Data onto the map widget.   When the Select Binding Target dialogue box appears, select Data. Click on the Google Map Widget on the canvas to display properties that can configured in the lower left panel. Set the LocationField property in the lower left panel by selecting building_lat_lng from the drop-down menu.   Chart   Configure the Chart to display property values changing over time. Expand the QueryPropertyHistory Service as well as the Returned Data section. Drag and drop All Data onto the Line Chart Widget. When the Select Binding Target dialogue box appears, select Data. In the Property panel in the lower left, select All from the Category drop-down. Enter series in Filter Properties text box then enter 1 in NumberOfSeries . Enter field in Filter Properties text box then click XAxisField. Select the timestamp property value from the XAxisField drop-down. Select temperature from the DataField1 drop-down.   Verify Data Bindings   You can see the configuration of data sources bound to widgets displayed in the Connections pane. Click on GetPropertyValues in the data source panel then check the diagram on the bottom of the screen to confirm a data source is bound to the Gauge and Map widget.   Click on the QueryPropertyHistory data source and confirm that the diagram shows the Chart is bound to it. Click Save.   Step 11: Simulate a Data Source   At this point, you have created a Value Stream to store changing property value data and applied it to the BuildingTemplate. This guide does not include connecting edge devices and another guide covers choosing a connectivity method. We will import a pre-made Thing that creates simulated data to represent types of information from a connected home. The imported Thing uses Javascript code saved in a Subscription that updates the power and temperature properties of the MyHouse Thing every time it is triggered by its timer Event.    Import Data Simulation Entities   Download the attached sample:  Things_House_data_simulator.xml. In Composer, click the Import/Export icon at the lower-left of the page. Click Import. Leave all default values and click Browse to select the Things_House_data_simulator.xml file that you just downloaded. Click Open, then Import, and once you see the success message, click Close.   Explore Imported Entities   Navigate to the House_data_simulator Thing by using the search bar at the top of the screen. Click the Subscriptions tab. Click Event.Timer under Name. Select the Subscription Info tab. NOTE: Every 30 seconds, the timer event will trigger this subscription and the Javascript code in the Script panel will run. The running script updates the temperature and watts properties of the MyHouse Thing using logic based on both the temperature property from MyHouse and the isACrunning property of the simulator itself. 5. Expand the Subscription Info menu. The simulator will send data when the Enabled checkbox is checked. 6. Click Done then Save to save any changes.   Verify Data Simulation   Open the MyHouse Thing and click Properties an Alerts tab Click the Refresh button above where the current property values are shown   Notice that the temperature property value changes every 30 seconds when the triggered service runs. The watts property value is 100 when the temperature exceeds 72 to simulate an air conditioner turning on.   Step 12: Test Application   Browse to your Mashup and click View Mashup to launch the application.   NOTE: You may need to enable pop-ups in your browser to see the Mashup.       2. Confirm that data is being displayed in each of the sections.        Test Alert   Open MyHouse Thing Click the Properties and Subscriptions Tab. Find the temperature Property and click on pencil icon in the Value column. Enter the temperature property of 29 in the upper right panel. Click Check mark icon to save value. This will trigger the freezeWarning alert.   Click Refresh to see the value of the message property automatically set.   7. Click the the Monitoring icon on the left, then click ScriptLog to see your message written to the script log.   Click here to view Part 5 of this guide. 

  Step 6: Create Event Router   What do you do when a user can perform multiple events in which data is generated, and want those outputs to go through the same exact process? An Events Router Function is your solution. The Events Router Function allows for multiple data sources to be funneled to one location. Let's create a simple example in our MyFunctionsMashup Mashup. In this Mashup, we'll add two Text Field Widgets and a Label Widget. The two Text Field Widgets will take user input and then an Events Router will send the output to the Label. Let's start!   Open the MyFunctionsMashup Mashup to the Design tab. Click on the Widgets tab. Type in the Filter text box for Text Field.   Drag and drop TWO (2) Text Field Widgets to the Mashup Canvas. Type in the Filter text box for Label.   Drag and drop ONE (1) Label Widget to the Mashup Canvas. We now have all the Widgets we need for this example. Let's get started on the Events Router Function. Click the + button in the Functions panel. Select Events Router in the dropdown.   Set the Name to routeUserInput.   Click Next. Set the Inputs field to 2.   Click Done. We have our Events Router setup. Now, we'll bind our new items together. Click the Bind (arrows) button on the routeUserInput Events Router.   Click the down arrow next to Input1. Select Add Source.   In the Widgets tab, scroll to the bottom and select Text Property of the first of the two recent Text Fields we created (it should be third to last).   Click Next. Click the down arrow next to Input2. Select Add Source.   In the Widgets tab, scroll to the bottom and select Text Property of the second of the two recent Text Fields we created (it should be second to last).   Click Next. Click the down arrow next to Output. Select Add Target.   In the Widgets tab, scroll to the bottom and select LabelText Property of the recent Label we created (it should be last).   Click Next. Click Done. Click Save for the Mashup. You have just created an Events Router that will update a Label based on the typed input from two Text Fields. View your Mashup and play around with the bottom two text boxes. For a completed example, download and unzip, then import the attached FunctionsGuide_Entities.zip.     Step 7: Next Steps   Congratulations! You've successfully completed the Explore UI Functions guide, and learned best practices for building a complex Mashup that navigations, multiple data inputs, confirmations, and all working together effectively for an enhanced user experience.   Learn More   We recommend the following resources to continue your learning experience:    Capability    Guide Experience Object-Oriented UI Design Tips   Additional Resources   If you have questions, issues, or need additional information, refer to:    Resource       Link Community Developer Community Forum Support Mashup Builder Support Help Center

    Step 3: Create A Tree Grid   With our MyFunctionsMashup Mashup open, let's add a Validation. A Validation is similar to an Expression, except you have the added capability of triggering Events based on a True or False outcome of your validation. We will use the Validation to check and confirm the Text Field we created only has the values we added in our Functions. Let's also add two Status Message Functions that will show whether or not a user has added any text outside of what we want.   Open the MyFunctionsMashup Mashup to the Design tab. Click the green + button in the Functions area.    In the New Function modal, select Validator.     Set the Name to isDataClean.     Click Next.  Click Add Parameter. Set the Name to text and ensure the Base Type is STRING.     Add the following code to the Expression are: if(text === "NO") { result = true; } else if(text === "YES") { result = true; } else { let array = text.split("YES").join(""); array = array.split(",").join(""); let count = array.trim().length; if(count) { result = false; } else { result = true; } }   9. Click Done.   We have our Validator in place, now we need our two Status Message Functions. Why two? You can setup one Status Message to perform the task, but for this case, we're keeping things simple.   Click the + button in the Functions area. Select Status Message in the dropdown.    Set the Name to GoodInputProvided.   Click Next. Ensure Message Type is Info. In the Message field, enter Text is all good!.   Click Done. Let's create another Status Message Function. Set the Name to BadnputProvided.   Click Next. Change Message Type to Error. In the Message field, enter Text is BAD!.   Click Done.   We now have two Status Message Functions and a Validator to help with checking our text data. Let's connect everything together. This time, let's use the Bind button.   Expand the Validator section in the Functions tab. Click the Bind (arrows) button on the isDataClean Validator. This window will help us configure connections a bit easier.    Click the down arrow by the True Event. Click Add Trigger Service.   Click Functions. Check the checkbox by GoodInputProvided.   Click Next. Click the down arrow by the False Event. Click Add Trigger Service.   Click Functions. Check the checkbox by BadInputProvided.   Click Next. You should currently have the following setup:    Let's add in our connections to the Text Field and when we'll run this Validation.    Click the down arrow by the text Property.   Click Add Source. With the Widgets tab selected, scroll down and select the Text Property of our Text Field.   Click Next. Click the down arrow by Evaluate Service. Select Add Event Trigger.   With the Widgets tab selected, scroll down and select the Clicked Property of our Button.   Click Next. You should currently have the following setup:   Click Done. Click Save and view your updated Mashup.   Your Validator is complete. You now have a way to tell when a user has inputed their own text into the text box. To try things out, add some crazy characters, hit the button, and see what happens. You might notice that you have your Expressions running at the same time as your Validator. Switch up the bindings to get it to run the way you want it to.     Step 4: Next Steps   Congratulations! You've successfully completed the Explore UI Functions guide, and learned best practices for building a complex Mashup that navigations, multiple data inputs, confirmations, and all working together effectively for an enhanced user experience.   Learn More   We recommend the following resources to continue your learning experience:    Capability     Guide Experience Object-Oriented UI Design Tips   Additional Resources   If you have questions, issues, or need additional information, refer to:    Resource       Link Community Developer Community Forum Support Mashup Builder Support Help Center

