Performing Workflow Basic Functions

Last modified: September 24, 2024

Introduction

A workflow is composed of elements that you can use in the workflow editor. In this document, you will learn how to perform the following basic functions when working on workflows and on workflow elements:

Add a workflow
Delete a workflow
Add elements to a workflow
Move elements in a workflow
Cut, copy, or paste elements in a workflow
View element properties
Trigger a workflow from a page or via a microflow
Export a workflow to an image
Switch between portrait and landscape editor orientation

Adding a Workflow

To add a workflow to your app, do the following:

In the App Explorer, right-click the module or a folder you want to create a page in and select Add workflow.
In the Add Workflow dialog box, fill in the Name for the workflow.
Select an Entity to use it as a workflow parameter:

The workflow is created.

Deleting a Workflow

To delete a workflow, do the following:

In the App Explorer, select a workflow you would like to delete and right-click it.
In the displayed list, select Delete and confirm your choice by clicking Delete in the pop-up dialog.

The selected workflow is deleted.

The Workflow entity that was generated when the workflow was created remains in the domain model. You have to delete it manually.

Adding Elements to a Workflow

There are several ways to add an element to a workflow:

You can add an element via the Toolbox:
1. Open the Toolbox.
2. Select an element you would like to add and drag this element into the working area.
You can add an element via an path in your workflow (available from Studio Pro 10.4.0):
1. Place your mouse on any path you would like to add an element to. A plus icon appears to indicate that a new element can be added.
2. Click the plus icon and select an element from the pop-up menu.
You can also add an element by right-clicking an existing element (available from Studio Pro 10.4.0):
1. Right-click an existing element and go to Insert after.
2. Select an element from the menu.

When adding elements, note the following:

It is not possible to add an End event or a Jump activity after an element as this makes the next element unreachable.
It is not possible to add an End event or a Jump activity before an End event or a Jump activity as this makes the next element unreachable.
An End event cannot be placed in paths of a parallel split. This is the same for placing an End event on, for example, an outcome of a user task if this user task is placed on a path of a parallel split.

Moving Elements and Paths in a Workflow

Moving Elements in a Workflow

You can move elements around in your workflow. To do so, drag and drop an element to another path in the working area.

This moves the whole structure of the dragged element, meaning that the element and its underlying elements are moved too.

You cannot move the first (and only) start event and the last end event.
You cannot move the end of a boundary event path

Moving Outgoing Paths in a Workflow

You can swap outgoing paths from a parallel split, a user task, or a decision in a workflow. To do so, drag and drop a path to another path of the same element.

This swaps the dragged path and its content with the targeted path. You can only swap paths that come from the same element.

Cutting/Coping/Pasting Elements in a Workflow

To cut/copy/paste elements, use Ctrl + X / Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V or Command + X / Command + C / Command + V.

When using cut/copy/paste, note the following:

When cutting or copying an element, the clipboard contains the whole structure of the element. For example, when copying a User Task with Outcomes which contain activities, the User Task and the Outcomes and its activities are copied.

Note that copying a User Task or a Microflow does not create a copy of the elements that are being referenced. Instead, the copied element will have the same references as the original. For example, when the original User Task has a task page configured, the copied User Task refers to the same task page.
When no element is selected in the workflow, the clipboard content is pasted at the end of the workflow.
When the start event is selected, the clipboard content is pasted at the start of the workflow.
When an activity is selected, the clipboard content is pasted under the selected activity.
When a flow is selected, the clipboard content is pasted at the beginning of the selected flow.
When the clipboard contents has an Annotation, it can only be pasted into the workflow or into individual activities that support annotations.
Pasting an activity after an End or Jump activity results in a consistency error as an End or Jump activity should be placed at the end of a flow.
Pasting activity can result in a consistency error when the next activity becomes unreachable by either placing an End or Jump activity in front of it or when all flows before a merge end with an End or Jump activity.
Pasting a boundary event on an activity adds it to the activity. You can add maximum five boundary events to one activity. For more information, see a list of activities that support adding boundary events.
Pasting a Jump activity in a boundary event is only allowed when there are multiple paths going to the boundary event’s ending path, otherwise a consistency error is thrown.
Pasting an End event inside a non-interrupting boundary event path is not allowed. This is because an End event is only allowed if no other paths will be executed, which is not the case in a non-interrupting timer boundary event.

Elements that Cannot be Cut, Copied or Pasted

The following elements cannot be cut, copied or pasted in the workflow editor:

Workflow (this can be only be done in the App Explorer)
WorkflowContext
Start event
End event (the final End event which is at the end of the workflow)
Outcomes (meaning outcomes of different outgoing flows from an activity that can have several flows, for example, a Decision)
End of boundary path (the end of a boundary event path)

Viewing Element Properties

To view properties of an element, do one of the following:

Select an element and open Properties pane to view its properties.
Right-click an element and select Properties from the list of options that opens.
Double-click an element.

Elements that do not have any properties

The following element does not have any properties and context menu.

End of boundary path

Triggering a Workflow

You can trigger a workflow from a page or via a microflow.

Triggering a Workflow from a Page

To start the workflow, you can add a widget with a specific on-click event on a page. For more information on on-click events, see On Click Event and Events Section.

Do the following:

Open a page from where you would like to trigger a workflow.
Make sure you have a data container with the workflow context on your page.
Drag a widget that has on-click event in its properties (for example, a button) into the data container with the workflow context.
Open button’s properties > Events section.
Set On-click property to Call workflow.
Set Workflow to the workflow you would like to trigger.

You have configured the button to trigger the workflow.

Triggering a Workflow via a Microflow

To trigger a workflow via a microflow, you can add a Call workflow activity to the microflow. For more information on this activity, see Call Workflow.

Do the following:

Open a microflow that will trigger a workflow.
Make sure the microflow has a necessary parameter with the workflow context.
In the Toolbox, find Call workflow activity and drag it into the microflow.
Double-click the activity to open its properties.
Set Workflow to the workflow you would like to trigger.
Set Context object to the workflow context:
Click OK.

Now when you run this microflow, it will trigger the selected workflow.

Exporting a Workflow to an Image

There are two ways to export a workflow to an image:

Through the File menu in the top bar: File > Export as image.
By clicking Export as image in the upper-left corner of the workflow editor.

Both options open a Save file dialog-box allowing you to choose a name and location for the exported image. After clicking Save the Export workflow model to image dialog-box is opened, where you can change parameters for your image export such as a transparent or opaque background and a relative size of the exported image by selecting a zoom level:

The current document is exported as an image in the .png format.

Switching between Portrait and Landscape Editor Orientation

You can switch between the portrait (vertical) and landscape (horizontal) editor orientation by clicking the orientation icon located in the upper-right corner of the workflow editor. Despite potential minor visual differences in certain canvas elements, the functionality remains entirely consistent across both rendering modes.

It is important to bear in mind that the chosen orientation is not preserved or shared across projects. Consequently, each time you re-open a workflow, the orientation will reset to its default portrait mode.