How to control element visibility in OutSystems for users with certain roles?

Controlling Element Visibility in OutSystems Based on User Roles

In OutSystems, controlling the visibility of UI elements based on the roles assigned to users ensures that users access only the components and information pertinent to their responsibilities and permissions. This guide provides a thorough, step-by-step approach to implementing role-based element visibility in your OutSystems applications.

Prerequisites

• An OutSystems environment where you have development permissions.
• Basic understanding of OutSystems roles and user management.
• An existing OutSystems application or module where you intend to implement role-based visibility controls.
• Knowledge of OutSystems Expressions and Logic.

Understanding OutSystems Roles

• OutSystems roles enable you to control access to various parts of an application by assigning permissions to users or groups of users.
• Roles can be application-specific and include pre-defined roles like "Administrator" or "User," or custom roles created for specific needs.

Setting Up Roles in OutSystems

• Navigate to "Data" in Service Studio and click on "Roles" to define or edit roles within your application.
• Create new roles as necessary by clicking on "Add Role" and assigning descriptive and functional names.
• Assign roles to users via the "Users" application in your OutSystems environment or through user management functionality built into your application.

Implementing Element Visibility Controls in Your Application

• Identify the UI elements (buttons, sections, etc.) that need visibility controls based on user roles.
• Open the screen or block in Service Studio where the UI element is located.
• Select the element you wish to control visibility for, and navigate to its properties panel.
• Locate the "Visible" property, which determines whether the element is shown or hidden.

Creating Logic to Control Visibility

• Switch to the "Logic" tab in Service Studio to create or use existing client actions that determine visibility based on role conditions.
• Create a new client action or use expressions to evaluate user roles. Example conditional expression:

      CheckUserRole('Administrator') or CheckUserRole('Manager')
      

• Use built-in functions like `CheckUserRole(RoleName)` to verify if the current user has a specific role.
• Bind this expression or logic to the "Visible" property of the element by clicking the expression editor in the Visible property.

Testing Role-Based Visibility

• Publish your application changes and test the visibility control by logging in with users having different roles.
• Ensure that UI elements are correctly shown or hidden based on the current user's role.
• Use the "Users" application in OutSystems to manage users and roles for comprehensive testing.

Deploying Role-Based Visibility Controls

• Before deploying to production, verify that all role-based visibility constraints function correctly and do not cause UI issues or errors.
• Ensure that your logic for role checks is efficient and does not impact performance.
• Conduct user training or provide documentation on new role-based access features as needed.

By following these steps, you can successfully implement role-based visibility controls in your OutSystems application. This ensures that users interact with elements appropriate to their permissions, enhancing both security and user experience.