Adding and Editing Actions
A DTL transformation consists of a set of actions. The DTL editor provides options for adding, editing, and rearranging these, and this page describes generally how to use these options.
Other pages describe the syntax to use in data transformations, details for assign actions, and details for other kinds of actions.
Adding an Action
To add an action, you can always do the following:
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Optionally click a source or target property, depending on the kind of action you want to add.
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Select an action from the Add Action drop-down list in the ribbon bar.
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Edit the details for this action on the Action tab.
If applicable, the property that you selected is shown in the Property field, for use as a starting point. Optionally, you can disable the action with the Disabled check box. If you disable a foreach or if action, all actions within the block are also disabled.
Other techniques are possible for assign actions, as discussed in Details for Assign Actions.
Editing an Action
To edit an action, first select it. To do so:
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Click the corresponding row in the table below the diagram.
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If the diagram displays the action, click the icon on the corresponding connector line, in the center divider.
When you click on an item, it changes color, the connector line turns bold, and the source and target properties are highlighted in color. This means the connector is selected, as shown in the following figure.
Now edit the values on the Action tab. Optionally, you can disable the action with the Disabled check box. If you disable a foreach or if action, all actions within the block are also disabled.
If you double-click a property in the diagram, InterSystems IRIS updates the currently selected action, if applicable. If you double-click a field in the source, then the editor interprets it as your wanting to set the value for the selected action. Similarly, if you double-click a target field, the editor interprets it as your wanting to set the target for the selected action.
Rearranging Actions
InterSystems IRIS executes the actions in the order they are listed in the table below the diagram.
To rearrange actions, you must use the table below the DTL diagram, as follows:
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Click the row corresponding to that action.
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Click one of the following icons in that row, as needed:
Tool Description 
Move the selected action up one position. If the action is the first action in a group, for example a for each or if block, then this moves the action up and out of the group. 
Move the selected action down one position. If the action is the last action in a group, then this moves the action just after the group. For example, if the action is the last action in an if block, the action is moved right after the block. If the action is the last action in an if block just before the else, then this moves the action into the first position in the else block. 
Move the selected action out of the current group, for example a for each or if block. This moves the action out of the current group to the position immediately before the group. 
Move the selected action into the next group of actions, for example, a for each or if block. 
Remove all the actions of the data transformation. 
Remove the action in this row.
Working with Groups of Actions
You can gather actions into a display group by using the group action. Grouping actions helps organize them in the table below the diagram. The description that you define on the Action tab appears in the list to help you identify a group.
To move an action in or out of a group, select the action in the list and click (move into group) or (move out of group). To make the list more readable, you can collapse or expand groups as you review the list. To collapse a group and hide the actions it contains, click 
next to the action name. To expand a group, click 
. You can also collapse and expand all groups at once using the and buttons in the table’s Actions bar.
You can also expand and collapse blocks of actions created by if , for each , switch , and case actions.
