Pega Activities

Methods and instructions by name

 

Choose from the alphabetic list below to learn about a method. See also Finding methods by function. The Call, Branch, Collect, Java, Queue, and Rule operations are technically "instructions", not methods. For information on these instructions, see:
   BRANCH — Branching to another activity 
   CALL — Calling another activity
   COLLECT — Begin execution of a collection rule
   FLOW-NEW — Start a flow execution
   JAVA — Using Java in an activity step
   QUEUE — Execute another activity asynchronously
   RULE — Using the Rule instruction to implement a custom rule type

 A

Method	Description
Activity-Clear-Status	Reset the method status from the previous method.
Activity-End	End the current activity and calling activities.
Activity-List-Add	Add an activity to an internal dispatch list.
Activity-Set-Status	Set a return value.
Apply-DataTransform	Update property values based on a data transform.
Apply-Parse-Delimited	Execute a Parse Delimited rule in an activity.
Apply-Parse-Structured	Execute a Parse Structured rule in an activity.
Apply-Parse-XML	Execute a Parse XML rule in an activity.
Assert-No-Invocation	Exclude this activity from invocation counting for license compliance.

 C

Method	Description
Commit	Commit all database changes in the Thread.
Connect-dotNet	Start a connector to a Web service based on the Microsoft .NET framework.
Connect-EJB	Start a connector to an external Enterprise JavaBean.
Connect-File	Start a connector to write to a file.
Connect-FTP	Copy a file from one location to another using File Transfer Protocol
Connect-HTTP	Start a connector to an external system using HTTP.
Connect-Java	Start a connector to call an external Java class or JavaBean.
Connect-JCA	Start a connector to an external system through a JCA resource adapter.
Connect-JMS	Start a connector to an external system using the Java Message Service application programmer interface.
Connect-MQ	Start a connector for a WebSphere MQ connection.
Connect-REST	Start a connector for a RESTful connection.
Connect-SOAP	Start a connector to invoke a Web service.
Connect-Wait	Block (pause) for a time interval to synchronize with a child requestor.

 E F H L M

Method	Description
End-Validate	End compilation of referencing rules, for a custom rule type.
Exit-Activity	End the current activity.
Flow-End	End a flow execution.
Flow-New	Start a new flow execution.
History-Add	Record your changes to work items or activities
History-List	List instances of a class.
Link-Objects	Link objects together.
Log-Message	Add a message to the Pega log.
Map-Structured	Parse or assemble a fixed format data structure.

 O

Method	Description
Obj-Browse	Search through and select instances of a class based on tests of values of exposed columns.
Obj-Delete	Delete an instance from the database, or mark it for later deletion with the Commit method
Obj-Delete-By-Handle	Delete an instance from the database (or mark it for later deletion) using the handle.
Obj-Filter	Remove embedded pages of a Code-Pega-List results page that fail to meet criteria specified in a when condition rule.
Obj-List	Search through instances of a class and extract selected properties.
Obj-List-View	Execute the retrieval and sorting operations of a list view rule, but with no formatting or HTML display.
Obj-Open	Open an instance stored in the PegaRULES database or in certain cases an external database.
Obj-Open-by-Handle	Open an instance using a permanent unique key.
Obj-Refresh-and-Lock	Open an instance and acquire a lock.
Obj-Save	Save page data to the database, or mark it for saving (commit) later.
Obj-Save-Cancel	Reverse a previous Obj-Save or Obj-Delete method, not yet committed to the database.
Obj-Set-Tickets	Set or reset tickets, interrupting the normal sequential processing of a flow.
Obj-Sort	Sort the values of a property of mode Page List.
Obj-Validate	Run a Validate rule on a set of properties, typically representing user input.

