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Paylocity Query activity

Introduction

A Paylocity Query activity, using its connection, retrieves an object from Paylocity and is intended to be used as a source to provide data in an operation.

Create a Paylocity Query activity

An instance of a Paylocity Query activity is created from a Paylocity connection using its Query activity type.

To create an instance of an activity, drag the activity type to the design canvas or copy the activity type and paste it on the design canvas. For details, see Create an activity instance in Component reuse.

An existing Paylocity Query activity can be edited from these locations:

Configure a Paylocity Query activity

Follow these steps to configure a Paylocity Query activity:

Step 1: Enter a name and select an object

In this step, provide a name for the activity and select an object. Each user interface element of this step is described below.

  • Name: Enter a name to identify the activity. The name must be unique for each Paylocity Query activity and must not contain forward slashes / or colons :.

  • Select an Object: This section displays objects available in the endpoint.

    • Selected Paylocity Object: After an object is selected, it is listed here.

    • Search: Enter any column's value into the search box to filter the list of objects. The search is not case-sensitive. If objects are already displayed within the table, the table results are filtered in real time with each keystroke. To reload objects from the endpoint when searching, enter search criteria and then refresh, as described below.

    • Refresh: Click the refresh icon or the word Refresh to reload objects from the endpoint. This may be useful if objects have been added to Paylocity. This action refreshes all metadata used to build the table of objects displayed in the configuration.

    • Selecting an Object: Within the table, click anywhere on a row to select an object. Only one object can be selected. The information available for each object is fetched from the Paylocity endpoint:

      • Name: The object name from the endpoint.

      • Type: The object type from the endpoint.

      • Description: The object description from the endpoint.

    Tip

    If the table does not populate with available objects, the connection may not be successful. Ensure you are connected by reopening the connection and retesting the credentials.

  • Save & Exit: If enabled, click to save the configuration for this step and close the activity configuration.

  • Next: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and continue to the next step. The configuration will not be saved until you click the Finished button on the last step.

  • Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Step 2: Build your query

In this step, set conditions on a query using the object fields and apply paging to a query. Each user interface element of this step is described below.

Tip

Fields with a variable icon support using global variables, project variables, and Jitterbit variables. Begin either by typing an open square bracket [ into the field or by clicking the variable icon to display a list of the existing variables to choose from.

  • Search: Enter any part of a field name into the search box to filter the list of fields for the selected object. The search is not case-sensitive. The listed results are filtered in real time with each keystroke.

  • Refresh: Click the refresh icon or the word Refresh to reload fields of the object from the Paylocity endpoint.

  • Select All: When using the search box to filter, you can use this checkbox to select all visible fields at once.

  • Select Fields: Select the checkboxes of the fields you want included in the query to have them automatically added to the SELECT statement in the Query String. You can also Select All of the fields at once using the checkbox.

  • Paging: To add a paging clause (a limit on the number of records with an optional record offset), you can use the dropdown to set the paging limit and the field to enter an offset. If an offset is not specified, it defaults to 0. A single paging clause is supported. If paging clause is not included, all records are returned.

    • Apply: Click to automatically construct the clause based on the dropdown selections and entered value. The automatically constructed paging clause appears in the Query String text box.

    • Remove: Click to remove a paging clause that has been applied.

  • Conditions: To add conditional clauses, use the fields below as input to help construct the clauses, which then appear in the Query String text box.

    • Object: Field: Use the dropdown to select a field from the selected object.

    • Operator: Use the dropdown to select an operator that is appropriate for the field data type:

      Operator Label Description
      = Equals
      != Not equals
      LIKE 'string' Like Like string
      LIKE 'string%' Starts with Starts with string
      LIKE '%string' Ends with Ends with string
      LIKE '%string%' Contains Contains string
      < Less than
      <= Less or equal
      > Greater than
      >= Greater or equal

    • Value: Enter the desired value to use with the dropdown selections.

      Tip

      When using global variables in the conditions of a WHERE clause, it is recommended to specify a default value so that script testing is possible. Otherwise, since global variables obtain their value at runtime, the syntax may be invalidated during testing or no data may be returned if no default value is specified.

    • Add: Click to automatically construct the clause based on the dropdown selections and entered value. The conditional clause is added to the Query String text box.

    • Remove All: Click to remove all entered conditional clauses.

  • Query String: As you select fields, specify conditions, and set paging, the query statement in this text box is autopopulated with the selected fields, conditions, and paging limits.

  • Test Query: Click to validate the query. If the query is valid, a sample of up to 10 records retrieved from the query is displayed in a table. If the query is not valid, relevant error messages are displayed.

  • Back: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and return to the previous step.

  • Next: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and continue to the next step. The configuration will not be saved until you click the Finished button on the last step.

  • Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Step 3: Review the data schemas

The response schema is displayed. Each user interface element of this step is described below.

  • Data Schemas: These data schemas are inherited by adjacent transformations and are displayed again during transformation mapping.

    Refer to the endpoint documentation for information on the schema nodes and fields.

  • Refresh: Click the refresh icon or the word Refresh to regenerate schemas from the Paylocity endpoint. This action also regenerates a schema in other locations throughout the project where the same schema is referenced, such as in an adjacent transformation.

  • Back: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and return to the previous step.

  • Finished: Click to save the configuration for all steps and close the activity configuration.

  • Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Next steps

After configuring a Paylocity Query activity, complete the configuration of the operation by adding and configuring other activities, transformations, or scripts as operation steps. You can also configure the operation settings, which include the ability to chain operations together that are in the same or different workflows.

Menu actions for an activity are accessible from the project pane and the design canvas. For details, see Activity actions menu in Connector basics.

Query activities can be used as a source with these operation patterns:

To use the activity with scripting functions, write the data to a temporary location and then use that temporary location in the scripting function.

When ready, deploy and run the operation and validate behavior by checking the operation logs.