Tips & Tricks: Debugging Action Batches Using Advanced Commands

EcoSys configuration features include a set of advanced commands that can be utilized as configuration options during troubleshooting or for setup of advanced behavior. We’ve discussed Advanced Commands before, but felt they are really worth revisiting. They are entered in the Advanced Commands field on the Options tab of a spreadsheet, report, form, chart, or action. Advanced Commands are often useful when troubleshooting.

For example, an advanced command can assist in the troubleshooting of an action batch. The Advanced Command of debugActionsInBatch=true, when added, generates an excel file for every update type action in the action batch. These Excel files contain snapshots of the data before and after the action ran as well as the difference between those snapshots.

The Excel files are generated in a sub-directory of the logs directory and are available for download on the “Download Log” screen once they have been generated. To generate the files, run the action batch that requires troubleshooting. Next, navigate to Admin > System Status & Logs > Download Log where the file can be downloaded. The file will download as a .zip file containing multiple spreadsheets depending on how many update actions were in the action batch.

The files can be sorted by name which sorts them in the order that they ran.

In the log Excel workbook that is generated, there are three tabs. These tabs are organized using the following tab names:

PRE – Shows the values of fields before the execution of the action.

POST – Shows the values of fields after the execution of the action.

DIFF – Shows the values of the fields that have changed highlighted in red.

After running the action batch and resolving any issues, it is a good idea to set this advanced command back to false to avoid unnecessary overhead.

There are many other advanced commands available for troubleshooting or for setup of advanced behavior. A full list of advanced commands that lists the command, description, and the default value is available in the EcoSys Support Knowledge Base library.

The EcoSys training team is excited to announce a new course offering. The TECO3100 Advanced EcoSys Admin & Troubleshooting course reviews general administration features focusing on advanced components, admin configuration, and troubleshooting. Coming to you soon in Q2 2021!

For EcoSys course schedule and information visit our training webpage.