How to use Liquid Code to fetch Entity data and its related entity data and display in HTML tags (Not Using ajax call)

[Anonymous]

Hi Experts,

I know how I can fetch the entity data using fetch xml by creating web template --> page template --> web page. And call that web page via ajax JS call.

But I am trying to use liquid code in the same web page to get the data and display it in the accordion way. 

For example:

I have one entity from which I need to fetch the data, also there is a lookup field on which I have to apply to filter condition.

below is the sample code, with fetch xml which I know it is not working, so seeking help to understand how I can fetch the data using liquid code:

{% assign lang = website.selected_language.code %}


{% fetchxml feed %}
<fetch version='1.0' output-format='xml-platform' mapping='logical' distinct='false'>
  <entity name='adx_portallanguage'>
      <attribute name='adx_portallanguageid' />
    <attribute name='adx_name' />
  
     <filter type='and'>
      <condition attribute='adx_languagecode' operator='eq' value='{{lang}}' />  
     
    </filter>
  <link-entity name='cre08_customknowledgearticle' from='cre08_languagelookup' to='adx_portallanguageid' alias='KAlink'>
    <attribute name='cre08_customknowledgearticleid' />
    <attribute name='cre08_kanumber' />
    <attribute name='cre08_title' />
    <attribute name='cre08_keyword' />
    <attribute name='cre08_description' />
    <attribute name='cre08_content' />
    
    <order attribute='createdon' descending='true' />
  
  <filter type='and'>
      <condition attribute='cre08_publishstatelookup' operator='eq' value='38c7d71a-31fd-4c2a-b7b0-fa2cc7381654' />  
      <condition attribute='cre08_kanumber' operator='ne' value='{{ "now" | date: "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M" }}' />    
    </filter>
       
    </link-entity>
  </entity>
</fetch>
{% endfetchxml %}

<div class="container">
  <div class="row">
      <div class="col-sm-12">
        <div id="accordionParent">
          
          {% for item in feed.results.entities %}

            <button class="accordion">{{ item['KAlink.cre08_title']}} ( {{ item['KAlink.cre08_keyword'] }} )</button>
            <div class="panel">
              <p>{{ item['KAlink.cre08_content'] }}</p>
            </div>

          {% endfor %}

        </div>
      </div>
    </div>

</div>

 The above fetchxml is working fine to fetch the data if I go with the web template --> page template --> web page and then calling that web page via ajax call in another page approach.

Can anyone help me to understand how I can do the same with liquid code? I have gone through the MS documentation but it was not very clear on how and from where to start.

Thanks,

Amit

[justinburch]

Hi @Anonymous,

As far as lack of documentation, you're definitely following the correct process - no need to look further there. Let's see if we can drilldown into the specifics though.

First of all, in your fetch, it seems you're trying to invalidate the cache with the liquid {{ now }} tag (which could be your issue - use {{ now }}, not {{ "now" }}- if this is the case, just know that it might not help at all. The liquid {{ now }} tag seems to be subject to caching as well, in my experience (but not always!?) - I found this out the hard way when trying to build a webpage that is only valid 'during business hours' and finding users not able to access it if they logged in beforehand.

A couple of quick questions:

1. Change {{ "now" }} to {{ now }}, possibly this syntax is throwing a liquid error in your result because you most likely used JS "new Date()" in API version?
2. Have you made sure your entity permissions are good? (Likely, since it works in the API version)
   • Can use the tricks described in my blog post if you want to drill down further
3. Have you used {{ feed.xml | escape }} to see what the resulting fetch query is and tested that query itself separately? (Again, likely not the issue if it works as an API, but worth triaging)
4. What exactly is the output of {{ feed.results.entities.size }}?

[Anonymous]

Hi @justinburch 

Thanks for your response.

I was not getting any liquid error, but the liquid code was not working as expected i.e the output was not coming.

I had already enabled the entity permission and I have simplified the fetchxml to check where the issue is and why I am not getting the output. Below is the fetch xml and HTML code (used W3 school accordion code):

{% fetchxml feed %}
<fetch version='1.0' output-format='xml-platform' mapping='logical' distinct='false'>
  <entity name='adx_portallanguage'>
      <attribute name='adx_portallanguageid' />
    <attribute name='adx_name' />
  
     <filter type='and'>
      <condition attribute='adx_languagecode' operator='eq' value='{{website.selected_language.code}}' />  
     
    </filter>

  </entity>
</fetch>
{% endfetchxml %}

<div class="container">
  <p class="KAHeading">Click below Post to see in Detail - {{ feed.results.entities.size }} - {{website.selected_language.code}}</p>
  <div class="row">
      <div class="col-sm-12">
        <div id="accordionParent">
          
          {% for item in feed.results.entities %}

            <button class="accordion">{{ item.adx_name }} </button>
            <div class="panel">
              <p>{{ item.adx_name }}</p>
            </div>

          {% endfor %}

        </div>
      </div>
    </div>

</div>

OUTPUT:

Liquid code output issue

I have checked the {{ feed.results.entities.size }} and it is giving me 43 counts but I have given a filter condition and it should give 1 value. Also, I tried accessing {{ item.adx_name }} to display the website language but still it is not showing any value.

