External Lookups

About External Lookups

An External Lookup field retrieves one or more records from a Web Service. Returned data is then mapped to one or more fields in the current record. The External Lookup field can connect to either of the following, or both:

• A lookup service that returns a single record from which data is used.
• A search service that returns multiple records, from which the user selects the record to use.

Prerequisite

A Web Service must be configured.

How a Lookup Service Works

When an object record is added or updated, fields contained in the object record are used to fetch a target record from a Web Service. Data from that record can then be displayed read-only fields in the platform object record (like Lookup-Dependent Fields). Those fields can then be used in a Rule condition or Document Template, for example.

Considerations

• The field(s) used to identify the target record should constitute a unique key in the foreign data, so that only one record is returned. If multiple records are returned as target candidates, the last one returned is used.
• If no records are returned, the dependent fields remain empty.
• External Lookup-dependent fields are available for use in HTML, Word, and PowerPoint document templates. They are not available for use in JSP templates.
• An External Lookup is executed when a record is accessed. If the Web Service fails, an error message is displayed.

Sample Use

A customer record could contain a field that contains the customer ID from a SalesForce database. An External Lookup field can be used to automatically display data like contact information and credit score from that database, without having to maintain a separate copy of it in the platform.

Tip: A single External Lookup field lets you add multiple display-only fields to an object record. That's ideal when you always want to see the latest information retrieved from a central location. (Say, customer contact information.) On the other hand, there are times when you want to retrieve information from a remote source and store it locally. For example, today's price for fish might be retrieved from a central source, but you would need to store it in the record, and retrieve that information only when a new record is added (and not when some extraneous field is updated). For that situation, you should invoke a Web Service from a Process.

How a Search Service Works

A Search Service displays a popup that lets a user search for and select a record from a list returned by an external Web Service.

The popup is launched from an object Form. It contains fields designated as Web Service inputs--some of which may come from the form, others which may be entered by the user.

Those fields are followed by a [Search] button. When the button is clicked, a set of records is retrieved from the service, and displayed in the popup. The user can than select the record to reference.

Settings

Basic Information

• Label - The name of the field. The user clicks in this field to select a record.
• Field Type - External Lookup
• Lookup Service - Choose a Web Service that returns a single record.
• Search Service - Choose a Web Service that returns a list of records for a user to choose from.
• Always Required - Clicking this checkbox prevents a record from being saved until this field has a value.
• Field Name - This value is pre-filled based on the field label, but it can be modified as the field is being created, if desired.

Lookup Service Configuration

This section appears when a Lookup Service is selected.

• Input Mapping - Specify one mapping for each Web Service input.

The input fields allow filtering data to be sent to the Web Service. The combination of fields should produce exactly one record. (If more than one is returned, the last one is used.) The mapping choices are:

• Use Object Field - Use a Record field value for a Web Service input
• Use Fixed Value - Specify a value.

(This is the only option available when onFormLoad is specified.)

• Use Expression - Specify an expression using any combination of the above

Click the [+] and [-] icons to add or remove items.

• Output Mapping - Specify one mapping for each value returned by the Web Service.

• Ignore - Disregard the value returned from the web service.
• Display - The value is displayed to the user, with the label you specify.
  (It appears as a field that can be placed at the desired location in the record form.)

Click the [+] and [-] icons to add or remove items.

Search Service Configuration

This section appears when a Search Service is selected.

• Record Element

  In the hierarchy of data returned from the Web Service, specify the element that contains data for a single record.

• Input Mapping - Specify one mapping for each Web Service input.

The input fields allow filtering data to be sent to the Web Service. The combination of fields should produce exactly one record. (If more than one is returned, the last one is used.) The mapping choices are:

• Use Object Field - Use a Record field value for a Web Service input
• Use Fixed Value - Specify a value.

(This is the only option available when onFormLoad is specified.)

• Use Expression - Specify an expression using any combination of the above
• User Input - Ask the user to enter a value.

(This option is available only for a Popup display.)

(Before the Web Service is contacted, a dialog containing all User Input fields is displayed.)

Click the [+] and [-] icons to add or remove items.

• Output Mapping - Specify one mapping for each value returned by the Web Service.

• Map to Object Field - Map the returned value to one of the fields in the record.

• The field need not be displayed in the form.
• The Primary Key field is the one that is displayed in the object Form. (The user clicks the Lookup icon next to the field to trigger the search.)

• Ignore - Disregard the value returned from the web service.
• Display - The value is displayed to the user, with the label you specify.
  (It appears as a field that can be placed at the desired location in the record form.)

Click the [+] and [-] icons to add or remove items.

• Elements Order

  Specify the order in which input fields appear at the top of the popup (above the Search button), and the order in which the output fields appear below the button in the popup.

Best Practice: Always map the record-retrieval key to the Primary Key output field.

Description Information

• Optionally, include a description of the field.