I can't find Docs that teach me more about Executables in API scripts

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I can’t find Wappler Docs on the full range of Executables possible when creating an API action.

This may be the Mother of All Posts . . . where I will be told “Go look at this link” and figure it out for yourself. But, here goes . . .

I assume because I am working in a PHP setup for projects now that I am seeing PHP options in the Exec. category.
Then I wonder what ARE the full range of solutions I might implement if I knew what Executables can be employed – for instance are these DOM executables, or PHP executables, or Javascript executables? And, has Wappler a whole list of its own components duplicating these “native executables” that I could choose if I knew what they did & what they supported.

Only by following posts of PROBLEMS do I get a hint of what more Advanced Developers are using Execute for. I also see answers that say essentially “A Better (Exec command can work but …) way to do that is using Wappler components on the page.”

So, here are a couple examples where I can’t find extended teaching with common use examples.

1 Since API’s were formerly called “Server Actions” before they were renamed “API” files why does Add Action --> Core Actions --> Include Actions or Exec Action Only send me to Library Actions?

I assumed from “Include Action” that I could access ANOTHER “Action = Any Saved API” – which would be very handy.

I’ve already read the posts concerning the Difference between Include and Exec and still wondered why these “Actions” were not API files.

2 If I choose the first Wappler Add Action behavior which is offered – API Connector I know I can now select the file where the API action I want is saved.

The Properties contain options that I have found no explicit Documentation for – each setting and its purpose and example of final results. This MUST BE very important to know the reason, logic & results of leaving some properties empty or filling them in now. But I can’t finds Docs that take me deeper, as deep as I should know to properly take advantage of them.

Yet, I also see a Data Picker as an option instead of a path to an API file …

3 Why I am being such a Newbie is because of years of Posts like this by people who are much more advanced than I am . .

A list of Wappler Users asking How and Why doesn’t … ?

[karh]

Probably not the answer you’re looking for, but a few things:

1. Library actions are usually sequences of actions that you repeat often. So you want to create a ‘function’ out of it. This has a few benefits:

• You don’t have to create the same sequence of actions in multiple ‘Server actions’, saving time
• You can create functions with a clear single purpose, making complex server actions easier to work with
• You can update one library action, and make sure that all the server actions who are using this library action will keep working properly

Here you can find documentation on them.
Especially check the ‘Using library actions’ section to see what the difference is between Exec and Include Creating Reusable Actions with Server Connect Library

One personal example of how I use library actions:
I have one called ‘get_current_schoolid’. My application is a SaaS, and every one of our customers has a school.
So the majority of server actions depend on which school we currently are… For example, if we are in school A and want to query the database to figure out which courses are in this school. Then we need to filter on school ID.

I can simply include this library action, and then use the school id that it gives me.
See this screenshot:

2. API action is not to be used for wappler api actions (server actions). This is for connecting to an external api. For exmaple if you want to get the location by ip address, you can go here https://ip-api.com/docs/api:json and then use the API action to make it easy:
   When they write this…
   

You can put http://ip-api.com/json/24.48.0.1 in the Url param in Wappler. And set the Method to GET

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I definitely agree the wappler documentation is lacking, and do hope that it’ll get priority soon. But to be honest, I’ve found my way around it with the community + figuring things out by myself. I’ve made my own internal extensive wappler documentation by now haha

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WOW!! You DAH MAN!!
Thank you for this!

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Usually when I post it is from this situation —
TIME SHORT for New Project where I remember seeing about this in the Docs or Forum Posts.

Knowing that Wappler may have a tool, component, etc. but no time to devote a few hours to exploring them on another day just to understand the concepts when at the moment I do not need them.

Not understanding all the concepts avalanching over the web comms with competing technologies, framesets, new libraries, mobile, node js, blah blah.

What is one of the greatest tools for me is having entire project files of different complete applications so that I can explore the files themselves and trace the path of functions that process the chain information travels to reach the browser.

I often just want to revert to throwing in PHP solutions but I have to slap my hand and keep learning Wappler system. So, thank you for dropping in to answer some questions, karh!