Where I am doing a mistake?

Please help me with this.

Thanks,

Amit

[OliverRodrigues]

I just tested myself here

seems that when querying the Portal Language entity it completely ignores any condition you may have, not sure this is a bug or it is expected, a few things you can do:

• I am assuming you want to get the GUID to filter the KB Articles, right? Why not hard-coding the Portal Language GUID? this shouldn't change between environments so I think it's safe enough to hard-code there 
• open a support ticket with MS so they can investigate
• create a custom Web Template that will retrieve the Portal Language ID - in this you can add an input parameter, and you run the fetch and loop through all results until find the one with the LCID (this runs server-side, shouldn't have any major performance impact)

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[Anonymous]

Hi @OliverRodrigues 

Thanks for your response.

But still, it should show me the portal language name {{ item.adx_name}}  for all 43 and it didn't show for at least one. Also when I am trying to fetch the linked entity data it is also not showing (check the initial post message).

I can use the web template and call it using ajax/JS/API but as my custom Knowledge Article Entity have HTML tags and its content, while reading it using below code I am getting some error as json object not accept some unknow space, " (i.e double quote), new lines. I tried to fix it but still some new issues coming down the line while fetching.

Thats why I thought of fetching the data in the same page without calling through JS code, instead use liquid code to dynamically display the HTML tags and its content.

Please help me with this issue. and if you have any better idea on the same, pleas share that.

Thanks,

Amit

[OliverRodrigues]

Hi, I am playing around here and I am not sure where you have your code, but I had my Fetch in the Web Page level, and it seems that was the issue.

I moved my Fetch to a Web Template and now the filter and attributes are working fine:

------------

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[justinburch]

Hi @Anonymous,

It seems to be working for me, so I wonder if it has to do with what languages you have enabled. Regardless, let's see if there isn't an alternative approach. Please consider the following:

1. Why are we trying to retrieve the Portal Language - the current one?
   1. Are you joining your custom KB on it?
      • Consider using the language code instead - {{ website.selected_language.code }}
   2. To just show the name?
      • Use the name directly - {{ website.selected_language.name | escape }}
2. Would it make more sense to iterate through the language objects directly, vs a fetch on them? This assumes you've added all supported languages to the Website

<div class="container">
  <p class="KAHeading">Click below Post to see in Detail - Current: {{ website.selected_language.name }} ({{website.selected_language.code}})</p>
  <div class="row">
      <div class="col-sm-12">
        <div id="accordionParent">
          {% for language in website.languages %}
            <button class="accordion">{{ language.name }} </button>
            <div class="panel">
              <p>{{ language.name }} ({{ language.code }})</p>
            </div>
          {% endfor %}
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
</div>
<p>Total Website Languages: {{ website.languages.size | string }}</p>
<p>Total Languages for this Page: {{ page.languages.size | string }}</p>

Last two lines added for your debugging purposes.

[Anonymous]

Hi @OliverRodrigues 

By seeing your code and approach it seems like you are have written that liquid and fetch XML code in the web template and used that web template in a page template and page template to the web page. which is great and it will work fine. But by that can we clear the catch so that I can see the update data also? Basically, If I will able to display data from the same web template and able to clear the catch whenever navigate to that page, so that I can get the updated data. 

Any help will be appreciable.

@justinburch  I am having two languages enabled in the portal and KN entity consists of information for those two different languages and I was trying to filter the data based on linking the KN Entity with the Portal Language entity and filter based on the current selected web page.

Thanks,

Amit

[OliverRodrigues]

Hi, when querying data programmatically you can bypass the caching adding a timestamp filter

Take a look here: https://oliverrodrigues365.com/2020/07/27/power-apps-portals-caching-tips/

------------

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[justinburch]

Hi Amit,

Please consider using a join on your query for your KN Entity and referencing the Portal Language code directly. Also, how often are your KN records updated? Invalidating the cache should only be necessary to see changes in the last 15 minutes. If your changes are taking longer to show, please ensure Change Tracking is enabled. Instructions for this are listed in my steps to correct your query:

1. Go to the Settings for your Entity
   
2. Enable Change Tracking (mark it checked, unlike the image)
   
3. Change your query for your KN Entity to something like the following - my entity, Knowledge Item, has a schema of jb_knowledgeitem and a Lookup field with schema jb_portallanguageid to Portal Language

<fetch version="1.0" output-format="xml-platform" mapping="logical" distinct="false">
  <entity name="jb_knowledgeitem">
    <attribute name="jb_knowledgeitemid" />
    <attribute name="jb_title" />
    <attribute name="createdon" />
    <order attribute="jb_title" descending="false" />
    <link-entity name="adx_portallanguage" from="adx_portallanguageid" to="jb_portallangaugeid" link-type="inner" alias="knlanguage">
      <filter type="and">
        <condition attribute="adx_languagecode" operator="eq" value="{{ website.seleted_language.code | xml_escape }}" />
      </filter>
    </link-entity>
  </entity>
</fetch>​

I hope this helps,

Justin