External data service integration to enhance data field metadata
An external data service can be integrated to enhance the metadata of workflow data fields. In response to processing a data field, a request may be sent to a metadata service for a metadata associated with the data field. In response to receiving the metadata, the metadata may be applied to the data field such that the data field as presented in a user interface is constrained according to one or more characteristics defined by the metadata.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by at least one processor, a registration request from an external data service, wherein the registration request identifies a data field of a workflow and identifies a metadata service to the data field of the workflow, and wherein the external data service is external to an application server;
in response to processing the workflow, requesting, by the at least one processor, a metadata for the data field from the metadata service;
in response to receiving the metadata, enhancing, by the at least one processor, the data field by applying the metadata to the data field such that at least one of a desired appearance, a behavior, or input values associated with the data field, as presented in a user interface, are constrained according to the metadata; and
displaying the enhanced data field in the user interface.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata defines a dependency of the data field on a second data field.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata defines a format to be applied to the input values of the data field.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata defines at least one of:
the data field as being required;
the data field as being hidden in the user interface;
a display label for the data field in the user interface;
the data field as being read only;
a value for the data field that overwrites any existing value of the data field;
a minimum value for the data field; and
a maximum data value for the data field.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external data service further provides a validation of the input values of the data field.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the validation of the input values is performed by an external validation service.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata comprises JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) code.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating with another data field another external data service that identifies another metadata to be applied to the another data field.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external data service is stored at another server.