Bridge User Guide - Advanced Configuration

Bridge
User Guide - Advanced Configuration
Version 2.4.89

Version 2.4.89Bridge User GuideUser Guide - Advanced Configuration

Table of Contents

Introduction

Building Advanced Lookups

Preparing the Data Source Configuration

Preparing the Combo Box Lookup Fields

Lookup Tutorial Final Product

Advanced Lookup Alternate Configurations

Dynamic Grid Lookups

Web Service Lookups

Index

Version 2.4.89Bridge User GuideUser Guide - Advanced Configuration

Introduction

Welcome to the Bridge insurance access portal. The system provides a full workflow, from the administration of products and coverage, to the submission and management of individual policies.

This guide is primarily for design-level users, detailing advanced design features and structures.

/ Note: Access to all data and features in the system are controlled by the user accounts. The type of account you have, and the security rights and roles assigned to it, will affect the following:

The ability to see and use features to view, create, edit, or delete data.
The ability to see and use data created by other users. You should always be able to use data you created yourself, unless your account has been changed to remove access.

Version 2.4.89Bridge User GuideUser Guide - Advanced Configuration

Building Advanced Lookups

The basic purpose of a lookup feature is to access a source of data, and use filters and conditions to retrieve one or more records.

The Data Source Configuration is the center of the lookup feature, defining the source and how the data is organized. Features that need to retrieve the data connect to the Data Source Configuration.

The Data Source Configuration can be set for the following sources:

Data Table / Data is stored within purpose-built tables. Currently this is achieved using the Data Tables feature, which allows data to be uploaded using Excel files, and organized by effective date and culture.
Grid / Data is collected in dynamic grids within the workflow. This may be default data, user-provided data, or calculated values. All data from a single grid becomes available for lookups.
Web Service / This option uses a web service to request data from a system. This may be an internal request to retrieve Bridge data, or may access external systems such as Insurity resources. In the future, this may allow access to public and paid services offered by other companies.

The Data Source Configuration can be accessed through the following methods:

Combo Box Fields / These are specialized drop-down fields that can be included in the user workflow. The user can enter text to search for specific data, which is then displayed in a table that expands down from the field. The user then selects one record.
Selecting a record within a combo box can automatically populate other fields, and can even trigger searches in other combo box fields (known as Cascading).
Calculated Fields / These are fields that contain formulas that can display system information or perform complex calculations using functions and conditional logic.
Using the DataSourceLookup function inside a formula will return the results of the lookup. The function can also be used to populate other fields, and trigger searches in combo box fields.

The next sections provide step-by-step instructions for building an advanced lookup.

Version 2.4.89Bridge User GuideUser Guide - Advanced Configuration

Preparing the Data Source Configuration

Before proceeding, ensure that all necessary resources are in place for the data source configuration. Review the following checklist.

Each data source configuration is created within a specific product configuration. See the section on Product Model in the User Guide - Product Design document for details on managing products.

To create a data table lookup, the data table configuration must be created in advance. See the section on Data Tables in the User Guide - Product Design document for details on managing data tables.

/ Notes: Once the data source configuration has been saved, the associated data table configuration cannot be edited or removed from the data source. Ensure that the data table configuration is correct before creating the data source configuration.
Filters in the data source configuration can only be applied to columns defined as Key Columns in the data table configuration.
The Sorting Column defined in the data table configuration will not be available for use as a Primary Display Column or Key Column in the data source configuration.
When using Culture settings in the Domain / Rate Tables attached to the Data Table, the system must be able to locate the same data across all provided culture versions. To achieve this, the column selected as the Key Column in the Data Source must contain unique entries, and must have the same entries across all related tables.

To create a grid lookup, the grid panel and fields must be created in advance. The grid and associated fields are available for configuration without having to publish the workflow. See the section on Workflow Configurations in the User Guide - Product Design document for details on managing fields and panels.

Any fields to be used as filters or output fields should be created in advance so they can be selected in the configuration. However, filter and output fields can also be added after the initial configuration. Fields are available without having to publish the workflow.

/ Example: For the purpose of this tutorial, we will be using a Data Table with the following data and settings.
The ID column contains unique identifier numbers for the people in the list, while all other columns include duplicate values.
ID and Last Name are set as the Key Columns, and no Sorting Column has been selected.

