Connections

In Varicent Incentives, connections in the Composer module link components together. Connections can be inbound and outbound.

Use connections to send data from tables, calculations, and other sources to related components that require the information. For example, if a component contains a data table with transactional data, it can be connected to another component that contains a calculation that must calculate results by using the transactional data.

Connections from one object to another are represented by arrows in the Composer module. From inside the components, inbound connections are at the bottom of the component, and outbound connections are at the top.

Outbound connections: A resource that is used to export calculation results or table data from a component. They can be created from calculations, tables, or other connections. When you add a connection, you are specifying that the data in the selected table or calculation is available for use in child or sibling components. To use the outbound connection in a second component, you must make a corresponding inbound connection to the second component.
Inbound connections: A resource that is used to import data from selected outbound connections into a component. They specify which component the selected outbound connection must connect to.

Connection names

When you add an outbound connection, Varicent Incentives automatically gives the outbound connection the same name as the source.

For example, if you add an outbound connection from a table that is named ERP, the connection is named ERP.

You can rename the connection to distinguish it from other model objects such as tables and calculations. For example, you can use a suffix such as Out, or you can choose another suffix, such as Feed. You can also change inbound connection names and the Out suffix to a prefix, or add a prefix such as IN.

The following list gives you a few examples of naming options:

Out ERP
ERP Feed
In ERP
Connect ERP

Adding connections

In Varicent Incentives, you can use inbound and outbound connections in components to send data from one component to another. Inbound connections can be used as sources in components.

In the Composer module, click the component that you want to add a connection to.
Select one of the following:
- Add Inbound Connection
- Add Outbound Connection
Select the Data sources for the connection.
Click the Edit icon in the header to give the connection a name.
Click Next.
Delete or add the columns that you want to include in the connection and click Next.
Select the connection columns on the right that map to the source columns on the left.
Click Create.
View the component that you want to add the inbound connection to.
From inside the component, click the New inbound connection icon and add the connection created in step 2.

Editing connections

In Varicent Incentives, you can edit connections by renaming them, or changing the source of a connection.

Connections cannot be disconnected from their sources, but disconnected connections can be reconnected to other sources.

In the Composer module, click the component that contains the connection that you want to edit.
Click the connection that you want to edit.
Click Show More → Edit Connection.

Perform any of the following actions:

Action	Description
Click the Edit icon	Rename the connection.
Click the "X" next to data sources	Delete sources from the connection.
Drag sources from the right to the left pane	Add new sources for the connection.

Click Next.
Perform any of the following actions:
Action
Description
Click the "X" next to columns
Delete columns from the connection.
Drag columns from the right to the left pane
Add new columns to the connection.
Click Next.
Map the source columns to the connection columns.
Click Finish.

Action	Description
Click the "X" next to columns	Delete columns from the connection.
Drag columns from the right to the left pane	Add new columns to the connection.

Editing connection mapping

In Varicent Incentives, you can change the source columns that the connection columns are matched to.

In the Composer module, click the component that contains the connection that you want to edit.
Click the connection that you want to edit.
Click Manage Links.
Expand the connection that you want to edit.
From the drop-down lists, select the connection columns to match to the source columns.
Tip
Click Automatch to have the application map identical column names automatically.
Click Save.

Deleting connections

In Varicent Incentives, you can remove inbound and outbound connections from components.

You cannot delete a connection if it is in use by another object.

In the Composer module, click the component that you want to remove connections from.
Click the connection that you want to delete.
Click Show More → Delete.