Static Data Sources¶
Static Data Sources are repositories of data that are bundled into the application as a read-only resource. Since it follows the standard Data Source protocol, data from the repository can be used directly in UI and can also be parameterized using arguments for query purposes. Think of it as a catalog of data available to your application.
Note
As of the last version of this document, Data Sources can only be defined using a JSON editor. It is assumed that the reader understands the basics of JSON structure to be able to edit the data source. A better targeted Data Source editor is being developed to make creation of Data Sources simpiler.
Request Object Attributes¶
In addition to the standard Request Object Attributes provided by Data Sources, Static Data Sources have additional attributes used for data and parameters.
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| data | mixed | This item defines the actual data returned by the request when there are no parameters provided. The data type depends on the schema for the request. |
Basic Data Request¶
This example shows a request with basic data. The request is called info in a data source named Internal Data. The data object in the request defines the data that will be returned when the request is called.
This particular example request contains an object that defines information about a fictitious business.
{
"name": {
"en_US": "Internal Data"
},
"type": "STATIC",
"systemtype": "internal_data",
"requests": {
"info": {
"schema": {
"type": "Object",
"item": {
"opentime": {
"type": "String"
},
"closetime": {
"type": "String"
},
"phonenum": {
"type": "String"
},
"address": {
"type": "String"
},
"state":{
"type":"String"
},
"city":{
"type":"String"
}
}
},
"request": {
"data": {
"address":"1234 Somewhere St.",
"city":"Santa Clara",
"state":"CA",
"phonenum":"555-555-5555",
"closetime":"7:00pm",
"opentime":"9:30am"
}
}
}
}
}
Parameterized Data Request¶
Static data can also include arguments to create queryable data. Parameterized data is defined in a paramdata object in the request. When arguments are provided to the request, the data is found by matching the arguments provided with the key value in the paramdata. The other required object definition is a params array that has objects defining each of the parameters to the request.
Note
A request can have both default unparameterized as well as parameterized data.
Request Object Attributes for Parameterized Data¶
The following attributes are additional Request Object Attributes that are part of the request object definition for parameterized data:
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| params | Array | An array of objects that define each parameter available to the request. (See Params Array Object for more Information) |
| paramdata | Object | An object that defines each possible parameter value and its associated data. The data item beneath each parameter value follows the data definition for default data |
Params Array Object¶
Each item in the Params array for a request follow this structure:
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| name | String | The name of the parameter. This is the only required item in the specification |
| required | Boolean | (OPTIONAL) - Whether or not this parameter item is required to be provided by the requestor. If it is required, and the parameter is not supplied, the request will not complete successfully |
| default | String | (OPTIONAL) - An default value to use if the parameter is not supplied as part of the request. |
Below is an Example of a request called colors in a data source named Internal Data. The argument to the request is named color which is the color name and the results are color values. params defines the parameter color. The paramdata object defines the results for the primary argument color and each possible argument value for color (blue & red)
{
"name": {
"en_US": "Internal Data"
},
"type": "STATIC",
"systemtype": "internal_data",
"requests": {
"colors": {
"schema": {
"type": "Object",
"item": {
"color": {
"type": "String"
},
"name":{
"*":"String"
}
}
},
"request": {
"data": {
"color":"#ffffff",
"name":{
"en_US":"Default"
}
},
"params":[
{
"name":"color"
}
],
"paramdata":{
"color":{
"blue":{
"data":{
"color":"#0000ff",
"name":{
"en_US":"Blue",
"de_DE":"Blau"
}
}
},
"red":{
"data":{
"color":"#ff0000",
"name":{
"en_US":"Red",
"de_DE":"Rot"
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
Creating a New Data Source
For Steps to create a new Data Source in Builder, refer to the Data Sources documentation