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Available UI actions

Updated on February 7, 2022

Pega Platform provides a wide variety of out-of-the-box behavior patterns (actions) that you can use to make a UI component more responsive and user-friendly.

The UI actions are divided into several categories which depend on their typical use case and main functionality:

Display actions

Display actions open a UI component in a target space.

ActionDescription
Apply conditionsEvaluates conditions on the client, based on a keyboard event. The action evaluates all conditions that use Run on client, such as Visible when and Refresh when.
CloseCloses an overlay.
Expand/collapseCauses a layout to expand or collapse. You can use the action to make a layout collapsible, or on a control, such as a button, to collapse other collapsible layouts in the harness.
HomeOpens the Home tab in an AJAX container.
MenuDisplays the contents of a navigation rule as a menu. The top-level menu is displayed in a column below the control. Second and lower levels expand to the right. When you use this action, the menu generates its contents each time that the system requests them. This approach eliminates on-load processing and ensures that the items are always up-to-date.
Tip: As a best practice, use the Menu action for complex menus (such as the Actions link in a flow action) and in repeating layouts.
For more information, see Creating navigation rules.
Mobile searchOpens the native search capacity in a mobile app. For more information, see Configuring a search action in a mobile app.
Post valuePosts a property value to the clipboard and refreshes the contents of the cell. Post value is triggered by the Change or OnBlur events of the field before users initiate any other event (such as a Click action) from a control, or from the calculation of expressions.

For example, a pxButton control refreshes another section by using an activity that requires three updated properties before the control can update the target section. When the user clicks the button, the action posts the properties to the clipboard and synchronizes with the activity.

PrintStarts browser-based printing, which prints the current user form.
Note: This printout might not include all fields and might use colors, fonts, and labels that are not optimal for hard copy prints.
RefreshRefreshes the target that the action parameters specify. By default, changes are submitted before refreshing.
Note: The Refresh: Other Section action affects all the sections in the harness that have the same name. If the section with the same name exists in a different class, the system searches for the associated activity in that class, and displays an error when the activity is not found. To avoid this error, you can run activities in a separate action set, or create an empty activity in the @baseclass that runs when any of the sections refreshes.
Refresh rowRefreshes a row in a table. You configure this action on an element outside of the table.
SectionOpens a specific section in a target container.
Set focusSets the focus on an editable control that is bound to a property or to a specific row in a table, tree, or tree table.

For example, if a section or layout becomes visible on a click of a button, you can set focus on an editable control in the section that is now visible.

Set styleApplies a selected inline style or CSS class to a UI element.
Set valueSets a target property to the source value. You can configure multiple properties and values. The source property can be editable or read-only.
Show smart infoDisplays a SmartInfo pop-up window. The contents of the pop-up window are determined by a section that you specify, and are presented in read-only mode.
Show smart tipAdds a smart tip to a UI element when you pair this action with a Click or Hover event.
Spell checkInvokes the spell checker. This tool determines which dictionaries to apply, how to operate the spellchecking algorithm, and other details.

Process Work actions

Process work actions relate to how users handle cases, forms, and work items.

ActionDescription
Add new workAdds a new work item that uses the primary page data. Saves the new work item on the deferred list.
CancelCloses the current form without applying any changes.
ContentsFor a cover work item, changes the form so that users can view and navigate to member work items. You can override a standard list view rule to control the details of this display.
Enable action sectionPresents a user form in review-only mode.
ExploreFor a folder work item, changes the form so that users can view and navigate among the associated work items.
Finish assignmentSubmits changes and marks the assignment as complete.
Perform actionSubmits a flow action and completes the assignment if either of the following conditions are met:
  • The specified flow action and the current flow action have the same interface (reference the same named section).
  • The flow action does not use HTML to render the interface (an autogenerated action with No HTML selected on the form's HTML tab).
ReviewPresents the user form or flow action form in review-only mode.
SaveSaves the work item.
Show flow locationMarks the location of the current assignment with an arrow.
Note: This action requires the Work-.Perform privilege.
Show reopen screenShows the form in review mode but provides users with the tools to reopen a resolved work item if they hold the Work-.Reopen privilege. Runs the standard activity Work-.Reopen or an activity of that name in your application.
UpdateReconstructs the form in update mode, for users who hold the Work-.Update privilege. The user can change previously provided values in sections other than the Take Action section that is presented by the flow action.

The Apply button on the update form sends changed user input to the server, but does not commit these changes. Users must select and complete a flow action to cause these changes to save.

View attachmentsPresents a list of work item attachments so that users can view or add attachments.
Note: The button is visible only for users who hold the Work-.AccessAuditTrail privilege.
View historyDisplays the work item history for users who hold the Work-.AccessAuditTrail privilege.

Launch actions

Launch actions open content or functionalities that can help users achieve their business goals.

ActionDescription
Flow in modal dialogProvides users with an option to start a flow in a user form and run the process in a modal dialog box. The user cannot continue work in the main user form until the modal dialog box closes.
Note: Flow in modal dialog is only supported with default locking, not with optimistic locking.

When the user starts a modal flow, that flow runs on its own thread on the primary page of the harness that contains the control.