 P

Method	Description
Page-Change-Class	Change the class of a page.
Page-Clear-Messages	Remove page messages from the step page.
Page-Copy	Copy contents of one page to another page
Page-Merge-Into	Merge two or more pages into one page.
Page-New	Create a page.
Page-Remove	Delete a page from the clipboard.
Page-Rename	Rename a page or name a primary page
Page-Set-Messages	Associate a message with a page.
Page-Unlock	Release a lock held after Commit.
Page-Validate	Validates all properties on a page.
Parse-Byte-Pos	Used only in Parse Structured rules.
Parse-Char-Pos	Used only in Parse Structured rules.
Parse-Fixed-Binary	Used only in Parse Structured rules.
Parse-Packed-Decimal	Used only in Parse Structured rules.
Privilege-Check	Determine whether a user or requestor has a specified privilege.
Property-Map-DecisionTable	Evaluate a decision table and assign the result to a property
Property-Map-DecisionTree	Evaluate a decision tree and assign the result to a property.
Property-Map-Value	Set the value of a property based on a one-dimensional map value.
Property-Map-ValuePair	Set the value of a property based on a two-dimensional map value.
Property-Ref	Link reference properties with non-reference properties.
Property-Remove	Delete a property from a page.
Property-Seek-Value	Use backward chaining to obtain a value.
Property-Set	Set the value of one or more specified properties
Property-Set-Corr	Save the contents of a correspondence stream as the value of a property.
Property-Set-HTML	Save the contents of an HTML stream as the value of a property.
Property-Set-Messages	Associate a literal text message with a property or a step page.
Property-Set-Stream	Save the contents of a JSP, XML, or HTML stream as the value of a property.
Property-Set-XML	Save the contents of an XML stream as the value of a property.
Property-Validate	Apply an edit validate rule to test user input.

 Q R

Method	Description
Queue-for-Agent	Enqueue a System-Queue- derived clipboard page into the system queue for background processing.
RDB-Delete	Delete an instance from a relational database.
RDB-List	Retrieve rows from an external relational database.
RDB-Open	Open an instance from an external relational database.
RDB-Save	Save the contents of a clipboard page to a relational database.
Requestor-Stop	Stop processing of the requestor.
Rollback	Cancel any uncommitted database save operations.

 S T W

Method	Description
Show-HTML	Assemble and send an HTML page to a user's browser.
Show-Page	Send an XML representation of a page to the browser.
Show-Property	Send a single property value to the browser.
Show-Stream	Apply stream processing to a JSP, HTML, correspondence, or XML Stream rule.
Start-Validate	Compile referencing rules for a custom rule type.
StringBuffer-Append	Manipulate string buffer containing local variables.
StringBuffer-Insert	Manipulate string buffer containing local variables.
StringBuffer-Reset	Manipulate string buffer containing local variables.
TaskStatus-Set	Convey results of activity processing to a calling flow.
Text-Infer	Evaluate a parse infer rule.
Text-Normalize	Evaluate a parse normalize rule.
Thread-Clear	Clear the thread page.
Wait	Pause a Thread for a specified time interval.

Help Home

Activities:

The Activity rule form

The most important tab is the Steps tab. Except as controlled by preconditions and transitions, steps are executed in sequence, starting at step 1.

Each step contains these columns:

Column	Description
Label	Optional. Provide an identifier for the step that can be referred to from other steps.
(Iteration)	Optional. Loops through the elements a Value List, Page List, Value Group or Page Group and performs the provided activity method on each value or each embedded page. You can also create multi-step iterations using the Add Nested Step button. For more information see How to use multistep loops and nested loops in activities.
Description	Enter text that explains to other developers the action that the step is performing.
Precondition	Optional. Provide a condition or When rule that, when, based on the result, will cause the step to execute or be skipped.
Step Page	Optional. Identify a Page to be used as the context for referenced properties within the step.
Expand Method	Click the button to expand the parameters for the selected method.
Method	Optional. Select the method that this step will execute.
Transition	Optional. Similar to a Precondition. After the step is executed, a condition is evaluated. Based on the result, the activity may jump to another step, or end.

The steps in an activity roughly correspond to statements in a traditional programming language. The three control structures in activities — iteration, precondition, and transitions — are intentionally limited.

At runtime, processing control can only jump to a label that is later (higher-numbered step).