  Step 4: Data Tables (cont.) Set Properties We now have the Thing with Properties that we want logged, the Service to do said logging, and the Data Table to where the values will be stored   At the top, click Properties and Alerts. Note Data_Table_Test_Thing’s Index_Property and Value_Property.   On the Index_Property line under the Value column, click the "Pencil" icon for Set value of property.   In the slide-out on the right, enter 1.   At the top-right, click the "Check" button for Set. On the Value_Property line under the Value column, click the "Pencil" icon for Set value of property. In the slide-out on the right, enter 10.   At the top-right, click the "Check" button for Set. At the top, click Save.     Store to Data Table At the top, click Services.   On the Add_Data_Table_Entry_Service line under the Execute column, click the "Play" icon for Execute service. A pop-up will open.   At the bottom-right, click Execute. At the bottom-right, click Done. Retrieve from Data Table Return to Test_Data_Table.   At the top, click Services. Scroll down and locate the QueryDataTableEntries built-in Service.   On the QueryDataTableEntries line, click the "Play" icon for Execute service. A pop-up will open. On the bottom-right of the pop-up, click Execute. Note that you should see a single entry, showing the Index_Field at 1 and the the Value_Field at 10   On the bottom-right, click Done. If so desired, you may repeat the previous steps to add additional entries to the Data Table. You will note that the Index and Value fields of the Data Table continue to change in each entry to whatever you have set. Utilizing the functionality of the QueryDataTableEntries built-in Service was just a way to show that the Index and Value items had been correctly logged to the external Data Table. If you wanted to visualize the Data Tables in a grid, it would be as simple as utilizing the Grid Widget and tying Test_Data_Table -> QueryDataTableEntries -> All Data to said Grid. Step 5: Info Tables Just like with Streams and Data Tables, an Info Table requires a Data Shape to format it. In this example, we'll actually use the exact same Data Shape we previously created for the Stream. Create Thing Info Tables are another way to perform non-time-series data storage within the ThingWorx platform. Info Tables used for storage are tied directly to a particular Thing. As such, they are somewhat non-optimal for situations where you’re wanting to aggregate data across multiple Things. Info Tables are a Property Base Type in ThingWorx, in the same manner as a Number, Integer, or String. On the ThingWorx Composer Browse tab, click Modeling > Things, + New.   In the Name field, enter Test_Info_Table_Thing. If Project is not already set, search for and select PTCDefaultProject. In the Thing Template field, search for and select GenericThing.   At the top, click Properties and Alerts. Click + Add. In the Name field, enter Info_Table_Property. Change the Base Type to INFOTABLE. In the Data Shape field, search for and select Test_Data_Shape. This is the same Data Shape we previously created for the Stream. We're just reusing it for formatting the Info Table. Check the Persistent checkbox.   At the top-right, click the "Check" button for Done. At the top, click Save.     Set First Value Now that we have a Thing with an Info Table Property (formatted by our Data Shape), you can set some values for later display in a Mashup. On the new Info_Table_Property line under the Value column, click the "Pencil" button for Set value of property.   On the new pop-up, click the + Add button.   In the Index_Field, enter 1. In the Value_Field, enter 11.   At the bottom-right of the pop-up, click Add. Set Second Value On the pop-up, click the + Add button. In the Index_Field, enter 2. In the Value_Field, enter 22.   At the bottom-right of the pop-up, click Add. Set Third Value On the pop-up, click the + Add button. In the Index_Field, enter 3. In the Value_Field, enter 33.   At the bottom-right of the pop-up, click Add.   At the bottom-right of the pop-up, click Save. At the top, click Save.     Create Mashup Now that we have a Thing with an InfoTable Property and some value-entries in said InfoTable, let's create a Mashup to display those values by using the Grid Widget. On the ThingWorx Composer Browse tab, click VISUALIZATION > Mashups, + New.   On the New Mashup pop-up, leave the defaults, and click OK.   In the Name field, enter Test_Info_Table_Mashup. If Project is not already set, search for and select PTCDefaultProject.  At the top, click Save.   At the top, click Design. With the Widgets tab selected in the top-left, drag-and-drop a Grid Advanced Widget onto the central Canvas area.     Bind Data On the far-right, ensure that the Data tab is selected. Note that you may have to expand this area from the far-right.   Click the + icon. The Add Data pop-up will appear.   In the Entity Filter field, search for and select Test_Info_Table_Thing. In the Services Filter field, enter getprop. Click the right arrow beside the GetPropertyValues Service. On the right under Selected Services, check the Execute on Load checkbox.   At the bottom-right of the pop-up, click Done. Note that Test_Info_Thing -> GetPropertyValues is now available under the Data tab at the far-right. Expand GetPropertyValues > Returned Data > All Data.   Drag-and-drop GetPropertyValues > Returned Data > All Data > Info_Table_Property onto the Grid Advanced Widget in the central Canvas area.   On the Select Binding Target pop-up, select Data.   At the top, click Save. At the top, click View Mashup.   The new Mashup displays all of the Index and Value fields you had previously entered. If you were to add additional entries to the Info Table Property and then refreshed the Mashup, you would see those additional entries as well.   Step 6: Next Steps Congratulations! In this guide, you've learned how to: Differentiate between data storage methods Create a Data Shape to format a Stream, Data Table, and Info Table Create a Value Stream and Stream to store Time-Series Data Create a Data Table and Info Table to store non-Time-Series Data Use built-in methods to log data to a Value Stream or Info Table Create custom Services which log data to a Stream or Data Table Confirm data storage value changes via a built-in Service or Grid Widget Learn More   We recommend the following resources to continue your learning experience:     Capability Guide Build Implement Services, Events, and Subscriptions Additional Resources   If you have questions, issues, or need additional information, refer to:          Resource  Link Community Developer Community Forum Support Data Storage Help Center

    Step 8: Learn More About Widgets   For more details on how to use and customize Widgets highlighted in this guide, refer to:    Widget            Link to How-To Layout Customizable and Responsive UI Gauge Display Property Values with a Gauge Style Define Your UI Style Navigation Customizable and Responsive UI Google Map Display Geolocation Data in Your UI     Step 9: Next Steps   Congratulations! You've successfully completed the Design an Effective UI guide, and learned best practices for building a complex Mashup that includes maps, menus, and detail sections all working together effectively for an enhanced user experience.   Learn More   We recommend the following resources to continue your learning experience:     Capability    Guide Experience Object-Oriented UI Design Tips   Additional Resources   If you have questions, issues, or need additional information, refer to:     Resource      Link Community Developer Community Forum Support Mashup Builder Support Help Center

