Hey Everyone!
I think I am just being really stupid (having a bad) day…ut. cant work this out at all.
I am trying to convert a text to date and I have come across the Text to Unix plugin to format dates in an API backend workflow.
Anyway, whilst I can see it works by inspecting the date in debug mode, I don’t see where it returns the value? How do I get the date back and then use it in the rest of my workflow?
This screen shot should show you where I am with it.
If you create a step 2, then you should be able to reference the result of step 1 
Oh of course!! I knew it would be something simple.
Basically I am getting really frustrated with making a bulk edit in a Repeating Group and trying to extract the data from the group and then send it to the Database.
But standard Lists are losing some of the data because there are duplicates. So I have put in a workaround to index each value with a unique value - then I will split and convert back to the original data type further down the workflow.
Many thanks.
Have you tried just using the “unique values” filter on the RG source instead?
I’ve just checked that out and I don’t think that is what I need.
I need to preserve duplicates rather than removing them.
I am using Orchestra to extract the data from the RG (after the user makes modifications). Many of those values may well be the same - so for each product, for example, many of them may be set to DRAFT or PUBLISHED.
Because those appear as duplicates, I then have missing data from the array which causes blanks to be written in the database when I iterate the list in the Backend workflow. (I am trying to send 100 products back to the database once the user has made the changes.
I am wondering whether List Shifter will be a better options than Orchestra, but I am not up to speed with Lift Shifter so trying some workarounds to hack the Array list to play nicely.
Can you give some more detail on what you’re trying to get to as an end state with some screenshots?
From the sounds of things I would be suggested you just have a workflow which runs inside the cell for the user to make modifications, without using orchestra
OK sure. So this is an admin system for a auction platform.
In the admin the administrator needs to be able to make change to the Lots that will go in each auction. These may be text changes, they may be pricing changes, or they may remove lots from the auction and set them to ARCHIVE. There are 3 tabs for the different types of changes they will make (all single page).
So there will be a long list of lots (just 2 in the screen shot example).
The user edits the Input boxes and the drop downs in the screenshot. Then there is a button below which Saves the data.
Currently Orchestra extracts them and then I fill a set of Custom State Lists with the data from each column. To avoid losing duplicates I have added a suffix of the Lots unique ID from the database so that I have a corresponding row in each custom state for each column in the table in the screen shot above (there are 25 columns/fields across the 3 tabs in the screen shot above)
These lists are then sent to a Custom API Backend workflow for iteration. Where I cycle through each Custom List and writing it to the DB.
In the back end workflow I iterate each list and then Make a update to the Lot thing in the database - one Lot at a time, converting the List data previously save with the Unique ID next to it and converting it back to data type to write back in to the database:
Now in a perfect world, I’d just grab the Parent Group Data from the RG with the changes inside and then just send the Lot things to the back end for writing to the database - which would be one object rather than 25.
RG, don’t play nice, and lists wont accept duplicates. So it’s become really challenging…
I realise I could have a button on each row or have each field bound to the database, but that is not how the industry works and it wouldn’t get me the ability to offer copy down type functionality to make changes en masse to the lots (e.g. Archive all).
Very cool!!
Personally I would take combine 2 approaches.
1, like you said binding these fields to the db, so if a user is making just 1 change, that’s quick and easy
2, for bulk edits I would be using the make changes to list function, and feeding in that data source, making those bulk edits
That way should help you scale smoothly.
If you want to run through any of it via screen share just send me a DM and we can line something up
