Request a way for nodes in collection to be logic-only, no request issued #5707
Description
See also #2749, which was closed without understanding what was being asked for
In order to create collections that implement logic, I create nodes as branch points for loops and flow control. For example:
- INITIALIZE LOOP VARIABLES
- FOR EACH XYZ
- | First Request
- | Second Request
- NEXT XYZ
- LAST XYZ
In a collection like this, the only thing the ALL-CAPS requests do is manipulate global variables and control the flow of execution. For example:
- INITIALIZE LOOP VARIABLES - sets the loop control variable to its initial state
- FOR EACH XYZ - tests if the loop control variable is outside of the acceptable range, and if so, jumps to LAST XYZ
- NEXT XYZ - iterates the loop control variable, and jumps to either "FOR EACH XYZ" or "LAST XYZ"
- LAST XYZ - does nothing, it's only there as a branch point
I also sometimes also insert "requests" that are purely cosmetic, or simply toggle global variables around.
None of these "requests" actually need to make a request But they are needed, given the way that flow control was implemented.
What is needed is a way for those "requests" to not actually make any requests.
As a workaround, I simply point them at www.example.com. But that's not fair to them, my collections all generate traffic to their website needlessly. And it slows down the execution of my collection to wait for their website to respond.