  Step 5: Widget Properties   You can configure Properties to change the style of the map as well as specify a custom image to use for map markers. Other Properties allow two linear paths and polynomial regions to also be displayed on the map Widget with optional tooltip data.   Bindable   Name Type  Default Direction  Description Data Infotable None Input Source for the data that is displayed as discrete markers LocationField MenuName None Input Field that contains Location type data to plot markers MarkerField MenuName None Input Field that contains data of type Image used to plot markers ShowMarkerTooltip Boolean True Input Hovering over map markers will display a tooltip when set to true ToolTipField1 thru 4 MenuName None Input Optional field displayed in tooltip when the user hovers over a map marker ToolTipLabel1 thru 4 String None Input Optional label for tooltip data RouteData Infotable None Input Source for the data that is displayed as a connected route RouteLocationField MenuName None Input Field that contains Location type data to plot connected route line ShowRoute Boolean False Input Show route data on map when set to true PlannedRouteData Infotable None Input Source for the data that is displayed as a second connected route PlannedRouteLocationField MenuName None Input Field that contains Location type data to plot a second connected route line ShowPlannedRoute Boolean False Input Show planned route data on map when set to true RegionData Infotable None Input Source for the data that is displayed as a region RegionLocationData Infotable None Input Region location data source RegionLocationsField MenuName None Input Field which will provide location table information for region RegionLayerField MenuName None Input Field that contains Numeric data used for region layer number ShowRegions Boolean False Input Show region data on map when set to true ShowRegionTooltips Boolean True Input Hovering over region will display a tooltip when set to true RegionToolTipField1 thru 4 MenuName None Input Optional field displayed in tooltip when the user hovers over a region RegionToolTipLael1 thru 4 String None Input Optional label for region tooltip data RegionFillOpacity Number 1 Input Opacity of region fill color from 0 being transparent to 1 being opaque SelectedLocation Location None Input/Output The currently selected location CurrentZoom Number 8 Output The currently displayed zoom level ( 1 - 15 ) Zoom Number 8 Input Number used to set the zoom level ( 1 - 15 ) ShowMarkers Boolean True Input Shows map markers if set to true ShowPathMarkers Boolean True Input Shows map markers if set to true ShowTraffic Boolean False Input Shows traffic data color overlay on map if set to true NEBoundary Location None Output The northeast boundary location NWBoundary Location None Output The northwest boundary location SEBoundary Location None Output The southeast boundary location NWBoundary Location None Output The southwest boundary location Visible Boolean True Input Widget is visible if set to true     Static   Name Type  Default Description DisplayName String None Name used for widget in user facing interactions Description String None Description used for widget in user facing interactions MapType Roads/Satellite/Hybrid/Terrain Roads The type of map content displayed MapSkin Normal/Blue/Grey Normal Options for styling maps monochromatically AutoZoomBehavior Data change/Initial Data only Data Change Controls when map will automatically zoom to show all markers ClusterLocations Boolean False Combines multiple location markers that are near one another into a single marker if true MultiSelect Boolean False Enable multiple marker selection   Widget Events   DoubleClicked- Triggered when user double clicks on the Google Map. Changed- Triggered when the data for this widget is modified. BoundsChanged- Triggered when the bounding box of the displayed map changes.     Step 6: Next Steps   If you have questions, issues, or need additional information, refer to:   Resource     Link Community Developer Community Forum Support Google Map Widget Help Center Free Google Maps Widget Extension IQNOX  

  Create Your Application Guide UI Part 3    Step 5: Add Widgets to Mashup    At this point, you should have an understanding of how the Widgets in your Mashup relate to the data from devices you've connected via the ThingWorx platform.   Scenario   Now, let's try to imagine a real-world scenario. For this example, assume that you are in a company developing an IoT application utilizing ThingWorx Foundation.   Developer Role Responsibility Edge Developers Utilize the Edge MicroServer, Software Development Kits, or ThingWorx Kepware Server to connect devices and bring data into the platform. Backend Developers Created Things, Thing Templates, and Thing Shapes to store and manipulate the data within ThingWorx Foundation. Frontend Developer Tasked with taking the IoT data and creating an interface with which your users can interact to gain insight from the data. In this scenario, you are the Frontend Developer. The Thing you imported previously represents those Edge and Backend Developers’ work. The data is all there. Specifically, let's assume that this Data Model represents a factory inventory system. You want to quickly build a GUI that is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to display the current counts of various products in your warehouse, while also allowing you to manually edit those counts if you receive a report that an IoT scanner in the warehouse has malfunctioned. Since this is a real factory, inventory is constantly increasing and decreasing as manufactured parts are completed or shipping orders are fulfilled. In this lesson, we'll simulate these changes by a 10-second-timer which will increment the counts until a shipping order has been fulfilled (100 total parts), at which point the current inventory count for that part will be reset.   Create the Mashup   Follow the subsequent steps to create an MVP GUI for the example scenario: Click Browse > VISUALIZATION > Mashups > + New. Keep the default of Responsive (with NO Responsive Templates chosen), and click OK in the pop-up window. In the Name field, enter MBQSMashup.   If the Project field is not already set, search for and select PTCDefaultProject.  At the top, click Save. At the top, click Design. On the left, click the Left Arrow to slide-back the navigation pane, leaving more room for the Mashup Builder. At the topleft on the Layout tab, for Positioning, check the radio-button for Static.   Add Labels   Follow the subsequent steps to add Labels that clarify GUI sections of the application. Select the Widgets tab, then drag-and-drop three Label Widgets onto the central Canvas.   With the top Label Widget selected (by clicking on it), change the DisplayName to label-gears-count and hit the Tab key on your keyboard to lock in the modification. NOTE: You can find the DisplayName and all other Widget Properties in the bottom-left of the Mashup Builder. Changing the Widget DisplayNames to recognizable values is highly recommended, as it assists with your logic inspection in the bottom-center Connections window.        3. With the newly-named label-gears-count still selected, type Gears Count in the LabelText field and hit the Tab key.       4. Click on the middle Label; then, in the bottom-left Widget Properties panel, change the DisplayName to label-pistons-count and LabelText to Pistons Count.       5. Similarly, change the bottom Label's DisplayName to label-wheels-count and LabelText to Wheels Count.       6. Click Save.   Add TextBoxes   Follow the subsequent steps to display some information on the various part-counts in our inventory. Drag-and-drop three Text Field Widgets onto the central Canvas.   With the top Text Field Widget selected, change the DisplayName to textfield-gears-count and hit the Tab key.   Change the middle Text Field's DisplayName to textfield-pistons-count, and hit the Tab key. Change the bottom Text Field's DisplayName to textfield-wheels-count, and hit the Tab key. Click Save.   Add Checkboxes   We want to display that inventory counts have been manually set when something went wrong, rather than have someone assume that the information is current and coming from an IoT sensor. This also allows us to flag any sensors that are experiencing issues. Follow the subsequent steps to create checkboxes. Drag-and-drop three Checkbox Widgets onto the central Canvas.   With the top Checkbox Widget selected, change the DisplayName to checkbox-gears-manual and the Label property to Gears Manually Set. Change the middle Checkbox's DisplayName to checkbox-pistons-manual and Label to Pistons Manually Set. Change the bottom Checkbox's DisplayName to checkbox-wheels-manual and Label to Wheels Manually Set.   Click Save.   Add Buttons   After our manual count has been entered, we need to trigger storing it in the backend. We can do this with a Button Widget. In addition, it would be helpful to be able to update the changing counts in the Textboxes without having to reload the entire Mashup. Follow the subsequent steps to add Buttons. Drag-and-drop two Button Widgets onto the central Canvas.   With the top Button Widget selected, change the DisplayName to button-manual-set, the Label to Manually Set Counts, and click-and-drag the right-side of the Button to expand its size.   With the bottom Button Widget selected, change the DisplayName to button-manual-retrieve, the Label to Manually Retrieve Counts, and click-and-drag the right-side of the Button to expand its size.   Click Save.   Resize the Mashup   Follow the subsequent steps to enable the Mashup to fit on a smartphone screen. Click-and-drag your Widgets around the Mashup such that they look roughly like the pictures shown above. Click-and-drag the right-side of the Mashup, pulling it to the left to reduce the horizontal size. Click-and-drag the bottom of the Mashup, pulling it up to reduce the vertical size.   Click Save.         Click here to view Part 4 of this guide.   

