Concat

Purpose

The 'Collection' property determines which Data Section or Data Table will be evaluated by the Concat action. Only records within this collection are considered for merging.

Configuration

• Select a Data Section or Data Table that contains the records you want to normalize.
• The property editor restricts selection to valid collection types.
• Changing the collection will alter which records are processed and may affect the outcome of the action.

Impact

• Only the specified collection is affected; other data elements remain unchanged.
• Merges are performed according to the trigger expression for each pair of adjacent records in the collection.

Example

If you want to merge rows in a table called "Line Items", set 'Collection' to reference the Data Table "Line Items".

Purpose

The Trigger property defines the condition under which two neighboring records are concatenated.

How it Works

The Trigger expression is evaluated for each pair of adjacent records in the target collection, starting from the end and moving toward the beginning. For each record (except the last), the expression is executed in the context of the current record and passed a parameter which represents the next record in sequence.

• The current record's fields and variables are available directly by name.
• The next record is referenced using the variable specified by the Parameter Name property (default: NextItem).
• The expression can compare values, check for blank fields, or use logical operators to define complex merge conditions.
• If the expression evaluates to true, the two records are merged. Otherwise the records remain separate.

The evaluation continues until all pairs of adjacent records have been processed. This approach ensures that merges are performed in a controlled, predictable order, and that only records meeting the specified condition are combined.

Examples

The following examples illustrate how to configure the Trigger property to control when records are merged:

1. Merge when claim number and patient name match
Claim_No = NextItem.Claim_No AND Patient_Name = NextItem.Patient_Name

2. Merge when the next record is missing a date
NOT NextItem.Service_Date

3. Merge when the current and next line items have the same description
Description = NextItem.Description

4. Merge when both records have the same invoice number and the next amount is zero
Invoice_No = NextItem.Invoice_No AND NextItem.Amount = 0

Impact

• The accuracy of the trigger expression directly affects which records are merged.
• Overly broad expressions may result in unintended merges; overly strict expressions may miss valid merges.

Best Practices

• Test your trigger expression on sample data to ensure correct behavior.
• Reference only the fields necessary for your merge logic.
• Use the code editor for syntax highlighting and validation.

Purpose

The Parameter Name property determines the identifier that represents the next item in the target collection when evaluating the trigger condition for merging records. This allows you to compare fields or values between the current and next records in your expression.

By default, this is set to NextItem, but you may choose any valid, code-friendly name that fits your scenario.

Configuration

• Enter a name to be used as the variable for the next record in the collection.
• This name is referenced in the Trigger property expression to access fields or values from the next record.
• The name must be unique within the context of the expression and should not conflict with other field or variable names.

Impact of Changes

• Changing the Parameter Name requires updating the Trigger expression to use the new variable name.
• If the trigger expression references a name that does not match the Parameter Name, the merge logic will not work as intended.
• Consistent and descriptive naming improves clarity and maintainability of your data rule configuration.

Example

If you set Parameter Name to NextRow, your trigger expression might look like:

Claim_No = NextRow.Claim_No AND Patient_Name = NextRow.Patient_Name

In this example, NextRow refers to the next record in the collection, allowing you to compare its fields to those of the current record.

Best Practices

• Use descriptive, code-friendly names for clarity.
• Ensure the Parameter Name matches exactly in your Trigger expression.
• Test your configuration to verify that the correct records are merged.

• If set, this value will be shown in UIs and logs instead of the default action type name.
• Useful for providing a user-friendly or context-specific label for the action.

Example:
DisplayName = "Normalize Phone Number"

• Use this property to provide additional context, instructions, or documentation for the action.
• The remarks are visible in property grids and can help clarify the intent or configuration of the action.

Example:
Remarks = "This action trims whitespace and converts the value to uppercase."

This property provides a concise description of what the action does.