@memberjunction/actions

The @memberjunction/actions library provides the core server-side infrastructure for the MemberJunction Actions Framework. It includes base classes for actions and filters, the action execution engine, and support for entity-specific actions.

Overview

The Actions Framework is a powerful system for creating reusable, parameterized business logic that can be executed on demand. Actions are "verbs" in the MemberJunction ecosystem - they perform specific tasks and can be triggered through various mechanisms including entity events, API calls, or scheduled jobs.

IMPORTANT: This library should only be imported on the server side.

Key Features

• Action Engine: Central execution engine for running actions with parameter validation, filtering, and logging
• Entity Actions: Actions that can be triggered on entity lifecycle events (create, update, delete)
• Code Generation: AI-powered automatic code generation for actions based on natural language prompts
• Action Filters: Pre-execution filters to control when actions should run
• Transaction Support: Built-in transaction management for complex multi-step operations
• Comprehensive Logging: Automatic logging of all action executions with parameters and results

Installation

npm install @memberjunction/actions

Dependencies

This package depends on several other MemberJunction packages:

• @memberjunction/global - Global utilities and class factory
• @memberjunction/core - Core MJ functionality and base classes
• @memberjunction/actions-base - Base types and interfaces for actions
• @memberjunction/core-entities - Entity definitions
• @memberjunction/ai - AI integration capabilities
• @memberjunction/aiengine - AI engine functionality
• @memberjunction/doc-utils - Documentation utilities

Usage

Creating a Custom Action

To create a custom action, extend the BaseAction class and implement the InternalRunAction method:

import { BaseAction } from '@memberjunction/actions';
import { ActionResultSimple, RunActionParams } from '@memberjunction/actions-base';
import { RegisterClass } from '@memberjunction/global';

@RegisterClass(BaseAction, 'MyCustomAction')
export class MyCustomAction extends BaseAction {
    protected async InternalRunAction(params: RunActionParams): Promise<ActionResultSimple> {
        // Access input parameters
        const inputParam = params.Params.find(p => p.Name === 'InputValue');
        
        // Perform your action logic
        const result = await this.performBusinessLogic(inputParam?.Value);
        
        // Return the result
        return {
            Success: true,
            ResultCode: 'SUCCESS',
            Message: 'Action completed successfully',
            Params: params.Params // Include any output parameters
        };
    }
    
    private async performBusinessLogic(value: any): Promise<any> {
        // Your custom logic here
        return value;
    }
}

Running Actions with ActionEngine

The ActionEngineServer class provides the main interface for executing actions:

import { ActionEngineServer } from '@memberjunction/actions';
import { RunActionParams } from '@memberjunction/actions-base';

// Get the singleton instance
const engine = ActionEngineServer.Instance;

// Configure the engine (only needs to be done once)
await engine.Config(false, currentUser);

// Run an action by ID
const result = await engine.RunActionByID({
    ActionID: 'your-action-id',
    ContextUser: currentUser,
    Params: [
        { Name: 'InputParam', Value: 'some value', Type: 'string' }
    ]
});

// Run an action with full parameters
const params: RunActionParams = {
    Action: actionEntity, // ActionEntity instance
    ContextUser: currentUser,
    Filters: [], // Optional filters
    Params: [
        { Name: 'InputParam', Value: 'some value', Type: 'string' }
    ]
};

const result = await engine.RunAction(params);

Entity Actions

Entity Actions are triggered automatically during entity lifecycle events. To work with entity actions, use the EntityActionEngineServer:

import { EntityActionEngineServer } from '@memberjunction/actions';
import { EntityActionInvocationParams } from '@memberjunction/actions-base';

const entityActionEngine = EntityActionEngineServer.Instance;

// Run an entity action
const params: EntityActionInvocationParams = {
    EntityAction: entityActionEntity,
    InvocationType: invocationTypeEntity, // e.g., 'BeforeCreate', 'AfterUpdate'
    EntityObject: entityInstance,
    ContextUser: currentUser
};

const result = await entityActionEngine.RunEntityAction(params);

Creating Custom Action Filters

Action filters determine whether an action should run. Create custom filters by extending BaseActionFilter:

import { BaseActionFilter } from '@memberjunction/actions';
import { RunActionParams } from '@memberjunction/actions-base';
import { ActionFilterEntity } from '@memberjunction/core-entities';
import { RegisterClass } from '@memberjunction/global';

@RegisterClass(BaseActionFilter, 'MyCustomFilter')
export class MyCustomFilter extends BaseActionFilter {
    protected async InternalRun(
        params: RunActionParams, 
        filter: ActionFilterEntity
    ): Promise<boolean> {
        // Implement your filter logic
        // Return true to allow action execution, false to skip
        return params.ContextUser.IsActive === true;
    }
}

API Reference

Classes

ActionEngineServer

The main engine for executing actions.

Methods:

• RunAction(params: RunActionParams): Promise<ActionResult> - Executes an action with full control over parameters
• RunActionByID(params: RunActionByNameParams): Promise<ActionResult> - Convenience method to run an action by its ID
• Config(forceRefresh?: boolean, contextUser?: UserInfo): Promise<void> - Configures the engine (inherited from base)

BaseAction

Abstract base class for all actions.