Create Your Application Guide UI Part 2    Step 4: Bind Data to Widgets   Mashup Data Services allow you to access IoT data so you can push data to the platform's backend as well as pull data into the Mashup itself. In the table below, we describe some common Mashup Data Services that enable that functionality: Service Name Description GetProperties Pulls in a particular Thing's Properties, as well as the associated current values contained within those Properties. GetProperties has an option to automatically update the Mashup whenever a Property value changes. GetPropertyValues Pulls in a particular Thing's Properties and their associated current values. However, it does so in an All Data grouping, opening the possibility of assigning all Properties to the same Widget. This can be helpful with some Widgets, such as the List Widget. SetProperties Pushes a value from some Widget (Checkbox, TextBox, etc.) into the Property of a Thing. NOTE: Using a combination of a "Get" and "Set" Mashup Service establishes a bidirectional communication between the Mashup and the backend IoT data storage.   Import an Entity   In order to focus on the Mashup Builder in this lesson, we have created a Thing for you to download and import. This Thing has predefined Properties and associated Values which will simplify the demonstration of binding data to Widgets in subsequent steps. Download and unzip the attached MBQS_Entities.zip file. In the bottom-left, click the "up/down arrows" for Import/Export, then Import.   In the Import pop-up window, click Browse.   In the OS's pop-up, navigate-to, select, and open the MBQS_Entities.twx file you downloaded earlier.   Click Import.   Click Close.   Retrieve Data   You now have a Thing called MBQSThing from which you can retrieve data. To demonstrate this, we'll use the GetPropertyValues Service. At the top-right of Mashup Builder, click the Data tab.   Click the + symbol.   In the Add Data pop-up window's Entity filter field, type mbqs.   Select the MBQSThing.   In the Services Filter field, type getprop.   Click the right arrow to select GetPropertyValues. The GetPropertyValues Service for MBQSThing has now been added to the Selected Services section on the right side of the Add Data pop-up window. Check the box for Execute on Load under Selected Services. Checking this box causes the GetPropertyValues Service to execute as soon as the Mashup is loaded. 8. Click Done.        9. At the top, click Save. Note how the GetPropertyValues Service now appears in the top-right under the Data tab.   View Data Connections   In the top-left of the Mashup Builder, click the Explorer tab, select the Mashup itself, and you can see the connections between the Mashup and the Data sources.   Mashup Builder Section Description Data Previously empty, now has a reference to the GetPropertyValues Service of the MBQSThing. GetPropertyValues On the Data tab, click GetPropertyValues. The Connections window in the bottom-center will update. Bindings Shows the logical flow of the Mashup. In this instance, it shows how GetPropertyValues is called from the Event triggered by the Mashup being Loaded in a web browser. This means that all Properties of the MBQSThing will be available to the Mashup as soon as your UI is opened.   Bind Widget to Property   Follow the steps below to place a Widget in the Mashup and bind the Property named Gauge_Value (of MBQSThing) to it. On the left-side of the Mashup Builder, select the Widgets tab. In the Filter Widgets search box, type gauge. Drag-and-drop a Gauge Widget onto the central Canvas area.   On the right-side, expand GetPropertyValues > Returned Data > All Data. There is a clear left arrow pointing away from the Gauge_Value Property. This indicates that this Property is to be used to set the value on something else. If the arrow had been pointing towards the Gauge_Value Property, that would indicate that it was ready to accept an external value. The clear status of the arrow indicates that it has not yet been tied to anything.        5. Drag-and-drop MBQSThing > GetPropertyValues > Returned Data > All Data > Gauge_Value onto the Gauge Widget in the central Canvas area.          6. On the Select Binding Target pop-up, select Data.       7. At the top, click Save.       8. Click View Mashup. You must enable pop-ups in order to view the Mashup in a new tab.   In your new Mashup, notice that the Gauge has been set to the Gauge_Value default value of 25. In a real-world scenario, you would likely utilize an IoT sensor that would report back to the Thing storing the value. When the Mashup loads, that value would be set to the real-world sensor data value. In the next few steps, you will build a GUI using several different Widgets and Services.   Click here to view Part 3 of this guide.  

  Maintain cookies and security information by implementing session parameters in your application.   Guide Concept   This project will introduce creating and accessing session data from a User logged into your application. Session data is global session-specific parameters that can be used on the Client and Server side.   Following the steps in this guide, you will be able to access the logged in User's information and their set values.   We will teach you how to access session data, that can later be used to provide Users with unique experiences and a more robust application.   You'll learn how to   Create Session Data Access Stored Session Data   NOTE: This guide's content aligns with ThingWorx 9.3. The estimated time to complete this guide is 30 minutes     Step 1: Completed Example   Download the completed files for this tutorial:  Sessions.xml.   The Sessions.xml file contains a completed example of session parameters. Utilize this file to see a finished example and return to it as a reference if you become stuck during this guide. Keep in mind, this download uses the exact names for entities used in this tutorial. If you would like to import this example and also create entities on your own, change the names of the entities you create.     In the bottom-left of Composer, click Import/Export.     Click IMPORT.     In the Import pop-up, keep the default values and click Browse. Navigate to the Sessions.xml file you downloaded. Select it and click Open. Click Import in the Import pop-up. Click Close to close the pop-up.       Step 2: Create Session Parameters  Click the Browse folder on the left-hand side. Under System, select Subsystems.     Filter for UserManagementSubsystem and open it in Edit mode.     Select Services. Filter for the AddSessionShape Service.     Click the Play button to open the Execute window. Enter UserLogin (the provided ThingShape) as the name input field. Click Execute.     Click Done.   You've just created your first Session Parameter. These values are used for content held in a cookie for a website or information that might be static for the User or session.   Best Practice: For information that will be static for the entire application and not based on the session, use a database option or a stored value in a Thing.       Step 3: Access Session Parameters   Click the Browse folder on the left-hand side. Under System, select Resources.   Filter for CurrentSessionInfo and open it.   Select Services. Filter for the GetGlobalSessionValues Service.   Click the Play button to open the Execute window. Click Execute. You will notice the result is a list of the properties in the UserLogin ThingShape. Your result might differ from mine.   Click Done.   NOTE: There is a difference between Session parameters and Mashup parameters. Mashups can have input values that will be used for services or content of that Mashup ONLY. Session parameters are based on the user using the application in a session. This data will be accessible throughout the application and last until they have completed their usage. This guide shows how to create Session parameters that are considered global session parameters.     Step 4: Next Steps   Congratulations! You've successfully completed the Create Session Parameters guide, and learned how to: Access a logged-in user's information and their set values Use session data to provide users with unique experiences and a more robust application   Learn More   We recommend the following resources to continue your learning experience:   Capability Guide Build Create Custom Business Logic Build Data Model Introduction   Additional Resources   If you have questions, issues, or need additional information, refer to:   Resource  Link Community Developer Community Forum Support Session Parameter Help Center  

