When working with data driven blocks (e.g. the Excel or Web Service block) you often create a really awesome layout for the list, and you also create a great looking set of detail blocks. However, if you want to use that same layout again, with the same data but with a slightly different filter, you would normally have to recreate everything all over again.
The "Link" block lets you reuse an existing Excel or Web service building block with a different filter without having to rebuild everything.
Please also read our frequently asked questions about web services, and check out this guide on how to get started with integrating your web services.
Prerequisites
- Your existing app that contains the Excel or Web Service block you want to reuse.
How to use the Link block
You've already setup an app, so it contains a List block that for example is referencing a spreadsheet containing flowers and the shops where users could buy these flowers (check out the attached file to see what demo file we used). In our Excel building block we set up a filter, so that we only see the flowers of the category "Bouquet".
We will create an exact copy of this "Bouquets" block, but this time it has to show only birthday flowers. How do we do this?
- Open the app containing the Excel or Web Service block you want to reuse
- Click "Add block"
- Select the Pro tab
- Select the Link block, and click "Add block"
- Specify a name and an icon for the new block, and click finish.
- You needs to specify two settings:
- The block (excel or web service) you want to reuse / link to
- The filter that should be applied
Specify the existing block (excel or web service) that you want to reuse. In my case that will be the "Bouquets" block
- Specify the filter that should be applied, so this case that would be a filter that will only show the flowers of category birthday;
- Save your changes.