How to conditionally show banners in OutSystems based on user actions or states?

Conditionally Showing Banners in OutSystems Based on User Actions or States

OutSystems is a powerful low-code platform that enables you to develop applications rapidly with complex business logic. This guide will take you through a detailed process of conditionally displaying banners in OutSystems based on user actions or specific user states. Follow these steps to ensure effective implementation in your application.

 

Prerequisites

 

• Access to an OutSystems environment with a project where you want to implement the banners.
• Some familiarity with OutSystems' visual development environment, including logic, widgets, and expressions.
• Understanding of the specific user actions or states that will trigger the banners.

 

Understanding Conditional Rendering in OutSystems

 

• OutSystems allows conditional rendering of UI elements using expressions within the "Visible" property of widgets.
• These expressions evaluate to a boolean. If true, the widget will be shown; otherwise, it won’t be.

 

Step-by-Step Implementation

 

1. Plan Banner Display Logic

 

• Identify the specific user actions or states that should trigger the banner. Examples include a completed task, a user reaching a milestone, or errors.
• Define the conditions in which each banner should appear to avoid unnecessary complexity.

 

2. Create a Web Block or Container for the Banner

 

• Open the OutSystems Service Studio and navigate to the screen where you want to display the banner.
• Drag and drop a Container or Web Block onto the screen where the banner will reside.
• Inside this container, you can add widgets such as text, images, or buttons to design your banner.

 

3. Implement the Logic for User Actions or States

 

• Use the Logic tab to create the necessary logic that changes the state or captures user actions.
• Employ screen actions, client actions, or server actions to update variables or session variables based on user interactions. For example, increment a counter every time a user completes a task.

 

4. Bind Banner Visibility to Conditional Expression

 

• Click on the banner container you created earlier, and in the properties panel, find the Visible property.
• Enter an expression that reflects the logic you defined earlier. This may involve variables, session variables, or aggregate results. For example:

Visible: CompletedTasks >= 5
  

• This expression should evaluate to true, showing the banner only when certain conditions are met (e.g., user has completed 5 tasks).

 

5. Test the Conditional Banner

 

• Publish and run your application in a development environment.
• Simulate or perform the actions defined in your banner logic to trigger the desired state.
• Verify that the banner appears or disappears based on your conditions.
• Ensure the logic does not unintentionally affect other UI elements or throw unexpected errors.

 

6. Final Adjustments and Optimization

 

• Review the user experience to ensure it is intuitive and does not overwhelm users with too many notifications.
• Optimize performance by simplifying the logic or minimizing server calls if the condition checking is complex.
• Consider using CSS classes for dynamic styling based on user states for a more engaging banner presentation.

 

Deploying the Final Version

 

• After thorough testing, deploy your application to production, ensuring any environment-specific settings are properly configured.
• Monitor user interactions to gauge the effectiveness of the banner logic and make adjustments as necessary.

 

By following these steps, you can successfully conditionally display banners in your OutSystems applications based on user actions or states. This method not only enhances user engagement but also provides real-time feedback and guidance, improving the overall user experience.