  Step 5: Additional Services   The Trend, Range, and Threshold Services are some of the Services the Statistical Monitoring ThingShape offers. Below is a table of additional included Services.   Links to guides for using services like these to build complete IoT applications are found in the next step.   Calculation Service Name Description Consecutive Points Based On a Range GetNumberOfConsecutivePointsBasedOnARange Calculate the number of points in the largest group of consecutive points meeting the range criteria. Consecutive Points Based On a Threshold GetNumberOfConsecutivePointsBeyondAThreshold Calculate the number of points in the largest group of consecutive points meeting the threshold criteria. Number of Points with Percentage Change Out of Range GetNumberOfPointsWithChangeRateOutOfRange Monitor for how many pairs of consecutive points in a series have a numerical percentage change outside the defined range. If the first value in a pair is 0, the pair is not considered.       Step 6: Next Steps   Congratulations!   In this guide, you've learned how to:   Create a Value Stream Create a Thing with the Statistical Monitoring Thing Shape Modify a Property to record values to the Value Stream Test built-in Services used in Statistical Monitoring   Learn More   We recommend the following resources to continue your learning experience:   Capability Guide Build Get Started with ThingWorx for IoT Build Build a Predictive Analytics Model Build Operationalize an Analytics Model   Additional Resources   If you have questions, issues, or need additional information, refer to:   Resource Link Community Developer Community Forum Support Descriptive Analytics Help Center    

    Step 9: Create Event and Subscription   In this section, you will create a mechanism to notify the user when inclement weather occurs. For example, whenever the weather indicates storm/snow/rain, an Event should be triggered. This event is then handled by a service called a Subscription.   For this tutorial, while updating weather information inside the service UpdateWeatherInfo,we need to fire an Event: BadWeather when the weather description indicates either storm/snow/rain. This Event is handled by a Subscription: HandleWeather, which is a service that gets called whenever the BadWeather Event is fired. The subscription service HandleWeather updates a property called AlertNotification.   Create Event   In this part of the lesson, we will create an Event: BadWeather that updates weather information inside the service UpdateWeatherInfo when the weather description indicates either storm/snow/rain.   Create a property AlertNotification with a baseType STRING using the Add Property feature of the plugin we discussed before. Right click inside your java file->ThingWorx Source->Add Event.   Set the name to BadWeather and set a name for the Data Shape to Weather. NOTE: This custom Data Shape has to be created in Composer. Importing Datashapes and other custom entities created in Composer into your extension will be discussed later in the tutorial. Our DataShape Weather includes one field called WeatherDescription with a STRING base type.  Click Finish. NOTE: This will create annotation for your EventDefinition.    Create Subscription   In this part of the lesson, we will create a Subscription: HandleWeather, which is a service that gets called whenever the BadWeather Event is fired. The subscription service HandleWeather updates a property called AlertNotification. Right click inside your java file ->ThingWorx Source->Add Subscription   Set the Event Name to BadWeather and Handler Service to HandleWeather. NOTE: This means that whenever the BadWeather event is fired, the HandleWeather service will be executed. Source is left blank if the event belongs to the same template. Click Finish. This creates annotation for subscription service and also creates a new service called HandleWeather.   Modify Service   In this part of the lesson, you'll ensure that when the properties are updated, BadWeather event is triggered if the description indicates rain/snow/thunderstorm. To do this, we will modify the UpdateWeatherInfo service.   After we have called the setPropertyValue method for the properties WeatherDescription and Temperature, we can check if the weather description contains snow/rain/thunderstorm. We will create an InfoTable from the Weather Datashape. InfoTables represent data sets that take the structure of the Datashape. Each row of an InfoTable can be passed as a ValueCollection to hold data within the table. When an event is fired, we need to send data along with it. This data will be passed as an InfoTable and it is then handled by the Subscription handling the Event.We use a ValueCollection to add the weatherDescription to the InfoTable. Then, this InfoTable is set as the Event Data.   Add the code snippet to UpdateWeatherInfo section at the end of the service after setting the properties- Temperature and WeatherDescription. /* fire event BadWeather */ if (description.contains("snow") || description.contains("rain") || description.contains("thunderstorm")) { ValueCollection v = new ValueCollection(); v.put("weatherDescription", new StringPrimitive(description)); InfoTable data = InfoTableInstanceFactory.createInfoTableFromDataShape("Weather"); data.addRow(v); _logger.info("Firing event"); ThingworxEvent event = new ThingworxEvent(); event.setEventName("BadWeather"); event.setEventData(data); this.dispatchEvent(event); } Inside the HandleWeather service, set the property AlertNotification. Ensure that you have created the property AlertNotification using the eclipse plugin. Add the following code snippet to the HandleWeather service. @ThingworxServiceDefinition(name = "HandleWeather", description = "Subscription handler", category = "", isAllowOverride = false, aspects = {"isAsync:false"}) public void HandleWeather( @ThingworxServiceParameter(name = "eventData", description = "", baseType = "INFOTABLE") InfoTable eventData, @ThingworxServiceParameter(name = "eventName", description = "", baseType = "STRING") String eventName, @ThingworxServiceParameter(name = "eventTime", description = "", baseType = "DATETIME") DateTime eventTime, @ThingworxServiceParameter(name = "source", description = "", baseType = "STRING") String source, @ThingworxServiceParameter(name = "sourceProperty", description = "", baseType = "STRING") String sourceProperty) throws Exception { _logger.trace("Entering Service: HandleWeather with: Source: \"\", Event: \"BadWeather\", Property: \"\""); this.setPropertyValue("AlertNotification", new StringPrimitive("Alert:"+eventData.getFirstRow().getStringValue("weatherDescription"))); _logger.trace("Exiting Service: HandleWeather"); } Now we have an event BadWeather fired every time weather description indicates storm/snow/rain and it is handled by HandleWeather service that sets the AlertNotification property to the InfoTable data passed by the event.     Step 10: Add Composer Entities In previous parts of this tutorial, we assumed we had a datashape Weather available with field weatherDescription as the Datashape of our event: BadWeather. In this part of the lesson, we'll create a DataShape. Go to ThingWorx Composer. Click the + button. In the dropdown, select Data Shape. Enter a name, for example: Weather. Add a Field Definition weatherDescription with baseType STRING. Click check mark in the top left, then Save.   Click the More drop-down, then click Export. Export the DataShape entity from Composer, it will download in your system as an xml file. Go back to Eclipse, right-click on your project ->Import..->ThingWorx->Entities. Click Next. Browse to the directory where the xml file was downloaded. Select the xml file and Click Finish.   NOTE: This adds the xml file to the Entities folder in your project. Following the same procedure, import other entities required for this Extension stored in the Entities folder of the download we provided for this training.   NOTE: You can uncheck the box for importing DataShapes_Weather.xml, if you already loaded your Datashape in the previous steps.     Click here to view Part 5 of this guide.