Proceed with the data source configuration. In the Product Design menu, select Product Model. The Products list opens.

Select the product under which the data source is to be created. The Product Management page opens.

In the Product Menu widget, select Data Source Configurations. The Data Source Configurations list opens.

Click Add. The Data Source Configuration Management page opens.

Complete the necessary information. Fields marked with a red asterisk * are required.

Name / Enter the name of the configuration. This is the name that will be displayed when selecting the configuration in the Combo Box field setup.
Code / A unique identifier code can be provided, or one will be generated on saving the configuration. This code will be used to identify the configuration for functions.
Description / A description can be entered to provide more information on this configuration. This is only displayed on this page.
Data Source Type / Select Data Table, Grid, or Web Service. The Data Source field becomes available.
Data Source / Select the appropriate source. The available options will depend on the Data Source Type.

Data Table

/ Lists Data Table Configurations for the current Product.

Grid

/ Lists all Grid and Premium Grid panel configurations in the system.

Web Service

/ The available web services are defined in the system.
Address Lookup: Verifies that an address is valid, and provides additional information about that address.
Auto Class Code Lookup: Used to search for a vehicle class code based on search filters.
City File - Auto Information Lookup: Used to search for vehicle information that may affect the risks involved with a policy.
City File - Location Information Lookup: Used to search for information on a city or community.
City File - Property Information Lookup: Used to search for information on a specific property.
Commercial Lines Manual - Foot Note Lookup: Used in conjunction with the Commercial Manual Lines - Search web service to retrieve foot note details associated to a specific class code.
Commercial Lines Manual - Search: Used to search for information on a specific class code.

Verify that the settings are correct. Once the data source is saved, the Data Source Type and Data Source fields cannot be changed.

Click Save to save the data source configuration. Additional configuration options become available.

The Attributes panel is expanded with new fields.

Primary Display Column / Select a column from the data source. When a record is selected, the value in this column will be displayed in the lookup field. It is recommended to select a column with data that is recognizable to the user.
Key Column Rule / This field is only available for Data Table and Web Service sources. The key column is the value that is stored in the database when a record is selected and the screen is saved. When referencing the lookup field in triggers or calculated fields, this is the value that will be provided.
Note: For Grid sources, a key column cannot be selected. Instead, the value stored for the lookup field is a long alphanumeric code assigned by the system. Due to the random nature of the code, it is unlikely that this could be used in any meaningful way.
The values in this column must be unique, as they specifically identify individual records.

Key Column is Primary Display Column

/ The same column selected as the Primary Display Column will be used as the key column.

Specify Alternate Key Column

/ A different column can be selected as the key column. The Key Column field becomes available.
Key Column / This field is available when Specify Alternate Key Column is selected as the Key Column Rule. Select a column to serve as the key column.
/ Example: Our tutorial example now has the following settings.
First Name has been selected as the Primary Display Column. While it is not a unique value, it is meaningful to the user and clearly indicates the purpose of the field. On selecting "John Smith", the lookup field appears as follows:
Since First Name does not contain unique values, it should not be used as the Key Column. So, Specify Alternate Key Column has been selected, and the ID field has been chosen as the Key Column. The field displayed below is a calculated field that simply displays the saved value of the lookup field.

In some cases, the data source may have far more information than what is required for a particular lookup. Filters can be applied to control what data is presented to the user.

Under the Filters list, click Add. The Add Filter window opens.

Column / This field is labeled Grid Field for grid sources. Select the column on which to apply the filter.
For data tables, only columns defined as Key Columns in the Data Table configuration are available.
For grids, all supported field types are available.
For web services, only columns defined as Filters in the Web Service are available. See the section Web Service List for Data Sources in the User Guide - Product Design document.
Filter By / Select the source of the filter value.

Field

/ The data can be filtered by a field in the workflow. The Field field becomes available.

Constant Value

/ The data is filtered by a value provided here in the configuration. The Constant Value field becomes available.
Field / This field is available when Field is selected as the Filter By option. Select the field to provide the filter value. This can be a user-entered field or a calculated value.
/ Notes:
If the lookup will be used with a combo box, the field must be on the same screen as the associated combo box. However, you can use a calculated field on the same screen that refers to a field on another screen.
Date Picker, Rich Text, and Textbox (Email) fields are not available.
Selection fields that use option lists store the Code of the selected option. To use these field types, the selected Column must contain these codes.
Constant Value / This field is available when Constant Value is selected as the Filter By option. Enter the value to be used in filtering the column. This is commonly used when only certain data from the source will be required.

