Defining Set Fields actions to assign values based on conditions

Use the Set Fields action in:

• Active links
• Filters
• Escalations

The Set Fields action sets field values in the current request. You can use the Set Fields action to load specific values into selected fields each time certain conditions are met. This enables you to automate field updates for a request.  For example, a filter could automatically set the Status field to Assigned when a name is entered in the Assigned To field, or an active link could change the field menus on the Type and Item fields depending on the user's selection from the Category menu.

To move data from the current request to another request, use a Push Fields action. See Defining Push Fields active link, filter, or escalation actions.

The value set in a field can include static values and AR System server  keyword values, as well as a value retrieved from another data source. You can retrieve a value from any of the following general types of data sources:

• A field in the same form.
• A field in another form on the same server or a different server.
• A result from an SQL command. See Assigning values through SQL statements.
• A result from a filter API plug-in service (filters and escalations only). See Assigning values by issuing requests to a Filter API Plug-in service.
• The result of a function. See Assigning values using function results.
• A result from an independent system process. See Assigning values from process results.
• A result from an arithmetic operation. See Assigning values by using arithmetic operations.
• A result from accessing a web service (filters and escalations only). See Creating web service clients.

Because filters and escalations execute with administrator permissions, field values set through a filter or escalation are updated even if the user does not have permission to change the field. However, active links execute with the permissions of the user, so field values set through an active link are updated in the database only if the user has permission to change the field. For information about changing the filter permissions, see Using permissions to restrict filter data retrieval.

The procedures in the following topics describe how to set field values by using  AR System server  keywords, static values, and data from the current request or from any form on an  AR System server .

• Creating a Set Fields action
• Special considerations for Set Fields actions
• Assigning values through SQL statements
• Assigning values by issuing requests to a Filter API Plug-in service
• Assigning values using function results
• Assigning values from process results
• Assigning values by using arithmetic operations