  Step 7: Add JAR Resources   You can add external JARs for use by your extension. Every third-party JAR that is not already included in either the ThingWorx Extension SDK or ThingWorx Core needs to be added to your extension project as a JAR Resource. These JAR resources are added to your metadata.xml as a tag and are used to reference the Java classes in the third-party JAR on which the extension depends. You can either use the Add button   or the ThingWorx Menu from the menu bar to add a new JAR resource. By doing so, the JAR is automatically updated in the metadata file and added to the build path. Although ThingWorx allows developers to include jar files for third-party libraries in their code, it is recommended that you avoid adding jar files for common libraries and instead use the jar files that are included with the SDK. Adding jar files to an extension could cause conflicts with jar files already used by the ThingWorx server, either when uploading an extension, or when an extension executes. Even if your extension works today, future updates to ThingWorx may require updates to your extensions. Similarly, packaging a verison of a commonly used library may mean that a customer will not be able to use your extension together with someone else’s extension.   Select the project to which you want to add the jar file to and select New Jar Resource.       Open the directory in which you have stored the training files for this tutorial. Browse to the Jars directory. Select the json-simple-1.1.1.jar file. Add a description and click Finish. NOTE: This will automatically add json-simple-1.1.1.jar to the lib folder and to your project’s build path. Add httpclient-4.5.6.jar, httpcore-4.4.10.jar and commons-logging-1.2.jar directly into the twx-lib folder in the Project folder. NOTE: These JARs are included in the group of JARs used by ThingWorx by default. In order to build your extension locally, without bundling the jars into your extension that are available on the ThingWorx server, add the above JARs to your project's build path by right-clicking on your project in the Package Explorer, right-click Your_Extension_Project (ie, MyThingWorxWeatherExtension) and select Build Path -> Configure Build Path. Verify the jars we added are in the build path. Otherwise, click Add JARs, then browse to the directory containing these JARs (lib) and add them. NOTE: twx-lib folder is a hidden folder and does not appear in the Eclipse package explorer. The twx-lib folder can be found in the WeatherExtension project inside the Eclipse workspace directory.   Step 8: Create Services   Now that you have created properties, configuration tables and added the required jars, you can begin to add services to your WeatherThingTemplate.   In this part of the lesson, we’ll add a service, UpdateWeatherInfo that will take a City parameter and update the properties of this template using the values obtained from the openWeatherMap API.   Right click inside the WeatherThingTemplate and select ThingWorx Source->Add Service. Create a new service with name UpdateWeatherInfo. Click Add in the Input Parameters frame to add City parameter with a base type STRING.   Set the name and base type of the Output Parameter based on the value that you want the service to return. For simplification, assume this service returns nothing. Set the Base Type to NOTHING. Click Finish to create the service. Copy and Paste the code for UpdateWeatherInfo as specified below. @ThingworxServiceDefinition(name = "UpdateWeatherInfo", description = "updates weather description and temperature properties", category = "", isAllowOverride = false, aspects = { "isAsync:false" }) @ThingworxServiceResult(name = "Result", description = "", baseType = "NOTHING") public void UpdateWeatherInfo( @ThingworxServiceParameter(name = "City", description = "city name", baseType = "STRING") String City) throws Exception { _logger.trace("Entering Service: UpdateWeatherInfo"); String cityProp = this.getPropertyValue("CurrentCity").getStringValue(); if (City == null){ City = cityProp; } else { this.setPropertyValue("CurrentCity", new StringPrimitive(City)); } String url = "http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=" +URLEncoder.encode(City,"UTF-8") + "&appid="+ _appid+"&units=imperial"; // create a http client HttpClient client = new DefaultHttpClient(); // create a get request with the URL HttpGet getRequest = new HttpGet(url); // add Accept header to accept json format response getRequest.addHeader("Accept", "application/json"); // send the get request and obtain a response HttpResponse response = client.execute(getRequest); // if response is successful the status code will be 200. if (response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode() == 200) { BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(response.getEntity().getContent())); StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(); String line = ""; while ((line = br.readLine()) != null) { sb.append(line); } JSONParser parser = new JSONParser(); JSONObject json = (JSONObject) parser.parse(sb.toString()); JSONArray weather = (JSONArray) json.get("weather"); Iterator<JSONObject> it = weather.iterator(); String description = (String) it.next().get("description"); this.setPropertyValue("WeatherDescription", new StringPrimitive(description)); double temp = (Double) ((JSONObject) json.get("main")).get("temp"); this.setPropertyValue("Temperature", new NumberPrimitive(temp)); /* fire event BadWeather */ _logger.trace("Exiting Service: UpdateWeatherInfo"); } }   Troubleshooting Issue Solution The iterator() is undefined in JSONArray Import only org.json.simple.*. Importing other JSON libraries can give this error. HttpClient/HttpGet could not be resolved to a type. Make sure you have imported the jars: httpclient-4.5.2.jar, httpcore-4.4.5.jar and commons-logging-1.2.jar, json-simple-1.1.1.jar as indicated in the previous chapter. Make sure you have imported the following packages in your template by Eclipse   Your code should be similar to the following:   package com.thingworx.weather; import java.io.BufferedReader; import java.io.InputStreamReader; import java.net.URLEncoder; import java.util.Iterator; import org.apache.http.HttpResponse; import org.apache.http.client.HttpClient; import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet; import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClientBuilder; import org.json.simple.JSONArray; import org.json.simple.JSONObject; import org.json.simple.parser.JSONParser; import org.slf4j.Logger; import com.thingworx.logging.LogUtilities; import com.thingworx.metadata.annotations.ThingworxBaseTemplateDefinition; import com.thingworx.metadata.annotations.ThingworxConfigurationTableDefinition; import com.thingworx.metadata.annotations.ThingworxConfigurationTableDefinitions; import com.thingworx.metadata.annotations.ThingworxDataShapeDefinition; import com.thingworx.metadata.annotations.ThingworxFieldDefinition; import com.thingworx.metadata.annotations.ThingworxPropertyDefinition; import com.thingworx.metadata.annotations.ThingworxPropertyDefinitions; import com.thingworx.metadata.annotations.ThingworxServiceDefinition; import com.thingworx.metadata.annotations.ThingworxServiceParameter; import com.thingworx.metadata.annotations.ThingworxServiceResult; import com.thingworx.things.Thing; import com.thingworx.types.primitives.NumberPrimitive; import com.thingworx.types.primitives.StringPrimitive; @ThingworxBaseTemplateDefinition(name = "GenericThing") @ThingworxPropertyDefinitions(properties = { @ThingworxPropertyDefinition(name = "CurrentCity", description = "", category = "", baseType = "STRING", isLocalOnly = false, aspects = { "defaultValue:Boston", "isPersistent:true", "isLogged:true", "dataChangeType:VALUE" }), @ThingworxPropertyDefinition(name = "Temperature", description = "", category = "", baseType = "NUMBER", isLocalOnly = false, aspects = { "defaultValue:0", "isPersistent:true", "isLogged:true", "dataChangeType:VALUE" }), @ThingworxPropertyDefinition(name = "WeatherDescription", description = "", category = "", baseType = "STRING", isLocalOnly = false, aspects = { "dataChangeType:VALUE" }) }) @ThingworxConfigurationTableDefinitions(tables = { @ThingworxConfigurationTableDefinition(name = "OpenWeatherMapConfigurationTable", description = "", isMultiRow = false, ordinal = 0, dataShape = @ThingworxDataShapeDefinition(fields = { @ThingworxFieldDefinition(name = "appid", description = "", baseType = "STRING", ordinal = 0, aspects = { "isRequired:true" }) })) }) public class WeatherThingTemplate extends Thing { private static final long serialVersionUID = -5294151832877452442L; public WeatherThingTemplate() {} private static Logger _logger = LogUtilities.getInstance().getApplicationLogger(WeatherThingTemplate.class); private String _appid; @Override public void initializeThing() throws Exception {     super.initializeThing();     _appid = (String) this.getConfigurationSetting("OpenWeatherMapConfigurationTable", "appid"); } @ThingworxServiceDefinition(name = "UpdateWeatherInfo", description = "updates weather description and temperature properties", category = "", isAllowOverride = false, aspects = {     "isAsync:false" }) @ThingworxServiceResult(name = "Result", description = "", baseType = "NOTHING") public void UpdateWeatherInfo(     @ThingworxServiceParameter(name = "City", description = "city name", baseType = "STRING") String City) throws Exception {     _logger.trace("Entering Service: UpdateWeatherInfo");     String cityProp = this.getPropertyValue("CurrentCity").getStringValue();     if (City == null){         City = cityProp;     } else {         this.setPropertyValue("CurrentCity", new StringPrimitive(City));     }     String url = "http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=" +URLEncoder.encode(City,"UTF-8") + "&appid="+ _appid+"&units=imperial";     // create a http client     HttpClient client = HttpClientBuilder.create().build();     // create a get request with the URL     HttpGet request = new HttpGet(url);     // add Accept header to accept json format response     request.addHeader("Accept", "application/json");     // send the get request and obtain a response     HttpResponse response = client.execute(request);     // if response is successful the status code will be 200.     if (response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode() == 200) {         BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(response.getEntity().getContent()));         StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();         String line = "";         while ((line = br.readLine()) != null) {             sb.append(line);         }         JSONParser parser = new JSONParser();         JSONObject json = (JSONObject) parser.parse(sb.toString());         JSONArray weather = (JSONArray) json.get("weather");         Iterator<JSONObject> it = weather.iterator();         String description = (String) it.next().get("description");         this.setPropertyValue("WeatherDescription", new StringPrimitive(description));         Double temp = (Double) ((JSONObject) json.get("main")).get("temp");         Number number = (Number) temp;         this.setPropertyValue("Temperature", new NumberPrimitive(number));         _logger.trace("Exiting Service: UpdateWeatherInfo");     } } }     Click here to view Part 4 of this guide.