Parameters tab:

Define variables that input data to, or return data from, an activity. Parameter names and values are held on a special page — the parameter page — that is not visible on the Clipboard tool display.

Use the notation param.<ParamName> to reference a parameter value.

Pages & Classes tab:

Define pages to be used as Step Pages for the steps of the activity. Enter a page name and associate each name with a class.

At runtime, the system uses this information to find properties that are referenced on the Steps tab using the notation .<propertyname> where the page name is identified in the Step Page field.. The leading period (or dot) is required.

The system also uses information on this tab to interpret property references of the form<pagename>.<propertyname>, which may appear in various fields on the Steps tab.

Security tab:

Specify the type of activity and optionally restrict how this activity can be started. Select the May Start? check box to allow interactive testing of the activity with the Run toolbar button ( ).

Note: The most common activity type is Utility.

Methods

Methods are individual operations that are performed in one step of an activity. This section provides usage information on some of the most used methods. Consult the help system in your system for additional details and descriptions of other methods.

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Property-Set

Use the Property-Set method to set the value of one or more properties.

Usage

Specify the property in the PropertiesName field, and the desired value in the PropertiesValue field.

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Call

The Call method instructs the current activity to find and run another activity using Rule Resolution. After the called activity completes, the calling activity resumes processing. The called activity can use its own parameter page, or share the parameter page of the calling activity. Configure this by selecting the Pass the current parameter page? option in the method parameters.

The main advantage of being able to call an existing activity is reuse. Instead of rewriting the called activity's steps in the calling activity, you can reference the activity.

Usage

Identify the activity you are calling by typing Call in the Method field, followed by a space, and the activity name. For example, Call UpdateRecords. After you type or select the method Call, you can use the SmartPrompt to select an activity.

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Branch

Similar to the Call method, the Branch method refers to another activity. Execution of the original activity ends when execution of the branched activity is complete.

Usage

Similar to the Call method.

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Obj-Browse

The Obj-Browse method searches instances of one class and copies specified properties onto the clipboard, creating a list of instances, each on an embedded page.

Usage

At a minimum, complete the PageName and ObjClass fields, along with the properties you wish to have returned.

The field section of the method is similar to using a WHERE statement in a SQL command. The following conditions are available for comparing properties to values.

The conditions highlighted in green do not use the Value field.

A completed Obj-Browse method is similar to a SQL statement of this form:

Select <FIELDS> from the <OBJCLASS> where <CONDITIONS = A VALUE> and place them on the <PAGENAME> page.

Note: You can use as selection criteria only those properties that are exposed as database columns. However, the method can retrieve values of properties that are not exposed as columns, including embedded properties.

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Obj-Open

The Obj-Open method returns a single instance stored in the PegaRULES database, or in an external database table that is linked to an external class. The returned instance is then converted to a clipboard page. This method differs from the Obj-Browse method by not allowing you to define search criteria; you must identify the key of the instance.

Usage

In the OpenClass field, enter the class in which the system should start searching for the desired instance. The search continues up through the class hierarchy until the instance is found. Use thePropertyName and PropertyValue fields to specify the key of the instance.

If your application is to update and save the instance, check the Lock parameter to prevent other requestors from attempting to update the same instance while your requestor is using it. 

Information from the returned instance is placed on the page listed in the Step Page field.

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Page-Copy

The Page-Copy method replicates the entire contents (all properties and embedded properties) of an existing clipboard page to a new or existing clipboard page.

Usage

In the CopyFrom and CopyInto fields, enter the page to be copied, and the destination page, respectively.

Use the Model field to apply a model, which is located by rule resolution, to the destination page before the page is populated with data.

Use the PageList field to save the name of the new page as the final element in a Value List.

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Page-Remove

The Page-Remove method deletes one or more named pages from the clipboard.

To remove a page, enter one ore more pages in the Page field, or enter the page in the Step Page field.

Be sure to remove clipboard pages after they are no longer needed, to reduce system overhead and improve performance.

Show-Page

The Show-Page method sends an XML representation of the current page (as specified in the Step Page field) to your browser window. This method is primarily used for debugging.