Methods:

• Run(params: RunActionParams): Promise<ActionResultSimple> - Public method called by the engine
• InternalRunAction(params: RunActionParams): Promise<ActionResultSimple> - Abstract method to implement action logic

EntityActionEngineServer

Engine specifically for entity-related actions.

Methods:

• RunEntityAction(params: EntityActionInvocationParams): Promise<EntityActionResult> - Executes an entity action

BaseActionFilter

Abstract base class for action filters.

Methods:

• Run(params: RunActionParams, filter: ActionFilterEntity): Promise<boolean> - Public method called by the engine
• InternalRun(params: RunActionParams, filter: ActionFilterEntity): Promise<boolean> - Abstract method to implement filter logic

ActionEntityServerEntity

Server-side entity class for Actions with AI-powered code generation.

Key Features:

• Automatic code generation from natural language prompts
• Code validation and improvement through AI
• Library dependency management
• Transaction-safe save operations

Types and Interfaces

The package exports all types from @memberjunction/actions-base, including:

• RunActionParams - Parameters for running an action
• ActionResult - Detailed result of action execution
• ActionResultSimple - Simplified action result
• ActionParam - Parameter definition for actions
• EntityActionInvocationParams - Parameters for entity actions
• EntityActionResult - Result of entity action execution

Entity Action Invocation Types

The framework supports various invocation types for entity actions:

Single Record Operations

• Read - Triggered when reading an entity
• BeforeCreate - Before creating a new record
• AfterCreate - After creating a new record
• BeforeUpdate - Before updating a record
• AfterUpdate - After updating a record
• BeforeDelete - Before deleting a record
• AfterDelete - After deleting a record

Multiple Record Operations

• List - Actions operating on a list of records
• View - Actions operating on records from a view

Validation

• Validate - Special invocation type for validation logic

Code Generation

The framework includes sophisticated AI-powered code generation capabilities:

1. Natural Language Input: Define action behavior using plain English in the UserPrompt field
2. Automatic Code Generation: The system generates TypeScript code based on your prompt
3. Code Validation: Generated code is automatically validated and improved
4. Library Management: Automatic tracking and importing of required libraries

Example workflow:

// In your database, create an Action record with:
// Name: "SendWelcomeEmail"
// Type: "Generated"
// UserPrompt: "Send a welcome email to a new user with their name and registration date"

// The system will automatically generate the implementation code

Best Practices

1. Action Naming: Use clear, descriptive names for actions (e.g., SendInvoiceEmail, CalculateOrderTotal)

2. Parameter Design: Design action parameters to be reusable and flexible:

   params: [
       { Name: 'EmailTemplate', Type: 'string', ValueType: 'Scalar' },
       { Name: 'RecipientUser', Type: 'User', ValueType: 'BaseEntity Sub-Class' },
       { Name: 'EmailSent', Type: 'boolean', ValueType: 'Scalar', IsInput: false }
   ]

3. Error Handling: Always include proper error handling in your actions:

   try {
       // Action logic
       return { Success: true, ResultCode: 'SUCCESS', Message: 'Completed' };
   } catch (error) {
       return { Success: false, ResultCode: 'ERROR', Message: error.message };
   }

4. Logging: The framework automatically logs action executions, but include additional logging for debugging:

   import { LogError, LogStatus } from '@memberjunction/core';
   
   LogStatus('Starting custom action processing...');

5. Transaction Management: Use transaction groups for multi-step operations:

   const tg = await metadata.CreateTransactionGroup();
   try {
       // Multiple operations
       await tg.Submit();
   } catch (error) {
       // Automatic rollback on error
   }

Integration with Other MJ Packages

This package integrates seamlessly with:

• @memberjunction/core: Provides base entity functionality and metadata access
• @memberjunction/ai: Enables AI-powered code generation
• @memberjunction/core-entities: Provides strongly-typed entity classes
• @memberjunction/global: Manages class registration and instantiation

Advanced Topics

Custom Action Engines

You can create custom action engines by extending ActionEngineServer:

@RegisterClass(BaseEngine, 'ActionEngineBase', 1) // Higher priority
export class CustomActionEngine extends ActionEngineServer {
    protected async ValidateInputs(params: RunActionParams): Promise<boolean> {
        // Custom validation logic
        return super.ValidateInputs(params);
    }
    
    protected async RunFilters(params: RunActionParams): Promise<boolean> {
        // Custom filter logic
        return super.RunFilters(params);
    }
}

Script Evaluation in Entity Actions

Entity actions support dynamic script evaluation for parameter mapping:

// In EntityActionParam configuration:
{
    ValueType: 'Script',
    Value: `
        const user = EntityActionContext.entityObject;
        EntityActionContext.result = user.Email.toUpperCase();
    `
}

Troubleshooting

1. Action Not Found: Ensure your action class is properly registered with @RegisterClass
2. Code Generation Fails: Check that AI models are configured and API keys are set
3. Filter Not Running: Verify filter is associated with the action in metadata
4. Entity Action Not Triggering: Confirm invocation type matches the entity operation

License

This package is part of the MemberJunction ecosystem. See the main repository for license information.