Action states

Action states are the individual stages run within a context element. The action states can be used to do conditional reporting.

Each action state has a transition equation that runs when it is in that state. The transition equation returns the next action state number.

The time intervals for running the transition equations are defined in the Interval field on the Action States tab in the Journal Action Edit window. You open the Journal Action Edit window by right-clicking the journal action node and then clicking Property.

When defining action states, you can:

• Create new action states

• Define the transition equations

• Define the result definitions associated with the action state

• Move, edit, or delete action states

Action state parameters

Note: When you run an existing batch report against an Event Frame context, any module alias or module property references in your journal actions will be redirected to the synchronized AF Element Attribute (using the MDB-to-AF synchronization settings on the PI server).

• State Name

  The action state name.

• Index

  The number used to identify the particular action state in transition equations.

• Hidden

  Makes the action state hidden in the data journal.

• Default State

  The action state that the journal action will evaluate first.

  Any action state can be the default state. To keep the default state easy to locate, set the first state as the default state.

• Transition Equation

  The PI performance equation that will define your transition equation.

  Transition equation syntax uses the format:

  IF {expression1} Then {statenumber1} Else If {expression2} Then {statenumber2} Else {statenumber3}

  For more information about defining journal actions, see Journal action expression syntax.

  

• Result Definitions

  Define specific logic for retrieval of data using defined time contexts based on data journal objects and state transition times. At each state transition, the Result Definitions for that state are generated.

  For more information about result definitions, see Result definitions.