How to refresh a collection widget or contained mashup based on data change from a pop-up?

[eribbeck]

Here is the situation:

• I have a mashup that is essentially just a collection widget
• I am using a service (getCollectionWidgetData) to populate the collection widget
• Each row in the collection is a contained mashup which has some action buttons on it that allow the user to kick-off other services (when clicked, each button launches a pop-up for the user to confirm, then when confirmed the service is executed and pop up closed - so technically the service is executed from the popup mashup)
• Each row in the collection is also displaying data that should change based on those services being executed

Here is what I have tried:

• I created a global session variable named "refreshCollection" as a BOOLEAN
• when one of the above services is ServiceInvokeCompleted, I am then calling SetGlobalSessionBooleanValue({ name: "refreshCollection", value: true })
• on the mashup with the collection widget, I am executing getCollectionWidgetData based on the refreshCollectionChanged event
  • I have also tried executing the GetGlobalSessionValues service first, but I don't know what event to trigger this service to run

Here is what is happening:

• getCollectionWidgetData is never triggered to run again unless the user navigates away from the mashup and back to it

[raluca_edu]

Hi,

Maybe this post will help you:

https://community.ptc.com/t5/ThingWorx-Developers/How-to-notify-the-Collection-widget-from-it-s-inner-mashup/m-p/622104#M38212

Regards,

Raluca Edu

[Constantine · Accepted solution]

Hello @eribbeck ,

There's a trick involving Validators and Expressions, which allow you to convert values to events.

Try to create a Validator, which takes this boolean as a parameter and bind its True event to your service. In the validator just return true. The crucial bit here is to select "Output = false" (like this it won't fire at the beginning), and "Auto evaluate = true" for the obvious reason.

If that doesn't work for some reason -- try to replace your BOOLEAN value with a NUMBER, which you generate randomly every time.

Finally, instead of executing services Get... / SetGlobalSessionBooleanValue try to assign those session variables directly via bindings in mashup, they support bi-directional bindings. This way you can avoid doing a server round-trip and everything should happen inside the browser.

We use those techniques to do exactly what you're describing -- refreshing a collection from inside a popup, so you seem to be on the right path.

Regards,
Constantine

[eribbeck]

Thank you, moving away from using the Get / Set services seems to be the trick. Writing directly to the session parameters is working much more consistently.