Create Custom Business Logic    Overview   This project will introduce you to creating your first ThingWorx Business Rules Engine.   Following the steps in this guide, you will know how to create your business rules engine and have an idea of how you might want to develop your own. We will teach you how to use your data model with Services, Events, and Subscriptions to establish a rules engine within the ThingWorx platform.   NOTE: This guide's content aligns with ThingWorx 9.3. The estimated time to complete this guide is 60 minutes.    Step 1: Completed Example   Download the attached, completed files for this tutorial: BusinessLogicEntities.xml.   The BusinessLogicEntities.xml file contains a completed example of a Business Rules Engine. Utilize this file to see a finished example and return to it as a reference if you become stuck during this guide and need some extra help or clarification. Keep in mind, this download uses the exact names for entities used in this tutorial. If you would like to import this example and also create entities on your own, change the names of the entities you create.   Step 2: Rules Engine Introduction   Before implementing a business rule engine from scratch, there are a number of questions that should first be answered. There are times in which a business rule engine is necessary, and times when the work can be down all within regular application coding.   When to Create a Rules Engine: When there are logic changes that will often occur within the application. This can be decisions on how to do billing based on the state or how machines in factories should operate based on a release. When business analysts are directly involved in the development or utilization of the application. In general, these roles are often non-technical, but being involved with the application directly will mean the need for a way to make changes. When a problem is highly complex and no obvious algorithm can be created for the solution. This often covered scenarios in which an algorithm might not be the best option, but a set of conditions will suffice.   Advantages of a Rules Engine The key reward is having an outlet to express solutions to difficult problems than can be easily verifiable. A consolidated knowledge base for how a part of a system works and a possible source of documentation. This source of information provides people with varying levels of technical skill to all have insight into a business model.   Business Logic with ThingWorx Core Platform: A centralized location for development, data management, versioning, tagging, and utilization of third party applications. The ability to create the rules engine within the ThingWorx platform and outside of ThingWorx platform. Being that the rules engine can be created outside of the ThingWorx platform, third party rules engines can be used. The ThingWorx platform provides customizable security and provided services that can decrease the time in development.     Step 3: Establish Rules   In order to design a business rules engine and establish rules before starting the development phase, you must capture requirements and designate rule characteristics.   Capture Requirements The first step to building a business rules engine is to understand the needs of the system and capture the rules necessary for success.   Brainstorm and discuss the conditions that will be covered within the rules engine Construct a precise list Identify exact rules and tie them to specific business requirements.   Each business rule and set of conditions within the business rule will need to be independent of other business rules. When there are several scenarios involved, it is best to create multiple rules – one handling each. When business rules are related to similar scenarios, the best methodology is to group the rules into categories.   Category Description Decision Rules Set of conditions regarding business choices Validation Rules Set of conditions regarding data verifications Generation Rules Set of conditions used for data object creation in the system Calculation Rules Set of conditions that handle data input utilized for computing values or assessments   Designate Rule Characteristics Characteristics for the rules include, but are not limited to: Naming conventions/identifiers Rule grouping Rule definition/description Priority Actions that take place in each rule.   After this is completed, you will be ready to tie business requirements to business rules, and those directly to creating your business rules engine within the platform.   Rules Translation to ThingWorx There are different methods for how the one to one connections can be made between rules and ThingWorx. The simplified method below shows one way that all of this can be done within the ThingWorx platform:   Characteristic  ThingWorx Aspect Rule name/identifier Service Name Ruleset  Thing/ThingTemplate Rule definition  Service Implementation Rule conditions Service Implementation Rule actions Service Implementation Data management DataTables/Streams   Much of the rule implementation is handled by ThingWorx Services using JavaScript. This allows for direct access to data, other provided Services, and a central location for all information pertaining to a set of rules. The design provided above also allows for easier testing and security management.   Step 4: Scenario Business Rule Engine    An important aspect to think about before implementing your business rules engine, is how the Service implementation will flow.   Will you have a singular entry path for the entire rules engine? Or will you have several entries based on what is being requested of it? Will you have create only Services to handle each path? Or will you create Events and Subscriptions (Triggers and Listeners) in addition to Services to split the workload?   Based on how you answer those questions, dictates how you will need to break up your implementation. The business rules for the delivery truck scenario are below. Think about how you would break down this implementation.   High Level Flow 1 Customer makes an order with a Company (Merchant). 1.A Customer to Merchant order information is created. 2 The Merchant creates an order with our delivery company, PTCDelivers. 2.A Merchant order information is populated. 2.B Merchant sets delivery speed requested. 2.C Merchant sets customer information for the delivery. 3 The package is added to a vehicle owned by PTCDelivers. 4 The vehicle makes the delivery to the merchant's customer.   Lower Level: Vehicles 1 Package is loaded onto vehicle 1.i Based on the speed selected, add to a truck or plane. 1.ii Ground speed option is a truck. 1.iii Air and Expedited speed options are based on planes usage and trucks when needed. 2 Delivery system handles the deliveries of packages 3 Delivery system finds the best vehicle option for delivery 4 An airplane or truck can be fitted with a limited number of packages.   Lower Level: Delivery 1 Delivery speed is set by the customer and passed on to PTCDelivers. 2 Delivery pricing is set based on a simple formula of (Speed Multiplier * Weight) + $1 (Flat Fee). 2.i Ground arrives in 7 days. The ground speed multiplier is $2. 2.ii Air arrives in 4 days. The air speed multiplier is $8. 2.iii Expedited arrives in 1 day. The expedited speed multiplier is $16. 3 Deliveries can be prioritized based on a number of outside variables. 4 Deliveries can be prioritized based on a number of outside variables. 5 Bulk rate pricing can be implemented.   How would you implement this logic and add in your own business logic for added profits? Logic such as finding the appropriate vehicle to make a delivery can be handled by regular Services. Bulk rates, prioritizing merchants and packages, delivery pricing, and how orders are handled would fall under Business Logic. The MerchantThingTemplate Thing contains a DataChange Subscription for it's list of orders. This Subscription triggers an Event in the PTCDelivers Thing.   The PTCDelivers Thing contains an Event for new orders coming in and a Subscription for adding orders and merchants to their respective DataTables. This Subscription can be seen as the entry point for this scenario. Nevertheless, you can create a follow-up Service to handle your business logic. We have created the PTCDeliversBusinessLogic to house your business rules engine.   Step 5: Scenario Data Model Breakdown   This guide will not go into detail of the data model of the application, but here is a high level view of the roles played within the application.   Thing Shapes ClientThingShape Shape used to represent the various types of clients the business faces (merchants/customers). VehicleThingShape Shape used to represent different forms of transportation throughout the system.   Templates PlaneThingTemplate Template used to construct all representations of a delivery plane. TruckThingTemplate Template used to construct all representations of a delivery truck. MerchantThingTemplate Template used to construct all representations of a merchant where goods are purchased from. CustomerThingTemplate Template used to construct all representations of a customer who purchases goods.   Things/Systems PTCDeliversBusinessLogic This Thing will hold a majority of the business rule implementation and convenience services. PTCDelivers A Thing that will provide helper functions in the application.   DataShapes PackageDeliveryDataShape DataShape used with the package delivery event. Will provide necessary information about deliveries. PackageDataShape DataShape used for processing a package. OrderDataShape DataShape used for processing customer orders. MerchantOrderDataShape DataShape used for processing merchant orders. MerchantDataShape DataShape used for tracking merchants.   DataTables OrdersDatabase DataTable used to store all orders made with customers. MerchantDatabase DataTable used to store all information for merchants.     Step 6: Next Steps   Congratulations! You've successfully completed the Create Custom Business Logic guide, and learned how to: Create business logic for IoT with resources provided in the ThingWorx platform Utilize the ThingWorx Edge SDK platforms with a pre-established business rule engine   We hope you found this guide useful.    The next guide in the Design and Implement Data Models to Enable Predictive Analytics learning path is Implement Services, Events, and Subscriptions.     