Click Save & New to save the filter and clear the form to enter a new filter, or click Save & Close to save the filter and close the window.

/ Notes:
All filters applied to the same column, including fields that can have multiple options selected, will be handled as "Or" conditions. This means that if data matches any one of the conditions, it will pass the filters.
If more than one column in the table has filters, then the columns will be handled as "And" conditions. This means that each record must pass at least one filter on each column, or the record will not be included.
Whether a filter is based on a constant value or a field, the data must match the condition exactly in order to pass the filter.
Any numerical fields should be formatted as text. Any extra characters, such as thousands separators or currency symbols, might not match the regional formatting of the user's browser, preventing a match.
If a field used as a filter is changed, the combo box will be cleared. If multiple combo boxes are chained together, each serving as a filter for the next, changing one field will clear all dependent fields. If a combo box is cleared, any output fields that are in read-only mode will also be cleared. Output fields that are editable will not be cleared in case the user has changed the content.
/ Example: Our tutorial example now has the following filter settings.
The Filter Field in the workflow will allow the user to enter a last name. The Last Name column will be filtered to only show records with the provided last name. With the First Name column selected as the Primary Display Column, this creates the context for the user.
The two examples below show the lookup results with no value in the filter field, and with the name "Smith" in the filter field. Note that the filter is not case-sensitive.

The Display Columns panel is used to define which source columns will be displayed in the combo box dropdown list.

Under the Display Columns list, click Add. The Add Display Column window opens.

Column / This field is labeled Grid Field for grid sources. Select a column to be displayed.
Label / The name of the selected column is automatically entered as the label, but can be modified.
Sequence / Enter a sequence number to control the order of the columns.
Searchable / When a search is performed, this column will be included in the search and any matching records will be displayed.

Click Save & New to save the column and clear the form to enter a new column, or click Save & Close to save the column and close the window.

/ Example: Our tutorial example now has the following display columns.
The ID and Gender columns are not necessary for the display, the Birthdate column does not need to be searched, and the label of the Birthdate column has been adjusted. The sequence numbers are set at intervals of 10, allowing additional columns to be inserted without having to adjust all other columns.
The field to filter on the last name will be optional, so the Last Name column has been set to Searchable as well as the First Name.
In the example below, we see the three selected columns with their labels, in the selected sequence. By entering "mi" in the lookup field, the lookup displays all records that contain those characters in the First Name or Last Name columns. As with filters, the lookup is not case-sensitive.

When a selection is made in a combo box, the values of one or more columns can be output to specific fields in the workflow.

Under the Output To Fields list, click Add. The Add Output to Field window opens.

Column / This field is labeled Grid Field for grid sources. Select a column to be output. Columns that are not displayed in the lookup can still be output to fields.
Output Field / Select the field to receive the value. The receiving field must be in the same screen as the source combo box field. One column can be output to multiple fields, but an output field can only receive data from one column.

Click Save & New to save the output and clear the form to enter a new output, or click Save & Close to save the output and close the window.

/ Notes:
HTML content cannot be output to any fields.
The following field types are not supported: Checkbox Group, Date Picker, Include Exclude List, Multi Select, and Rich Text.
The following control types are supported and can be hidden or read-only: Combo Box, Label, Text Area, Textbox, Textbox (Decimal), Textbox (Email), and Textbox (Integer).
The following control types are supported, but will not be updated if they are hidden or read-only: Checkbox, Drop Down, and Radio Buttons.
When using Checkbox, Drop Down, or Radio Buttons as the output, the data table must have the Codes for the individual options list items, and not the Labels.
/ Example: Our tutorial example now has the following output columns.
All columns will be output to a set of fields. In this example, all output fields are simple Textbox fields intended to display the data. When outputting data to fields of specific data types, ensure that the field type is a match to the source data or otherwise compatible.
In the examples below, we see the lookup field and output fields before and after making a selection.

The Data Source Configuration is now complete. Click Save at the bottom of the page to save the full configuration.

The data source can now be selected when configuring a combo box field. See the next section for the workflow component of advanced lookups.