Validate Module Behavior With Inspect Mode

Use Inspect mode in your module to verify its content and logic function as expected. Inspect mode is especially beneficial when building complex modules, as it enables you to identify unintended changes or deviations in the module’s behavior.

Inspect mode overview

To inspect your module, you create inspect sessions:

• Start by providing input to existing nodes within your module and verify that these inputs produce the expected result.
• Save your inspect sessions and run them automatically.
• If an inspect session yields an output that differs from the expected result, the session is marked as failed, and you receive a helpful indication pinpointing the exact location where the module's behavior deviated.
• You can then decide whether to correct your module – restoring its original behavior – or adapt your inspect session to implement the new behavior.

• Repeatedly initiate a module from a specific node instead of starting it from the beginning. Learn how to do this here.
• If you wish to discuss a certain path through the module with a collaborator, you can save this path as an inspect session and then refer to it later.

Create an inspect session

1. To begin inspecting your module, switch from Build mode to Inspect mode by clicking Inspect in the bar above the module graph.

   

2. In the top right part of the screen, answer the questions as you would as an end user. As you progress through the module, your path will be highlighted in green on the graph.

   When creating an inspect session, you can even go back from a result and modify your inspect session.

3. Once you have defined a path through the module, verify that the module behaves as expected. Specifically, ensure that the expected nodes and results are reached. It often makes sense to conclude an inspect session at a result, but this is not mandatory.

   Note that an inspect session only evaluates the path through a module. It does not validate the content of a result or a node, even if the content itself contains logic!

4. Save your module by clicking the folder icon and selecting Save. Give your inspect session a descriptive name that describes the scenario tested.

5. To start a new inspect session from the module’s first node, click the folder icon and select New. Alternatively, edit the inspect session and save it with a new name (see below).

If you want to continue in Preview with an inspect session, click the three dot icon next to the inspect session’s name and select Preview from here.

Check that all inspect sessions pass

While you are building your module, you may want to ensure it continues to behave as expected. The Session manager enables you to achieve this by running all inspect sessions and checking if they still behave as before. Note that running an inspect session does not execute the module, meaning no emails are sent, no integrations are triggered, or values written into databases.

To check the status of inspect sessions, follow these steps:

1. Click on the icon next to the inspect session’s name to open the Session manager.

2. All saved inspect sessions will be displayed. Verify that each inspect session still passes. If they do, it indicates that your module has not deviated from its intended behavior along the paths covered by the inspect sessions.

3. If an inspect session fails, it requires further investigation. If the failure is due to implementing a new and improved behavior in your module, select the inspect session and click Load to modify the inspect session accordingly to align with the new behavior.

4. If your inspect session fails due to an unintended change in the module, you should return to Build mode and adapt the module’s behavior accordingly.

Load and edit an inspect session

To load an inspect session, click the folder icon, then Open…. Next, select the session and click the Load button.

When editing a loaded inspect session, you have the following options:

• To navigate back to a previous node in the path by clicking on it. This allows you to answer the questions starting from that specific node.

• You can select a row in the session data table, which will take you directly to the corresponding node in the graph.

• By selecting a transition, you can view the conditions that were met to trigger that particular path.

Define values from database or integration nodes

In Inspect node, modules are not executed. As a result, database actions and Integration actions do not yield values for inspect sessions.

If your inspect session passes such a node, you will need to manually specify the expected input for that node in your inspect session. This temporary value will then be treated as the node’s value for the inspect session, but will not interfere with your end users’ module usage. After entering the temporary value, click Save values to confirm.

If the value of such a node is irrelevant to your module’s logic, you can save time by auto-generating values. Auto-generated values are random values that match the variable type required. To auto-generate a value, click the magic wand icon next to the Temporary value input field. If you want to auto-generate all temporary values within a group, click the magic wand icon located at the top right.

If you prefer to always auto-generate values when you encounter an integration or a database node, you can enable the option Always auto-generate all fields for integrations and databases.

To disable this feature, click on a previous action and uncheck this option.

Related topics

• Use Inspect mode to start reviewing a module from a specific node.
• Use Quick Check to detect common technical errors.