Temporary data
When you select the Use Temporary Data property in a DataConnect task, you allow the workflow tasks within the DataConnect task to process the incoming records from the staging table in session. In other words, the data can be manipulated before it is saved to the database.
Use a Get Temp Record task to retrieve a temporary record and use a Save Permanent Record task to save the current session changes. The Break task can remove a specific iteration from the session, or clear the session completely. The Break task can also fail a specific staging table row, or fail all staging table rows since the last Save Permanent Record.
When Use Temporary Data is checked, then as the workflow is processed, the record for the DataConnect task is the permanent record without changes from the staging table. Also, the record for the Get Temp Record task is the updated or incoming values from the staging table. This process enables data validation and cleansing of incoming values within the workflow and even data mapping on update if fields are blank in the staging tables.
Example of a single DataConnect task with temporary data
The following excerpt from a workflow shows a single DataConnect task that processes temporary data.

Field | Description |
---|---|
Use Temporary Data | Selected |
Field | Description |
---|---|
Flow Type | Continue |
Task Status | Success |
Break Scope | Current Scope |
Discard Temporary Data | All |
Fail Staging Rows | Selected, which sets All |
The DataConnect task iterates through the staging table records, placing the inserted or updated records into the session. For each iteration, the workflow gets a temporary record, does something with it, and decides whether to keep it.
To keep the record, save the record permanently with a Save Permanent Record task. The Switch task fail condition uses the settings in the Break/Continue task to discard all session data. The fail condition also fails the staging rows that are used to generate the record in session, and continues to the next record in the iteration.
In this example of a single DataConnect task, setting Discard Temporary Data in the Break task to Current instead of All would have the same outcome.
Example of multiple DataConnect tasks with temporary data
The following excerpt from a workflow shows a DataConnect task that contains a second, child DataConnect task. This excerpt is an extension of the purchase order example that was shown earlier.

Field | Description |
---|---|
Use Temporary Data | Selected |
Field | Description |
---|---|
Flow Type | Continue |
Task Status | Success |
Break Scope | Current Scope |
Discard Temporary Data | All |
Fail Staging Rows | Selected, which sets All |
The outer DataConnect task iterates through the POBody staging table. For each iteration, the workflow gets a temporary record, does something with it, and decides whether to keep it. If there is an issue with the POBody record, the workflow runs the Break/Continue and discards all session data, fails the row, and moves on to the next POBody record.
If the POBody passes the Switch task, processing continues with the inner DataConnect task to handle the POLines for this POBody. The workflow might do one of several things based on what it finds and on the setting of the Break. You might have several Switch/Breaks and depending on your processing, the workflow might fail everything or just the one row.
- Fail the current POLine, remove the record that it created or
modified from the session, and fail that staging table row only. Processing
continues on the next POLine for the POBody. The inner DataConnect
task’s Break task uses the following properties:
Table 5. Inner Break task settings Field Description Flow Type Continue Task Status Success Break Scope Current Scope Discard Temporary Data Current Fail Staging Rows Selected, which sets Current - Clear the current POBody iteration, remove the record that it
created or modified from the session, fail the POBody staging table
row, clear the POLines, and fail the POLines staging table rows. Processing
continues on the next POBody. The inner DataConnect task’s Break
task uses the following properties:
Table 6. Inner Break task settings Field Description Flow Type Continue Task Status Success Break Scope Selected Block, Process Incoming POBody Discard Temporary Data All Fail Staging Rows Selected, which sets All - Nothing (no Break task in inner DataConnect).
Having the Save Permanent Record task after the end of the inner (POLine) DataConnect task ensures that the platform saves the POBody and the POLines that go with the POBody.