Pro Tips

Best Practices

Consistently applying naming conventions for all system objects (Attributes, Workflows, Integration Endpoints, etc.) is a foundational best practice.

For example:

  • Attributes: ATT_Product_Color
  • Workflows: WF_Product_Approval
  • Inbound Integration Endpoint: IIEP_Assets_Daily_Load

This approach significantly improves clarity, making it easier to identify object types and filter them, especially when working outside the STEP workbench.

Introduce a dedicated security group like 'Local Users' in the system for non-SSO users that perform automated or scheduled tasks. These users can be assigned specific permissions for running system-level activities like:

  • Integration Endpoints
  • Bulk Updates
  • Scheduled Processes / Business Rules
  • API Interactions

The primary benefit is enhanced control over permissions and improved auditability, providing a clear trail of which system account initiated a change and why.

Avoid broad Action Sets

Break down Action Sets into smaller, more granular chunks (e.g., 'Change Name', 'Modify References', 'Modify Attributes'). This allows for finer control over user privileges, which is crucial in complex implementations.

Don't clutter the MAIN WebUI page

While simple, adding all WebUI screen mappings to the MAIN page becomes unmanageable as the UI grows. Instead, create broad-level mappings on the MAIN page (e.g., one for all Products, one for Entities) that point to a 'Forwarding Screen'. You can then add more granular mappings within these forwarding screens for better organization.

If you haven't already, you should strongly consider joining the official Stibo STEP Community.

It is an invaluable resource for developers, serving as a dedicated hub for technical discussions, knowledge sharing, and feedback. By joining, you gain access to a global network of STEP professionals and Stibo experts.

If you have trouble signing up, contact your Stibo account manager or representative.

  1. Configure the sidebar for majority of the navigation. Group similar items together using the 'Menu Group' component.
  2. Reserver the main 'Home' screens for help text and overall platform information. For specific information, create other 'Homepage' screens.
  3. For 'Node Details' screens, the 'Summary Card' component is the best header usually.
  4. Use a naming scheme for your screens to avoid confusion later.

How-To's

Add a bit of fun to your WebUI homepage with a dynamic "Quotes Widget" using the "Custom HTML" component.

Steps:
  1. In Design Mode, go to a Screen of type 'Homepage'.
  2. In Child Components, add a new 'Widget Grid'.
  3. Open this Widget Grid, and in Child Components, add a new 'Links Widget'.
  4. Open this Links Widget and set its title as ' Quotes' (with a leading space). Then in 'Rows' add a new 'Static HTML' component.
  5. Copy the code below and paste it inside the Static HTML component.
  6. 'Save and Close' design mode.
  7. You can add new quotes in the format indicated in the code. Make sure to not include double quotes (") and replace any single quotes (') with a backquote (`) to avoid errors.
Loading code...

Here's how to integrate an external Linux Server/VM with your STEP instance for file transfers.

Pre-Requisites:
  1. Ensure your server has SSH and SCP available and enabled.
  2. Whitelist your server's external IP in the Self-Service Portal (SaaS) under 'SFTP access control -> IP access control list'.
  3. Generate a new SSH key pair (e.g., RSA or EdDSA-Ed25519). Ensure the public key is in the OpenSSH format.
  4. In the self-service portal, add a new Account under 'SFTP access control -> Accounts', choosing a username and uploading your public key.
  5. Create your target hotfolder directory under the STEP system's /upload/hotfolder/ path.
Connection Steps:
  1. On your server, place the SSH private key in a secure directory like ~/.ssh/keys/.
  2. Add a new entry to your ~/.ssh/config file: 
    Host <system-alias>
    HostName <system-sftp-url>
    User <sftp-username>
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/keys/<sftp-private-key-name>
    • system-alias: A short, memorable name for your connection.
    • system-sftp-url: Found in the self-service portal (e.g., your-system-sftp.mdm.stibosystems.com).
  3. Use scp to transfer files: 
    scp /path/to/local/file <system-alias>:/upload/hotfolders/<your-hotfolder>/
  4. Automate this process by adding the command to a shell script and scheduling it with cron. For example, to run daily at 10 AM: 
    # Open crontab for editing
crontab -e

# Add this line
0 10 * * * /home/user/your-script.sh

WinSCP

An indispensable tool for connecting to the STEP SFTP server to view and manage files. Configure a new session using the SFTP protocol, your system's SFTP URL, and the username created in the self-service portal. Instead of a password, use the 'Advanced' settings to point to your private SSH key file for authentication.

Visual Studio Code

Use the 'Edit Externally' feature in the Business Rule workbench to open JavaScript code directly in VS Code. Stibo provides extensions that enable STEP API autocompletion, making it a powerful and efficient editor for development.

Notepad++

A lightweight yet powerful text editor that is excellent for working with large STEP XML exports, WebUI configurations, and JavaScript files. Its syntax highlighting and performance with large files make it a must-have.

More Coming Soon...