Kuika's Get Categories action is used to list category records defined within the EAV (Entity-Attribute-Value) data model. This action is ideal for grouping attributes, presenting category selections to the user, and creating hierarchical category structures.

This action is currently available in Beta version and is still under development. It is recommended to test it carefully before using it in a production environment.

Technical Specifications

Category Listing (EAV Panel): The Get Categories action works with the following parameter:
- Optional Parameter:
  - ParentId (Guid): Used to list subcategories linked to a specific parent category. If this parameter is not specified, all categories or parent categories are retrieved. This allows you to:
    - Retrieve the entire category structure.
    - Display only subcategories belonging to a category (hierarchical structure can be created)

Data Source Compatibility: The ParentId parameter can be taken from the following sources:
- Select Box or Tree Element (parent category selection)
- Fixed (Fixed Guid)
- Action Result (output of another action)
- Current
- Screen Input
Web & Mobile Support: The Get Categories action works in both web and mobile applications.

Get Categories Action Application Steps

1. Creating a Listing Component on the UI

A Select Box, Table or Tree element is added.
The Get Categories action is linked to this element to load the category data.

2. Adding an Action

When the page is loaded or the user selects a specific parent category:
- + ADD ACTION > OnPageLoad or OnChange → EAV > Category > Get Categories action is added.

Optionally, the ParentId parameter can be defined:
- Symbol Picker > SelectBox.SelectedValue
- or a fixed Guid

3. Linking the results to the UI element

The action result is linked to the listing element from the Value field.
The returned data is usually in the following format:
- Id (category ID)
- Name (category name)
- Description (optional)

Use Case: Listing Subcategories by Parent Category

A user selects a parent category in a category system. The system then wants to list only the subcategories associated with this category.

The user selects the parent category from a Select Box element.
This selection triggers the Get Categories action with the ParentId parameter.
The returned subcategories are listed in another Tree element or Table.
The user selects one of these subcategories to continue the process.

Get Categories Action Advanced Customisations

Display Categories in a Tree Structure: A tree structure can be created based on ParentId values.
Empty List Status: If there are no subcategories associated with the selected parent category, the message ‘No subcategories found’ can be displayed to the user.
Filtering: Filters such as Category Name can be added optionally to narrow down the data.

Technical Risks

Invalid ParentId: If a query is made with an undefined ParentId, an empty result may be returned.
Beta Version Risk: Since the feature is still in beta, unstable results may occur in some edge cases.
Data Format Incompatibility: The action output must be configured to be compatible with the UI element (Label, Value, Id, Text, etc.).

The Get Categories action enables dynamic, hierarchical, and filterable category management based on the EAV data model in the Kuika platform. When used with the ParentId parameter, parent-child relationships can be established between categories, and customised selection fields can be presented to the user.