Skip to main content

FlowOn API Studio

Introduction​

FlowOn API Studio is the environment offered by the FlowOn API platform, designed to allow functional consultants to develop and design REST endpoints within Dynamics 365 environments. The studio provides a structured interface that simplifies the process of API creation and management, seamlessly integrating with Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (D365 CE). The API studio consists of three main sections: Context, Option Sets, and Modules.

FlowOn API Version Figure 1: FlowOn API Version

After an API project is created, the studio opens in draft mode, allowing the citizen developer to configure and customize the API endpoints. Once all customizations are complete, they can choose to publish either a minor or major version of the API. For future development, the next draft can be built based on a baseline from any published version, ensuring a smooth versioning process.

Context​

The Context section is where user properties and roles are defined, ensuring the proper scoping and accessibility of the designed endpoints. This section plays a crucial role in configuring who can interact with the endpoints.

FlowOn API Studio - Context Figure 2: FlowOn API Studio - Context

Key Features:

  1. User Properties: Defines the attributes that will be returned from the logged-in user, such as contact id, email, or other relevant user details.
  2. Roles: Assigns specific roles to ensure that only authorized users or user groups have access to certain endpoints.

Option Sets​

The Option Sets section allows the exposure of global option sets from Dynamics 365. These sets are predefined lists, such as statuses, user types or categories, used system-wide.

FlowOn API Studio - OptionSets Figure 2: FlowOn API Studio - OptionSets

Key Features:

  1. Global Option Sets Exposure: Makes standard Dynamics 365 option sets available for use across API modules, where they will be exposed as endpoints to power the external portals / apps.

  2. Streamlined Configuration: Global option sets are pulled directly from Dynamics 365, avoiding the need for manual data entry or duplication.

Modules​

The Modules section is the core workspace of FlowOn API Studio, where consultants can create multiple API modules. Each module can contain one or more entities, which represent the core objects that the API interacts with in Dynamics 365. This section allows consultants to define the structure and behavior of the API, including CRUD actions, local and global queries, and process actions.

FlowOn API Studio - Modules Figure 2: FlowOn API Studio - Modules

Module Structure:​

  1. Entities: Each module can contain multiple entities (e.g., "Case," "Account"), and each entity represents a specific object from Dynamics 365. These entities are where the main operations take place.

  • CRUD Actions: Standard Create, Read, Update, and Delete operations are available for each entity, allowing full management of the entity's data.

  • Local Option Sets: These are optionsets that exist only within the context of a specific entity. Local option sets provide entity-specific choices and lists of values, allowing for custom field values that differ from global optionsets.

  • Download Action: This action allows the design of file download actions related to a specific entity, such as downloading case details or account records in various formats.

  • Upload Action: This action enables the design of file upload actions on a specific entity, such as adding documents to a case or attaching files to an account.

  • Local Process Actions: These are entity-specific processes that can be executed based on conditions or workflows defined within the entity. Local process actions provide flexibility to automate tasks that only apply to that entity's data.

  1. Module-Level Actions:

  • Global Queries: These are queries that can span across multiple entities, retrieving data based on specific parameters. Global queries are not limited to entities within the same module; they can work with any entity in the Dynamics 365 system. This flexibility allows users to design complex queries that pull relevant data from multiple sources, offering more comprehensive insights.

  • Global Process Actions: Similar to global queries, global process actions allow workflows or processes to be executed across multiple entities. These actions can be applied across different entities, not necessarily from the same module. This feature enables the automation of cross-entity tasks, such as sending notifications when certain conditions are met, or updating related records across modules.

Conclusion​

FlowOn API Studio is a powerful tool within the FlowOn API platform, providing functional consultants with the ability to design and manage REST endpoints seamlessly integrated into Dynamics 365. Through its structured sections—Context, Option Sets, and Modules—the studio offers a flexible and intuitive interface for defining user properties, exposing global option sets, and building comprehensive API modules with entities that support key actions like CRUD operations, local optionsets, file uploads/downloads, and process automation. The studio’s ability to manage versioning with draft, minor, and major versions ensures that the API development lifecycle remains organized and adaptable. By enabling the creation of robust APIs without complex coding, FlowOn API Studio empowers organizations to rapidly implement and maintain scalable solutions that drive business processes and enhance data-driven decisions.