Online Help | Desktop App

Managing user macros

Macros enable you to easily reuse commonly used blocks of text (such as standard greetings, e-mail signatures, disclaimers, etc.) in multiple e-mail notifications or messages boxes. Macros also allow you to use dynamic values when building workflow items and components. Along with a number of pre-defined system macros, Alloy Navigator offers you the ability to create user macros.

When defining a user macro, you can specify a combination of static text and placeholders object fields and other macros) to set up a reusable template. Alternatively, you can create a full-featured SQL script to query the database for specific information that you need to use in your workflow. Depending on your needs, choose a macro type:

  • Text - This macro is a combination of static text and placeholders for dynamic content (object fields and other macros).

  • SQL Script - This macro is a SQL script containing Transact-SQL statements. When executed, the script queries the database and returns the value of the first column from the first row of the last SELECT statement.

  • IMPORTANT: For users of the previous version:
    Unlike version 6, the new version does not support SQL Expression Macros and offers a new SQL Script type of macros instead. If your have migrated your database from version 6 and kept your existing workflow, your user macros of the SQL Expression Macro type have been converted to Text macros. However, they will still work fine in your SQL expressions for workflow Actions and Triggers.

In the Workflow and Business Logic >[Module] > [Object Class] > Macros section of Settings App, you can access all Alloy Navigator user macros configured for a particular object class.

TIP: If your configuration contains many macros, you can use a standard filter box to navigate directly to the macro you need. Press CTRL+F and type in your text in the filter box that appears above the grid of macros. As you type, the grid will show only those macros that contain the entered text. For details, see Searching for text in grids.

NOTE: You can expand all groups of macros by choosing Expand All from the pop-up menu. To collapse the expanded groups, choose Collapse All.

You manage user macros as follows: