Connect

Connect is a feature of Hub which allows Web APIs A Web API is an application programming interface (API) for either a web server or a web browser, and consists of publicly exposed endpoints to a defined request-response message system, typically expressed in JSON or XML by means of an HTTP-based web server. to be imported and operations An operation is a unit of a REST API which can be called and which comprises of an HTTP verb and a URL path. associated with those Web APIs to be configured so that they can be included as individual Datasources within your eForms. A Web API's operations are referred to as 'Connectors' within NDL products, and it is these Connectors which allow requests An HTTP 'Request' is sent from a client to a host located on a server in order to receive the resource that it needs to build content. for data to be retrieved from remote resources to be sent.

The ability to use Web APIs within your Form is currently in preview. For more information, please contact your System Administrator or view the Connect section within the separate Hub Online Help.

Before you can use a Connector, the OpenAPI definition A file used to interpret and interact with a Web API (usually in YAML or JSON format). for the target Web API must already have been imported within Connect Manager. Once the OpenAPI definition has been imported, you will then be able to use the Connector to display and map any response An HTTP 'Response' is sent by a server to a client with the aim of providing the client with the resource it requested. data which Connect may return (provided the request for data to be retrieved has been successful).

When a Web API's OpenAPI definition has been imported, the operations ('Connectors') associated with that Web API can be Enabled or Disabled, and they can also be set to Public or Private. The visibility of Connectors within your Forms project and their ability to process requests is controlled by these settings. Provided the correct settings have been selected, Connectors can be used as described above, and as detailed within the Web API Connectors topic (see link, below).

To find out more about importing OpenAPI definitions and making Web APIs available for use within Digitise Forms, see the Connect section within the separate Hub Online Help.