topic Re: Optional strings in a schema in Workato Pros Discussion Board

Optional strings in a schema

bboren — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 23:51:23 GMT

I am trying to create a custom REST API call. I am able to get the JSON payload required and use Workato to generate a schema form that. However, I am stuck when dealing with fields that are allowed to have blank values.
If I make the field optional it is not being included in the payload if blank. If I make it mandatory it won't let me not populate it and run the recipe.

Any ideas?

Re: Optional strings in a schema

meghan-legaspi — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 13:38:29 GMT

Hey @bboren,

If you 'skip' the fields that are left blank when you run the recipe, are they still included in the payload?
You can learn more on that here: https://docs.workato.com/formulas/other-formulas.html#skip

This section on creating a new access profile for API may also be helpful: https://docs.workato.com/api-mgmt/api-client-mgmt.html#create-new-access-profile

Please let me know if neither of these resources are helpful in your case. I may need more info on your specific use case in order to better assist.

If you would like to submit a ticket for support, you may do so here.

Re: Optional strings in a schema

mppowe — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:00:51 GMT

One weird trick I've had to use in the past for things like this is to define a variable called "empty", leave it null, and then assign it to the required parameters. That way the recipe will save, but it doesn't pass anything at runtime.

Re: Optional strings in a schema

bboren — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 23:36:25 GMT

This worked too. The skip option in the scripting allows you to avoid creating a variable just to handle a blank value.

Re: Optional strings in a schema

mppowe — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 15:27:10 GMT

Yea I probably should've qualified that more.. the times I've used the "blank" variable has really just been in Unit Tests when calling recipes that have a required input that I wanted to be blank in certain Test Scenarios. But in "normal" recipes I've used the skip function as Meghan described.