Data Set Actions

Liferay DXP 2024.Q1+/Portal GA112+

Important

Currently, this feature is behind a release feature flag (LPS-164563).

While managing data set, define actions to be used in the data set fragment. There are two types of actions: item and creation.

Use Item Actions to perform actions on items in the data set.

Use Creation Actions to add new data.

Begin by adding an action to the data set and configure it as an item or creation action.

Adding Actions to the Data Set

1. Open the Global Menu (), select the Control Panel tab, and click Data Sets under Object.

2. Choose the Name of the data set you want to access.

   Alternatively, click Actions () next to the data set entry and select Edit.

3. Select the Actions tab, open the Item Actions or the Creation Actions tab, and click Add ().

   A page appears where you must configure your action before creating it.

Under the Display Options section, you can find general settings common to all actions.

1. Fill in the Label and, optionally, localize it.

2. (Optional) Choose an icon to show in your Data Set fragment.

   Choose from a list of out-of-the-box icons or type in the name of an icon registered through an SVG sprite map client extension. The custom icon requires configuring the client extension.

   Tip

   When an item has a single action, its label appears as text inside a button component if no icon is selected. If multiple actions exist, an action menu icon () appears, revealing available actions on click.

   

Under the Action Behavior section, select the action type. You can find specific configurations for each action you choose. See Configuring Item and Creation Actions to learn more about each action type.

Once the action is configured, click Save.

Configuring Item and Creation Actions

Liferay DXP 2024.Q2+/Portal GA120+

You can further customize your data set with item and creation actions.

With item actions, set actions (e.g., delete, edit, or display the details of items) users can perform for each of the data set items.

There are five item action types: Async, Headless, Link, Modal, and Side Panel

With creation actions, create new items for the data set. You can direct users to a URL where the new entry is created and choose whether to open the link directly or in a modal or side panel.

There are three creation action types: Link, Modal, and Side Panel.

For hands-on examples of how to implement these actions, read Using Data Set Actions.

Before creating actions for your data set, review the General Observations section for additional guidance.

General Observations

• API Information: Access action keys and endpoint details through the API Explorer.

• Confirmation Messages: These are only available for item actions.

• Permissions: When an action is associated with a headless endpoint, the user must have the necessary permissions to use the endpoint (e.g. to edit the document). The information returned by the endpoint may vary depending on the user’s permissions.

• URL Interpolation: Use interpolated parameters in URLs to send information dynamically to the API. Enclose parameterized values in curly braces {}.

  For example, replace static values like (...)externalReferenceCode=9ad3e87f-0a7b-4624(...) with externalReferenceCode={externalReferenceCode} so the value is retrieved dynamically based on the item.

• URL Best Practices: Use relative URLs and try to make them as universal as possible.

  Avoid including the hostname/port in the action URL.

  Avoid specifying site names whenever possible.

  Do not use p_p_auth values in URLs, as they are session-specific and are not valid in different contexts.

Asynchronous Action

Asynchronous actions operate behind the scenes, allowing complex or time-consuming operations to be carried out in the background while users continue interacting with the application.

To create an asynchronous action,

1. Under Action Behavior, select Async as the Type.

2. Specify the URL for the REST endpoint where the selected method is implemented and select the Method: Delete, Get, Patch, Post, or Put.

3. Liferay DXP 2024.Q4+/Portal GA129+ Enter the Request Body if it applies to your chosen method. Enter all required values for your chosen endpoint (for a Patch method, only the fields you’re changing).

   The request body must be valid JSON. No input is interpreted as {}.

4. (Optional) Enter a Headless Action Key to link an action to a headless endpoint and verify if users have the required permissions for the chosen action method. Ensure the key matches with the selected method.

   Important

   If no key is defined, the action still works, but becomes visible to all users, as there are no validations or restrictions in place.

5. (Optional) Set Confirmation and Status Messages for your async action.

Once configured, use the async action to invoke and execute the selected method.

This example async action configuration deactivates a user with a background process via a Patch method:

Headless Action

Headless actions are controlled via a Headless Action Key, which determines the specific permissions and functionalities that can be executed through the API. For example, a headless action with the key delete would allow an API to carry out a deletion operation on a specific resource.

To create a headless action,

1. Under Action Behavior, select Headless as the Type.

2. Liferay DXP 2024.Q4+/Portal GA129+ Enter the Request Body if it applies to your chosen method. Enter all required values for your chosen endpoint (for a Patch method, only the fields you’re changing).

