ION API Flows - How to extract Output

Hi,

Initially, in API flows, we can use JSON path to extract output to a parameter, now I don't see that option, also there is a new component called JQ Transform is introduced.

What is the use of JQ Transform does this component use to extract the output?

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Accepted answers

Legacy Contributor

Hello Sudhakaran,

To refer to the particular field from a JSON response later in the flow, one can use: ${JSON BODY variable}.<JSON path> Please refer: https://docs.infor.com/ion/2021.x/en-us/iondeskceug_cloud_osm/default.html?helpcontent=lic1586245178251.html
JQ transform is an advance, open source scripting language specially designed for JSON payloads where you can transform/ extract data using filters (pretty much like a SQL but for JSONs). Official website is this: https://stedolan.github.io/jq/manual/#Basicfilters but you can google "JQ transform tutorial" and you will get enough references in the internet. The JQ Transform step in the API flow allows you to construct your own JQ expression and use it in the flow. This feature was originally only part of Infor OS Professional and Enterprise license editions. But since 2022.04 release, This is made available for all Infor OS customers on popular demand!

Hope this helps.

All comments

Legacy Contributor

Hello Sudhakaran,

To refer to the particular field from a JSON response later in the flow, one can use: ${JSON BODY variable}.<JSON path> Please refer: https://docs.infor.com/ion/2021.x/en-us/iondeskceug_cloud_osm/default.html?helpcontent=lic1586245178251.html
JQ transform is an advance, open source scripting language specially designed for JSON payloads where you can transform/ extract data using filters (pretty much like a SQL but for JSONs). Official website is this: https://stedolan.github.io/jq/manual/#Basicfilters but you can google "JQ transform tutorial" and you will get enough references in the internet. The JQ Transform step in the API flow allows you to construct your own JQ expression and use it in the flow. This feature was originally only part of Infor OS Professional and Enterprise license editions. But since 2022.04 release, This is made available for all Infor OS customers on popular demand!

Hope this helps.

gsingh

Hi Vignesh, I am working on this but the document is not that clear for me unfortunately and I am getting errors (like "please enter a vaue with less than 4000 characters" when trying to test a 2nd api) . Is there an example of the parameters for the overal flow and api step for input / output and response please for input and flow parameters and json path as that will help. Thanks for any help.

Legacy Contributor

Hi Vignesh,

I Used an M3 API OIS100MI which returns a JSON response, but in the output parameters, there is no option given to extract the <JSON Path>.

I referred to the ION API flow video on Youtube, and the JSON path in the Output Parameter section.

ION API Flows - YouTube

Legacy Contributor

Hi Sudhakaran:

The description of the YouTube video states this:

Since the recording of the video an important screen for defining the API Flow was changed. This was noted in the following KB article: https://support.infor.com/esknowbase/... - Page 10 - // Note: The path field to define path expression for the output parameters of API step will be removed in the next release. Do not use it.// There is no migration concern nor loss of functionality. 1. We ensured that, if anyone had any live flows designed per old UI, that will continue to work in runtime. 2. To refer to the particular field from a JSON response later in the flow, one can use: ${JSON BODY variable}.{JSON path} We documented this in: https://docs.infor.com/ion/2021.x/en-...

The confusion is that, before April 2020 (when the product was in beta phase, this option was available. But there were issues with the open source JSON path validator we used at that time and a recalibration was required to change the output handling from selecting independent fields to extract it via an expression. So, now you need to manually specify the JSON path of the value you want to retrieve from the BODY variable. The YT video was made during the beta phase and hence we added the clarification to the video description as soon as this change was made (appx 2 years ago already)

Legacy Contributor

Hello Gurmaj:

1. I know that some Workflow APIs have a max limit of 4000 characters (because of an underlying dependency of assigning a workflow parameter to a field in BOD and those fields have a limit of 4K characters defined in the schema). But API flow processor in itself doesn't have any such limitations. Best approach for the 4K errors you face is to create an Infor Support Incident with full details and the flow export that you modelled.

2. Knowledge of JSON standards and how to deal with path expressions is a prerequisite here. The link I shared explains the approach and has a sample content. If you are looking for examples specific to your situation, it may be difficult to cover a wider spectrum. I think, you may also find more examples in earlier posts of this forum.

gsingh

Hi Vignesh,

Thanks . I have looked through quite a few of the community threads and I am used to working with workflows and using the jsonpath syntax there. For api flows and without being able to specify this path at the api step (as you have said it is deprecated) then I am not sure where to specify it correctly. Is it in the api flow request page or in the response. I can get a response for entire flow as below but I am not sure where to specify the path and test correctly at each step. The documentation says "The flow parameters can be data types such as string or integer, and JSON object." but I cannot see a data type of json object as I was expecting to then see a path column / option to become available ?

should the request parameters be type Header or Query ?

for the api step I am using a single body field called "body" which returns the whole record in the output rather than just the element I need. I think this is causing the 4000 character error on the 2nd api which contains larger output.

We have had some success returning the value correctly by using a JQTransform activity but I guess that is not mandatory if we just want to chain some api's without any transformation ?

Hope you can clarify a bit further. Thanks.

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