Use Global Functions in a Container

Global functions must be imported into a page (or any container) using the imports section of the container metadata (and its modules property) before the global functions can be used.

For example, a layout.json, defined in the same extension where the functions metadata is defined (say, ext-layout), can specify the modules in its imports like this:
{
  "imports": {
    "modules": {
      "utils": {
        "path": "self:$functions/utils"
      },
      "dateUtils": {
        "path": "self:$functions/dateLocalUtils"
      },
      "commonUtils": {
        "path": "ext-common:$functions/utils"
      }
    }
  }
}

The path property uses a scheme for locating the JavaScript resource, particularly functions, using a convention with three elements: 

{extId}:{resourceType}/{resourceAlias}

The path resolves to the actual require path to the JavaScript module loader.

Element Description
{extId}

Refers to the extension the resource belongs to. 'self' means the current extension. Any other extension will be identified by its id.

  • 'self: - a reserved word, is required to refer to extension-level resources.
    • Example: "self:$functions/dateLocalUtils" refers to the current extension functions. The namespace 'self:' is required to refer to extension resources.
  • 'ext-common' - refers to the name of an upstream extension that the current extension depends on. 'utils' is the resource alias defined there
{resourceType}

Uses a special keyword for the /functions resources (for example, "$functions").

  • self:$functions resolves to an actual resource path ('ext-layout/ui/self/resources/functions')
  • ext-common:$functions resolves to an actual resource path ('ext-common/ui/self/resources/functions')
{resourceAlias}

For global functions, resourceAlias is the alias of the JavaScript defined in functions.json.

  • self:$functions/dateLocalUtils' resolves to ext-layout/ui/self/resources/functions/date/dateUtils.js', where 'dateLocalUtils' is the alias defined in functions.json.
  • ext-common:$functions/commonUtils resolves to ext-common/ui/self/resources/functions/utils/common.js, where 'commonUtils' is the alias for the resource located under 'utils/common.js', that is defined in functions.json.

Here's an example of how functions.json, defined under ext-common/ui/self/resources/functions, might look: 

{
  "commonUtils": {
    "path": "utils/common",

    "label": "Common Utility Functions",
    "referenceable": "extension",
    "functions": {
      "titleCase": {}
    }
  }
}

For ext-layout to import global functions from ext-common, it must have a dependency on ext-common (see Reference Global Functions in an Expression).

Note:

The path property definition for web apps in a visual application is slightly different. See Define Global Functions in a Visual Application.