Using a data transform, you can specify initial properties for objects of a specific class and also map properties (and their values) of an instance of a class to an instance of a different class.
For example, you can ensure that a special set of risk-related properties is present on all instances of class Data-Loan-Aircraft-SingleEngine. When a page of this class is created, you can instruct the system to apply a data transform, named Aircraft-High-Risk. The system places into the page the risk-related properties defined in the data transform. When the page is later saved into the database as a persistent instance, the properties are present with meaningful values.
Typically, you use the actions within a data transform to update and apply data to clipboard pages. Additionally, there are four activity methods that can optionally use a data transform as a parameter:
The Apply-Model method is deprecated in version 6.2, and replaced by the Apply-DataTransform method. To use the Apply-DataTransform method to achieve the same result of using the Apply-Model method with the OverwriteProperties parameter set to 'false', use When actions in the data transform to prevent values from being applied when properties are already present on the target page. For example:
When !@PropertyHasValue(.FirstName) Set .FirstName = "Bob"
In the preceding example, when the FirstName property has a value, the condition is not satisfied and the Set action is skipped.
Service rules (Rule-Service- classes) and a few other rule types can reference a data transform. The data transform is processed and applied at runtime to a newly created page.
Click Actions > View Java to view the generated Java of a rule. You can use the Java code to debug your application or to examine how rules are implemented.