Use Site Properties to Configure Behaviors at Runtime
Site Properties are global variables that have constant values. They are typically used to implement configuration values for the application - such as a maximum value for an application parameter - since they can be set at runtime for each environment with no need to republish the application.
You can set a Site Property to a default value on its creation. At runtime, someone with privileges can change the Site Property value for a specific environment through the environment management console (Service Center).
Create and use a Site Property
Site Properties exist in the server-side of the application. To create and use a Site Property:
-
In the Data tab, right-click on the Site Properties folder and add a site property.
-
Define the name, data type and default value of the newly created Site Property.
-
Use the Site Property in your server-side code by referring to it as
Site.<SitePropertyName>.
If you want to use the value of a Site Property in the client-side logic of a mobile application, you must add a Server Action to get the Site Property value and use that Server Action in your client-side logic.
Change the value of a Site Property in Service Center
- Open the Service Center in your environment (
http://<environment>/ServiceCenter) and login with your credentials. - In the Factory tab, select Applications and filter by the name of your application.
- Select the module in which the Site Properties are stored.
- Click on the Site Properties tab and select the Site Property whose value you want to change.
- Change the Effective Value of the Site Property and click Apply.
Usage
This section explains how to use a Site Property, using an example of an aggregate called GetMovies to retrieve records about movies from a Movie Entity, with the default maximum records of 50.
Follow the steps below.
- On the Data tab, right-click Site Property.
- Select Add Site Property.
- On the Name property, enter
MaxRecords. - On the DataType property, enter
Integer. - On the Default Value property, enter
10. - Select the GetMovies Aggregate and set the Max. Records property value to
Site.MaxRecords. - Click the 1-Publish button to publish your app, and open it on your web browser.
- Open a screen that uses the GetMovies Aggregate.
- Click on the Module Management icon at the top-left side to open Service Center.
- Click on Factory and then Modules, and select the module on which you applied the Site Property.
- Go to Site Properties and check that it lists the MaxRecords Site Property.
- Change the MaxRecords value and refresh the page.
- The MaxRecords displayed must adopt the new value.