When the user submits the modal flow's final assignment, the flow page merges into the parent flow primary page. The following actions then occur:

  1. The modal thread is deleted.
  2. The modal dialog automatically closes.
  3. The system refreshes the section on the user form that contains the control. You can update other areas on the user form by appending actions such as Refresh section (other) or Set value to this control. These actions are triggered after the modal closes (canceled or submitted).
Note: As a best practice, use autogenerated controls in modal dialogs. This approach provides accurate server processing if a modal dialog is launched from a list or grid of work items that are configured with actions. An action on a work item in a list is created in a temporary work processing thread. Autogenerated controls source data from this temporary thread. However, non-autogenerated controls might, by default, use the thread of the base document for AJAX interactions.
Get directionsLaunches the Google Maps service that displays a route between two locations that you provide in the action.
HarnessReplaces the open harness or displays a new one.
Mobile viewOpens a native mobile component, such as a native mobile list, in the interface.
Note: You can use this action only in a navigation rule that represents the top level of navigation in a mobile app.
Landing pagePerforms one of the following actions:
Display
Opens a landing page for display.
CreateNewWork
Creates a new work item based on a landing page.

You can also specify additional parameters and corresponding values to pass to the harness or flow.

Local actionLoads the Local or Local and connector flow action, and presents the action as a modal dialog box, overlay, or in an action section.
Note: If you use local actions in offline-enabled applications, see also Supported actions when working offline.

For a sample configuration, see Configuring a modal dialog box for a button.

Open URL in windowOpens a URL in a browser window by using an activity that returns an HTML stream.
Report definitionExecutes the retrieval and sorting operations, but not the formatting and display processing, of a report definition.
Scan barcode/QR codeOpens a bar code or QR code scanner on a mobile device.
Note: This action is for mobile apps only.
Wizard labelLaunches a wizard based on key part label and the class of the wizard (the class name begins with PegaAccel- ).

Get Work actions

Get work actions cover operations that are related to work items and assignments.

Note: All actions in the Get work section require a target destination. If you select an AJAX container for the target, and no AJAX container exists in the interface, the action runs in a dynamic container. If no dynamic container exists, the action runs in a new browser window.
ActionDescription
Create workCreates a new work item. This action is called with a primary page that inherits from the Work- base class. Create work commits the new work item if no flow run exists. If the action starts a flow run, the commit operation occurs when that flow run creates an assignment.
Note: Case types that include the Create stage are independent from the starting process. As a result, for such case types, you do not provide the flow name.

For a sample configuration, see Adding a floating action button.

Get next workReturns the next assignment for the operator to complete. This assignment can either come from the operator worklist or from one of the work queues to which they have access.
Open assignmentOpens an assignment that is based on its key value pxAssignmentKey.
Open work by handleOpens a work item that is based on the internal key that uniquely identifies the instance.
Open work itemOpens a work item that is based on the work item ID.
Re-open work itemReopens a resolved work item for users who hold the Work-.Reopen privilege. Runs the standard activity Work-.Reopen or an activity of that name in your application.

List category actions

List category actions manage list handling in repeating layouts.

ActionDescription
Add childAdds a child item beneath the selected row or branch in a repeating layout or tree.
Add itemAdds a row to a layout, above or below the current row.
Delete itemDeletes a row in a layout.
Edit itemEnables editing of the selected item in the layout. The action is is not available if the repeating layout edit mode is set to read-only.
Open local actionDisplays the flow action that you specify.
Note: As a best practice, use autogenerated controls in modal dialogs. This approach provides accurate server processing if a modal dialog is launched from a list or grid of work items that are configured with actions. An action on a work item in a list is created in a temporary work processing thread. Autogenerated controls source data from this temporary thread. However, non-autogenerated controls might, by default, use the thread of the base document for AJAX interactions.
Open selected itemOpens the item that is selected in the layout.
Refresh current rowRefreshes the content of the active row in the active grid.
Refresh listRefreshes the content of the repeating grid or tree based on the clipboard data. Maintains the current page, filter, or setting.
Set focusSets the cursor focus on the Current Item, Next Item, or Previous Item in the repeating layout.
Note: Current Item is the default focus for Click events.

Other actions

Other actions include miscellaneous operations.

ActionDescription
Invoke actionDefines a clipboard page that contains the action that you want to perform when the specified events occurs. When the event occurs, the clipboard page is passed into the action and the action is performed. The following actions are supported:
  • Open rule by handle
  • Open work by handle
  • Get next work
  • Show harness
  • Open landing page
  • Create new work
  • Open rule by keys
  • Open rule by class name
  • Open rule specific
Log offLogs the user out of the system.
Manage guided tourConfigures a control to start, continue, or dismiss a guided tour.
Open ruleOpens a rule that takes the pzInsKey value as its parameter.
Open rule by keysOpens a rule by its class and the class key values. You specify a class that has keys defined. You select values for the keys that are specified on the Class rule form, on the General tab.
Open rule by nameOpens a rule based on the rule type (a specific class that is derived from the Rule- base class) and a Property Name key part.
Run activityRuns the activity that you specify in the Activity field. You enter the Activity key part.
Run data transformRuns the data transform that you specify. For more information, see Data transforms.
Run scriptCalls a custom JavaScript function or a Pega Platform API.

You can add custom JS methods to the application by attaching the file with the script to the harness. For more information, see Adding scripts and style sheets to a harness.

Subscribe action

The Subscribe action becomes available when you select On load as the event for an action set.

You use the Subscribe action to subscribe to a notification channel for your user. Notification channels provide a way to notify the client about changes on the server without having to explicitly refresh the application in the browser. When subscribed to a channel, your user receives a notification when an event is published on that channel. You can specify the filter criteria for the channel, so that the user receives only relevant notifications.

Note: If two channels are using the same class and filter condition, both channels receive the same messages. Because the system distinguishes channel by class names, the channel names serve only a configuration purpose. You can use two channels with the same class only if you use different filter conditions.

For more information, see Creating UI subscription channels.

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