Defining Data

Nov 15, 2024 · 4 min read
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Info
This guide describes Klang, Kognitos’ natural-language-based syntax for building automations. It allows you to build automations by writing instructions as if you were describing them in words.

Overview

In Kognitos, defining data refers to naming a specific piece of information, allowing it to be stored, referenced, updated, and passed between steps within an automation.

Every data element (also referred to as a fact) consists of two parts:

  1. A name that identifies and labels the data.
  2. A value, which represents the information itself. Values can be singular or plural.

Defining Singular Data

To define a singular data element, use “is”:

<name> is <value>

Defining Plural Data

To define a plural data element, use “are”:

<name(s)> are <value(s)>

Examples

  1. In this example, the customer is the data name. It is assigned the singular value “John Smith”:
the customer is "John Smith"
  1. Here, the items is the plural data name. It is assigned the plural value of the documents.
the items are the documents
  1. In this example, the fruits is the plural data name. It is assigned a list (plural) of fruit values:
the fruits are the apple, the banana, the orange
Warning
Make sure singular names pair with singular values, and plural names pair with plural values! For example, you wouldn’t write “the fruits is the orange”. Instead, you would write: “the fruits are the oranges”.

Data Names

Data names define how information is labeled and referenced. The following rules apply:

1. Begin with “the”

Data names must be prefaced with the. For example:

the email

the phone number

the primary username

2. Names can be Simple or Descriptive

Data names can be simple or descriptive. Adjectives can be used in descriptive names to provide additional clarity or context. For example:

Simple Name

the message

Descriptive Name

the very special user greeting message

Data Values

Data values can be singular or plural. Possible data types include numbers, text, dates, lists, or references to other data elements.

1. Numbers

Numeric values can be assigned to data such as age, balance, or rates. For example:

the age is 21

the bank balance is $120.20

the interest rates are 5.67, 6.25

2. Text

Text values can be words, sentences, or phrases. They can include any characters—letters, numbers, symbols, or spaces—as long as they are enclosed in double quotes (""). For example:

the message is "Welcome to Kognitos!"

the username is "i-like-to-automate-123"

the announcement is "We're so glad you're here. Let's build something great together."

3. Dates

A date value represents a specific calendar day, such as a due date, birthday, or event date. Be sure to enclose date values in double quotes (""). For example:

the due date is "2024-11-05"

the project start date is "January 1, 2024"

the birthday is "March 22, 1990"

4. Lists

To define a list, separate the values by commas. For example:

the test scores are 95, 86, 100, 77, 65 and 99

the coupon codes are "SAVE20", "SALE2024", "HAPPYHOUR" and "JUST4U"

the email addresses are "john@gmail.com", "johnny@yahoo.com" and "johnsmith@aol.com"

5. Referencing Other Data

The value of a data element can also be a reference to another data element. In these cases, the data value is set to another data name. For example:

the username is the customer email

the documents are the receipts 

the approver is the manager
Warning
Note: You can only reference another data element if it has been defined earlier in the automation.

6. The Above

When a data element’s value is set to the above, Kognitos makes a copy of the value from the previous lines in the automation:

<data name> is the above

Examples

  1. In this example, the backup email is assigned the value john@example.com.
the customer email is "john@example.com"
the backup email is the above
  1. Here, the invoice total is assigned the value 150.
the order total is 150
the invoice total is the above
  1. In this example, the file is assigned a copy of the above file in the automation.
the file is the above

Reassigning Data

Use the use keyword to reassign a data element, which copies the reference to the original data value:

use <data value> as the <data name>
Warning
Overwriting Data: Updating a referenced data element can overwrite previous data — see Example 2 for more details.

Examples

  1. In this example, the registration date is reassigned the value 11-05-2024.
use "11-05-2024" as the registration date
  1. In this example, the order name is assigned a copy of the reference to the last name, meaning it will point to the same value.
use the last name as the order name

If the last name changes, the order name will also change, because it references the same value. When the last name changes to Smith-Brown (line #3), the order name also changes (line #4):

the last name is "Smith"
use the last name as the order name
the last name is "Smith-Brown"
the order name
User-Guide
Kat Chonka
Authors
Kat Chonka
Technical Writer
I’m a technical writer and documentation engineer with 6+ years of experience in software and documentation, building clear, scalable content.