Module Types

With Alaya Connector, users can use five different types of modules which are Actions, Searches, Triggers, Aggregators and Iterators.  Aggregators and Iterators are primarily used for advanced scenarios.

• Actions
• Update
• Searches
• Triggers
• Aggregators
• Iterators

Actions

Actions is the most common type of module available within Alaya Connector.

• A typical action module is usually associated to one single bundle, which is then passed on to the next module for processing.
• Action modules can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a scenario.
• Scenarios can contain an unlimited number of action modules.

Watch this short video on how to add an action module to your environment.

Examples:

• Dropbox > Upload a file allows users to send a file to a selected Dropbox folder and returns its identifier.
• Image > Resize receives an image, resizes it to specified dimensions, and sends the resized image on to the next action.
• Google Analytics > Create allows users to create a report with data about web traffic and passes it on for further processing.

Update

This Action type can be categorized into four sub-types: Create, Read, Update and Delete. For example, the Update sub-type can enable the following three operations:

• Erase the content of a field: this takes place when the content of the field is evaluated to erase a keyword. Note that it is not be confused with emptying a keyword field.
• Leave the content of a field unchanged: this takes place when the field is left empty or the content of the field is evaluated to empty (represented as null within JSON).
• Replace the content of a field: this operation takes place everywhere else except when the above two operations take place.

More instructional articles pertaining to this sub-type will soon be available.

Searches

A search is a typical search module offering the following:

• When the module returns zero, one, or more bundles, the bundles will then be passed on to the next module for processing.
• Search modules can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a scenario.
• Scenarios can contain an unlimited number of search modules.

Examples:

• Users using the "Monday" app can list all of their account's pulses within all boards. 

Triggers

This module generates bundles when there has been a change in a given service. The change can be a creation of a new record(s), deletion of a record(s), update of a record(s), etc. There are two types of triggers: Polling triggers and Instant triggers.

• Every trigger can return zero, one, or more bundles, which are then passed on to the next module for processing.
• Triggers can be placed only at the beginning of a scenario.
• Each scenario can contain only one trigger.

Polling triggers

Polling triggers are designed to regularly poll a given service when there has been a change since their previous run. Users will typically schedule a scenario containing a polling trigger module to run periodically. When and if there is a change, the trigger will return bundles containing information about the change. If there is no change, the trigger will not output any bundle.

Polling triggers allow users to select the first bundle to output via the epoch panel, a component which is displayed automatically after the user saves a trigger, or when substantial changes in the trigger settings are made. You can also display the panel by right-clicking the module and choosing "Choose where to start" from the context menu.

Please note that settings made in the epoch panel affect only the first execution of the module. Once the module is executed, it will memorize the last outputted bundle. All settings made via epoch panel will be voided.

Examples:

• Users using the Twitter app can tweak settings in "Watch Tweets", which would return new Tweets posted by the user since the last time the scenario was run

Instant triggers

Instant triggers prompt the service to notify the user about changes as soon as they occur. Users will typically wish to schedule a scenario containing an instant trigger to run immediately by selecting the Immediately option from the Schedule setting panel.

Examples:

• Users on the PayPal app can return new payment notifications.

Aggregators

This is a type of module that accumulates multiple bundles into one single bundle.

• Every aggregator returns only one bundle which is then passed on to the next module for further processing.
• Aggregators can be placed only in the middle of a scenario.
• Scenarios can contain an unlimited number of aggregators.

Examples:

• Users on compress several files into a zip archive by tweaking the settings in Archive > Create an archive 

Iterators

This is a type of module that splits arrays into multiple separate bundles.

• Every iterator returns one or more bundles which are then passed on to the next module for processing.
• Iterators can be placed only in the middle of a scenario.
• Scenarios can contain an unlimited number of iterators.

Examples:

• Users connecting their email inbox to Alaya Connector can use this module to break an array of attachments in an incoming email into separate bundles