Invoking Apex Callout From Process Builder

Process builder is GA in Spring 15 and one of the queries I came across was around how to invoke apex callouts from Process builder .

Before process builder came we had two common approaches of calling webservice 

1)We have outbound messages as one of the Actions for workflows.This works if other party implements the WSDL that is generated once Outbound messaging is defined with appropriate end point .

2)Most of times future method invoked through triggers allowed to do apex callouts and invoke external web service provided the future method is annotated with @future(callout=true).This provides lot of flexibility and one of the best approaches .

3)Flow triggers was in BETA and this was also one of the ways we could invoke callouts provided the Flow implements process plugin .To understand in detail how to implement process plugin refer to the below example

The purpose of this blogpost is to demonstrate the new possibility of invoking apex callout through Process Builder 

I tried initially to make this callout synchronous and invoke apex callout directly inside @InvocableMethod and received uncommitted pending DML issue and I have no solution for this and may be an Idea post to salesforce to allow this .

My approach included below steps 

1)Invoke apex through process builder using @InvocableMethod
2)Use Future method inside @InvocableMethod and invoke apex callout 

Creating Process Builder Flow

1)Navigate to Process Builder 

  

2)Specify the Object and when to start the process setting

                                               

3)Define Criteria for our action defined

4)Define the action ,here our action comprise of calling the Apex method annotated with @InvocableMethod

The input variable of apex method needs to map to related record ,here it maps to Account object .

Below is the code for the MakeApexCallout class ,Future class and also the JSON parser weather info class

	public class Futureapexcallout{
	@future(Callout=true)
	public static void apexcallout(string billingstate,string billingcity,Id AccountId){
	// Instantiate a new http object
	Http h = new Http();
	// Instantiate a new HTTP request, specify the method (GET) as well as the endpoint
	HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();
	String requestURL='http://api.wunderground.com/api/551013da52923e43/conditions/q/';
	requestURL=requestURL+billingstate+'/'+billingcity+'.json';
	req.setEndpoint(requestURL);
	req.setMethod('GET');
	// Send the request, and return a response
	HttpResponse res = h.send(req);
	string result=res.getBody();
	system.debug('^^^^^^'+result);
	WeatherInfo weatherinformation=new WeatherInfo();
	WeatherInfo.Current_observation currentobserv=new WeatherInfo.Current_observation();
	WeatherInfo.Display_location location=new WeatherInfo.Display_location();
	weatherinformation=(WeatherInfo)JSON.deserialize(result, WeatherInfo.class);
	currentobserv=weatherinformation.Current_observation;
	location=currentobserv.display_location;
	Account accupdate=[Select BillingPostalcode from Account where Id=:AccountId];
	accupdate.BillingPostalcode=location.zip;
	update accupdate;
	}
	}

view raw Futureapexcallout hosted with ❤ by GitHub

	public class MakeApexCallout {
	@InvocableMethod
	public static void invokeapexcallout(list<Account> acc) {
	Futureapexcallout.apexcallout(acc[0].billingstate,acc[0].billingcity,acc[0].id);
	}
	}

view raw MakeApexCallout hosted with ❤ by GitHub

	public class WeatherInfo {
	public class Current_observation {
	public Image image;
	public Display_location display_location;
	public Observation_location observation_location;
	public Estimated estimated{get;set;}
	public String station_id;
	public String observation_time;
	public String observation_time_rfc822;
	public String observation_epoch;
	public String local_time_rfc822;
	public String local_epoch;
	public String local_tz_short;
	public String local_tz_long;
	public String local_tz_offset{get;set;}
	public String weather{get;set;}
	public String temperature_string;
	public Double temp_f{get;set;}
	public Double temp_c{get;set;}
	public String relative_humidity{get;set;}
	public String wind_string{get;set;}
	public String wind_dir{get;set;}
	public Integer wind_degrees{get;set;}
	public Double wind_mph{get;set;}
	public String wind_gust_mph{get;set;}
	public Double wind_kph{get;set;}
	public String wind_gust_kph{get;set;}
	public String pressure_mb{get;set;}
	public String pressure_in{get;set;}
	public String pressure_trend{get;set;}
	public String dewpoint_string{get;set;}
	public Integer dewpoint_f{get;set;}
	public Integer dewpoint_c{get;set;}
	public String heat_index_string{get;set;}
	public String heat_index_f{get;set;}
	public String heat_index_c{get;set;}
	public String windchill_string{get;set;}
	public String windchill_f{get;set;}
	public String windchill_c{get;set;}
	public String feelslike_string{get;set;}
	public String feelslike_f{get;set;}
	public String feelslike_c{get;set;}
	public String visibility_mi{get;set;}
	public String visibility_km{get;set;}
	public String solarradiation{get;set;}
	public String UV{get;set;}
	public String precip_1hr_string{get;set;}
	public String precip_1hr_in{get;set;}
	public String precip_1hr_metric{get;set;}
	public String precip_today_string{get;set;}
	public String precip_today_in{get;set;}
	public String precip_today_metric{get;set;}
	public String icon{get;set;}
	public String icon_url{get;set;}
	public String forecast_url{get;set;}
	public String history_url{get;set;}
	public String ob_url{get;set;}
	public String nowcast{get;set;}
	}
	public class Estimated {
	}
	public Response response;
	public Current_observation current_observation;
	public class Image {
	public String url;
	public String title;
	public String link;
	}
	public class Response {
	public String version;
	public String termsofService;
	public Features features;
	}
	public class Display_location {
	public String full;
	public String city;
	public String state;
	public String state_name;
	public String country;
	public String country_iso3166;
	public String zip;
	public String magic;
	public String wmo;
	public String latitude;
	public String longitude;
	public String elevation;
	}
	public class Observation_location {
	public String full;
	public String city;
	public String state;
	public String country;
	public String country_iso3166;
	public String latitude;
	public String longitude;
	public String elevation;
	}
	public class Features {
	public Integer conditions;
	}
	}

view raw WeatherInfo hosted with ❤ by GitHub

For callout for this example I have used a sample REST API from api.wunderground.com that is available for free

The response is JSON which returns the Zipcode also and we stamp Zipcode returned from the response on the Account record .

A small video demonstrating this is as below

I am quite surprised that even though it happens in future but after the page refreshes the value is found stamped on the record (Almost given us feel to naked eye that it happened synchronously )


I hope you enjoyed this post and any queries or solution please let me know .