Workflow Activities
Last updated
Last updated
appConnector Base Activities are made up the most commonly used activity modules in the appRules product suite.
appConnector Base Activities
The Control Flow activities module provides activities for controlling flow of execution within your project.
Control Flow Activities
Note that while activities such as the Parallel and schedule multiple child activities for execution simultaneously, only a single thread is used for a workflow. Each child activity of these activities executes sequentially and successive activities do not execute until previous activities either complete or go idle. As a result, these activities are most useful for applications in which several potentially blocking activities must execute in an interleaved fashion. If none of the child activities of these activities go idle, a Parallel activity executes just like a Sequence activity.
The table below shows the activities in the Control Flow activities module and their key properties.
Activity
Description
FlowDecision
If
Parallel
Sequence
While
Switch
The appRules Base activities module includes activities that are used for initializing your project, closing the project, executing functions, calling other projects and more.
The table below shows the activities in the appRules Base module including their key properties.
Activity
Description
CallWebService
This activity is used to make a webservice call.
Delay
This activity is used to delay the workflow execution.
ExecuteCustomCode
Executes a custom function, expression or script
ExecuteConditionCode
Executes a condition function, a condition expression or a condition script.
ExecuteWorkflow
This activity executes a workflow WorkflowName The name of the project to execute Parameters Parameters to pass to the workflow. Parameters must match the workflow arguments. SaveResultIn If the job returns a value, this specifies where to save the returned value.
MapAndSaveRecords
Most appConnector activity modules contain a mapping activity. For example, the MapAndSetFields in the File module maps file fields to be saved to file. The MapAndSaveRecords activity is a generic mapping activity for bulk-loading of records since it automatically inserts all Source records into the Target. The “SQL -- Batch Export to File” project in the Samples database demonstrates the use of this activity
SendEmail
This activity is used for sending an email to one or more recipients. You can also use this activity to send bulk emails. FromEmail The Email address that will be used for sending the email FromName Optionally, the name to use for sending the email ReplyTo The ReplyTo email address Subject The subject of the email To Recipients of the email BCC The blind carbon copy recipients of the email CC The carbon copy recipients of the email. Body The body of the email. This can be defined using Text or Html.
SetValues
TransformValues
UpdateWorkflowState
This is an optional activity for updating the current state of a running job -- normally this is done automatically.
WriteLogEntry
This is an optional activity for logging entries in the project database: LogEntryType The type of entry to be logged DataSourceRecord, DataSourceStatistics, Error, Message, Warning, or SelectedValues LogText The message to display if LogEntryType is Message DataManager Specifies the Source or Target if LogEntryType is DataSourceRecord, DataSourceStatistics or SelectedValues. SelectedValues Values to log if LogEntryType is SelectedValues
The appConnector Dialogs activities module contains activities for entering or viewing values during runtime or test runs of your project.
The table below shows the activities in the Dialogs module. The activities display the values when the project is run. Viewers activities are displayed when the workflow is run in debug mode.
Activity
Description
EditRecord
Edit the content of a source or target record (et with a InitializeSource a LookupRecord or a InitializeTarget activity)
EditWorkflowValues
Edit preselected workflow values (Arguments, Variables, Datafields (from source or target)
MessageBox
Shows a Message Box that can display workflow values or constants If Cancel clicked = ends execution, if Yes or OK Clicked returns Valid, If No Clicked returns Invalid
ShowDialog
Calls an external assembly that displays the dialog
ViewRuntimeArguments
Displays the workflow arguments values.
ViewRuntimeValues
Displays a selected set of values (can be datafields, arguments, variables…)
ViewRuntimeStatistics
Displays the Source and Target stats (Read, Update. Insert, Delete)
The appConnector Record activities module contains activities for managing the data field values of active records of Source and Target activities in your project. The module also contains the generic GetNextPreloadedRecord activity which can be used to get the next record from a preloaded list of records.
The table below shows the activities in the appConnector Record module including their key properties.
Activity
Description
ClearRecord
Removes the field values of the active record of a Source or Target.
CopyRecord
Copy a record from one Source or Target to another.
FormatFields
This activity formats the field values of a Source or Target record.
GetNextPreloadedRecord
Gets the next record from a preloaded list of records in a Source activity.
InitializeRecordFromCustomValues
Initialize a target record with preset values
InitializeRecordFromDelimitedString
Initialize target records from file records
InitializeRecordFromFunction
Initialize target records with a custom function
UnformatFields
This activity removes all formatting from the field values of a Source or Target record.
ValidateRecord
This activity validates the fields in a Source or Target record.
The appConnector List activities module contains activities for creating ad-hoc lists that can be used in the project. This module also contains activities for managing pick lists that are created in the metadata for systems such as Dynamic CRM, Salesforce.com and others.
The table below shows the activities in the appConnector List module including their key properties.
Activity
Description
InitializeList
This activity used for defining the list (table). A list can be typed directly or can be loaded from a CSV file (see below) FieldNames Used for specifying the column names of the list Each list contains a uniquekey field and n columns (indicated in the NumberOfFields property) ListEntries Click to display the List creation/update window LoadFirstListItem Check this option in order to preload the first record of the list InitializeFromCsvFile Use this option to load the list from a CSV file.
InitializeListFromCustomValues
Initializes a list from custom values.
InitializeListFromDelimitedString
Initializes a list from a delimited string.
InitializeListFromFunction
Initializes a list from a custom function. The function must return list values in List<string>
CloseList
Closes an open list defined by an InitializeList activity
LookupList
To Lookup a list record List The InitializeList source to lookup ListFilters Collection of filters to query the list records to load ValueNotFoundAction Specifies the action to perform if no record is found ContinueWorkflow: Continues running the process LogNotFoundError: Logs a “RecordNotFound” error ExecuteFunction: Executes an extension function ValueNotFoundFunction Specifies the function to execute if the List item is not found
GetNextListItem
Gets the next List item as a record that can be used in the project
IsPickListValueValid
Checks to see if a PickList Value is valid
LookupPickListRecord
Looks up a picklist record
GetNextListItem
Gets the next list item as a record when iterating a list
IsPickListValueValid
Validates if a picklist value is valid
IsValueInCustomValuesList
Checks to see if a value is in a custom values list
IsValueInDelimitedStringList
Checks to see if a value is in a delimited string list
IsValueInFunctionList
Checks to see if a value is in a function list
LookupPickListRecord
Looks up a picklist as a record
FlowChart Activity with Yes/No branches based on a Condition
Condition Activity which models an If-Then-Else action
Executes all child activities simultaneously and asynchronously.
Executes a set of child activities according to a single, defined ordering.
Executes a contained set of workflow elements while a condition evaluates to true.
Executes a contained set of activities depending on a value (can be a datafield read in a source, a variable, a parameter value)
This activity sets selected values (source datafields, variables…) in the project to new values. The window below shows the properties of the collection items:
This activity transforms the values specified in a collection using the available transformation options (using preset transformations for strings, dates, numeric values or custom functions).