Creating Callable Profound.js Modules

Profound.js modules are units of code that you can either call directly or call from another module.

A low-code / no-code module is created visually using the Visual Designer tool and saved as a Rich Display File with a .json extension. If you prefer to use code to create your module, it can be written in JavaScript and saved to a file with a .js extension.

The files should be placed within a subdirectory of the modules directory within your Profound.js installation. These subdirectories can represent Workspaces in Profound.js.

When used on IBM i, subdirectories of modules map to IBM i libraries. The pathlist or the IBM i library list searches these subdirectories.

In PJS 7.10 onwards, enabling appendPJSpathlist in config.js will append the IBM i library list onto the default PJS pathlist. Modules are then searched starting from the default PJS pathlist before the IBM i library.

When using JavaScript code, in order to create a callable Profound.js module, the JavaScript file you create must export a runable function by specifying the exports.run or export.default property. The following example shows a skeleton for module code. Every runable module must have a similar setup.

mytest.js

function mytest() {
  // executable code goes here
}
 
exports.default = mytest;

Once a module is created, it can be called one of several ways:

As a workspace start file
As configured workspace route
Directly as an initial module through a URL alias
By another module using the pjs.call() API
As a Web Service using the profoundjs.express() API
Using the PJSCALL command from an interactive Genie session
Using a Proxy Program from an interactive Genie session