    Automate business processes with Services, Events and Subscriptions.   Guide Concept   This project will introduce Services, Events, and Subscriptions inside of the ThingWorx platform. Following the steps in this guide, you will be able to expand your data model using Services, Events, and Subscriptions.   We will teach you how to make a more robust and enjoyable experience for users simply by using the resources inside of the ThingWorx Composer.   You'll learn how to   Create Events, Services and Subscriptions in Composer Utilize the ThingWorx Edge SDK platforms with Services, Subscriptions, and Events   NOTE:  The estimated time to complete this guide is 60 minutes     Step 1: Completed Example   This guide references the attached EventsServicesSubscription.zip. The sample application is based on a company needing to make deliveries. The rules engine will handle much of the work outside of the transportation workflow.   Unzip and utilize this file to see a finished example and return to it as a reference if you become stuck during this guide and need some extra help or clarification.   Keep in mind, this download uses the exact names for entities used in this tutorial. If you would like to import this example and also create entities on your own, change the names of the entities you create.   What's Inside    Name                                            Type PTCDelivers Thing PTCDeliversBusinessLogic Thing PackageStream Stream OrdersDatabase Database DeliveryDataTable Database PackageDataTable Database MerchantDatabase Database PlaneThingTemplate ThingTemplate MerchantThingTemplate ThingTemplate TruckThingTemplate ThiingTemplate ClientThingShape ThingShape VehicleDeliveryShape ThingShape PackageDataShape DataShape CustomerDataShape DataShape OrderDataShape DataShape PackageDeliveryDataShape DataShape MerchantOrderDataShape DataShape MerchantDataShape DataShape default_user User TestDashboardMashup1 Mashup TestGadget Mashup     Step 2: Functionality   You can combine Services, Subscriptions, and Events to automate business processes or trigger notifications. See the definitions and examples before to gain a better understanding as to the role each plays.    Name                 Function Services Methods and functions to be used within a ThingWorx application. There are Services provided by the system, but custom services need to be made to create the application's functional requirements. All services in the ThingWorx Composer can be accessed by a user with the appropriate permissions. Remote services can be created with the use of the ThingWorx SDKs. Events An Event represent a change in state of a property or changes in a running application. Changes can be handled in different ways based on the method used to fire or queue them. They are a great resource for property value changes and alerts. Subscriptions The implementation for a subscription is the same as that of a service. Subscriptions are activated when the Event they are listened for is triggered.       Step 3: Create Events   Events are used to mark situations that can occur within an application. They can be used for scenarios ranging from a dangerous situation that is imminent and needs to be checked by personnel to just a system notification. Each Event is based on a DataShape that will hold the necessary information about the Event.   For example, it wouldn’t be enough to just know that a rain Event has occurred. It might be helpful to also know the location, the time the rain started and expectations of the amount of rain to fall.   Follow the steps below to create an Event for the TruckThingTemplate Entity.   Open the TruckThingTemplate Entity and click the Events tab. Click Add.   Enter an Event name, such as PackageDelivered. For the DataShape, in the Search Data Shape field, filter and select PackageDataShape.   Events can be queued or fired based on updates done in Composer, property changes of a running application, or programmatically. Triggering or firing an Event can be done in Services utilizing JavaScript.       Step 4: Services Interface   To create Services within ThingWorx, go to the Services tab of the Entity that will house the Service. Our PTCDeliversBusinessLogic Thing will contain several Services for us.   Within the Services tab under the Entity Information section of a Thing, you will see built in functionality for all the ThingTemplates and ThingShapes the Thing inherits from. You will also see the section that allows you to create new Services.   Service Info Tab   This tab is for the general information of the Service. This is where you will add the Service name, description, category, whether the service is asynchronous, and whether the Service can be overridden.     Inputs Tab   This tab is for the parameters for the Service. For input parameters, a parameter can be required and default values are allowed.     Outputs Tab   This tab is for the return type of the Service. The resulting output of the Service can stretch from being nothing to user defined Entities.     Snippets Tab   This tab allows users to pick from reusable JavaScript code that is specific to ThingWorx. These snippets are grouped by resources used, functionality, and type. You are also provided a search bar to look for keywords or titles.   When a snippet is found, click the arrow. This will insert the JavaScript code into the Script section wherever the cursor is located. From here, edit the inserted snippet to work with the rest of your code. This section is often helpful in getting to know how to perform service calls and code for the ThingWorx environment.     Me/Entities Tab   A listing of all Properties, Events, and Services belonging to custom and provided Entities in ThingWorx. As with the Snippets section, clicking the blue and white arrow will insert the reusable code to wherever the cursor is located. After the code is inserted, update the code to your liking. This is often a great resource for buildiung up payload for Service calls.       Click here to view Part 2 of this guide.

    Build extensions quickly and extend your application functionality with the Eclipse Plugin.   GUIDE CONCEPT   Extensions enable you to quickly and easily add new functionality to an IoT solution. Extensions can be service (function/method) libraries, connector templates, functional widgets, and more.   The Eclipse Plugin for ThingWorx Extension Development (Eclipse Plugin) is designed to streamline and enhance the creation of extensions for the ThingWorx Platform. The plugin makes it easier to develop and build extensions by automatically generating source files, annotations, and methods as well as updating the metadata file to ensure the extension can be imported.   These features allow you to focus on developing functionality in your extension, rather than worrying about getting the syntax and format of annotations and the metadata file correct.   YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO   Install the Eclipse Plugin and Extension SDK Create and configure an Extension project Create Services, Events and Subscriptions Add Composer entities Build and import an Extension   NOTE: This guide's content aligns with ThingWorx 9.3. The estimated time to complete all parts of this guide is 60 minutes.   Step 1: Completed Example    Download the attached file needed for this tutorial: ExtensionSampleFiles.zip.   The ExtensionSampleFiles.zip file provided to you contains a completed example of the scenario you will be walk through in the following steps. Utilize this file if you would like to see a finished example as a reference or if you become stuck during this guide and need some extra help.     Step 2: Download Plugin and SDK    The ThingWorx Extension SDK provides supported classes and APIs to build Java-based extensions. The APIs included in this SDK allow manipulation of ThingWorx platform objects to create Java based extensions that can extend the capability of the existing ThingWorx platform.   The Eclipse Plugin assists in working with the Extension SDK to create projects, entities, and samples. Download the Eclipse Plugin. Download the Extension SDK.. Make a note of the directory where the plugin and the extension SDK are stored. The path of the directory will be required in upcoming steps. Do not extract the zip files.     Step 3: Install and Configure   Before you install the plugin, ensure that software requirements are met for proper installation of the plugin. Open Eclipse and choose a suitable directory as a workspace. Go to the menu bar of the Eclipse window and select Help->Install New Software… After the Install window opens, click Add to add the Eclipse Plugin repository. Click Archive… and browse to the directory where the Eclipse Plugin zip file is stored and click Open. Enter a name (for example, Eclipse Plugin).     Click OK. NOTE: Do not extract this zip file. Ensure that the Group items by category checkbox is not selected. Select ThingWorx Extension Builder in the items list of the Install window. Click Next and the items to be installed are listed Click Next and review the license agreement. Accept the license agreement and click Finish to complete the installation process.   NOTE: If a warning for unsigned content is displayed, click OK to complete the installation process. Restart Eclipse. When Eclipse starts again, ensure that you are in the ThingWorx Extension perspective. If not, select Window->Perspective->Open Perspective->Other->ThingWorx Extension, then click OK.      NOTE: Opening any item from File->New->Other…->ThingWorx will also change the perspective to ThingWorx Extension.     You are ready to start a ThingWorx Extension Project!     Click here to view Part 2 of this guide.