   The request body must be valid JSON. No input is interpreted as {}.

3. Enter a Headless Action Key to associate the action with a headless endpoint.

4. (Optional) Set Confirmation and Status Messages for your headless action.

Once configured, use the headless action to initiate and manage the associated API call

This example headless action configuration deactivates a user via a Patch method:

Link Action

Link actions direct users to a specified URL. They can be used both as item actions, which facilitate operations such as deleting, modifying, or viewing details of data set items, and as creation actions to add new items to the data set.

The primary distinction is the specific purpose of the URL and whether you can set a confirmation message, which is only available for item actions.

To create a link action,

1. Under Action Behavior, select Link as the Type.

2. Specify the URL.

Note

When you set a URL in a link action, the Data Set component automatically adds redirect and backURL parameters, with the backURL parameter set to the URL of the Data Set’s page. If you can’t navigate back to the Data Set from the destination page, ensure that the destination page handles the parameters correctly.

1. (Optional) Enter a Headless Action Key. With the action key, administrators can connect an action to a headless endpoint (e.g. GET, POST, and DELETE).

2. (Optional) If you are using the Link action as an item type, you can set a Confirmation Message for it.

Once configured, users are directed to the designated URL upon clicking the action button or icon.

Modal Action

Modal actions send users to a specified URL that is rendered in a modal. You can use modal actions as item or creation actions, but remember that only item actions include confirmation messages.

Important

When using a Modal action, make sure the destination URL works well inside a modal.

To create a modal action,

1. Under Action Behavior, select Modal as the Type.

2. Select a Variant for your modal: Full Screen, Large, or Small.

3. Enter a Title for your modal..

4. Specify the URL.

5. (Optional) Enter a Headless Action Key. With the action key, administrators can connect an action to a headless endpoint (e.g. GET, POST, and DELETE).

6. (Optional) If you are using the Modal action as an item type, you can set a Confirmation Message for it.

Once configured, users are directed to the chosen URL rendered in a modal when they click the action button or icon.

Side Panel Action

Side Panel actions send users to a specified URL that is rendered in a side panel. You can use side panel actions as item or creation actions, but remember that only item actions include confirmation messages.

Important

When using a Side Panel action, make sure the destination URL works well inside a side panel.

To create a side panel action,

1. Under the Action Behavior section, select Side Panel as the Type.

2. Enter a Title for your side panel.

3. Specify the URL to which the user should be taken.

4. (Optional) Enter a Headless Action Key. With the action key, administrators can connect an action to a headless endpoint (e.g. GET, POST, and DELETE).

5. (Optional) If you are using the Side Panel action as an item type, you can set a Confirmation Message for it.

Once configured, users are directed to the chosen URL rendered in a side panel when they click the action button or icon.

Setting Confirmation and Status Messages

You can display confirmation or success/failure messages before executing an action.

Tip

Both fields are optional. If the confirmation message is empty, no message appears, and the action is performed immediately. Similarly, if the status message is left empty, a generic success or error message appears.

To create confirmation messages for item actions,

1. Follow the steps to create a data set Item Action.

2. Under Action Behavior, enter a Confirmation Message.

3. Choose the Message Type: Warning, Info, Secondary, Success, and Danger.

To create status messages for async and headless actions,

1. Follow the steps to create a data set Item Action.

2. Select Async or Headless as the type.

3. Under Status Messages, select the Success tab and enter a success message.

4. Select the Error tab and enter an error message.

Tip

Confirmation and status messages can be localized. Read Editing and Localizing Labels to learn more.

Activating and Deactivating Data Set Actions

Liferay 2025.Q2+

You can also activate or deactivate the actions you defined via the buttons in the Status column. When an action is inactive, it no longer appears for users until you reactivate it.

Deactivate data set actions instead of deleting them so you can reactivate them again later if needed.

Using Titles with Modal and Side Panel Actions

Liferay DXP 2024.Q3+/Portal GA125+

Side Panel and Modal actions open on top of the current page, so users can interact with the content without navigating away. When you add a Title field to these actions, a bar with the title and a close button appears at the top of the component. Users can close the modal/side panel and return to the original page.

If the Side Panel or Modal action points to a URL that already includes a title, adding one in the action configuration is unnecessary. The existing title from the target URL appears along with a close button. Adding another title in the action configuration results in two overlapping bars.

If neither the action nor the URL includes a title, nothing appears.

Related Topics

• Managing Data Sets
• Creating Data Sets
• Using Data Set Actions