User Task
Introduction
User task allows you to assign a workflow task to a certain user or a group of users.
For example, you can add filters and assign a task to users with the Manager role:
When the workflow reaches the user task activity, the task is created and will be displayed in the Task inbox if you are using the Workflow Commons module:
Properties
User task properties consist of the following sections:
- General
- Due date
- Targeted users
- Outcomes
- Task page
- Display information
- Events
- Boundary events
- Common
General Section
Caption defines a title of the user task.
Due Date Section
Due date is stored in the System module on the UserTask entity as an attribute and its data can be dynamically displayed in the running app. For example, you can use it to set a deadline for the user task and display it in your app. However, this is not an automatic reminder but rather a deadline you reference when keeping track of the user task. If you are using the Workflow Commons module, Due date is used in page templates and preconfigured dashboards.
The Due date section properties are described in the table below:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| None | No due date is set. |
| Duration | You can set the deadline for the user task with the Due in option, which indicates the number of hours, days, or weeks the task is due in. Possible values of the property are the following ones:
|
| Expression | You can set a due date for the user task writing an expression. For example, to set a due date to tomorrow, you can use addDays([%CurrentDateTime%], 1). |
Targeted Users Section
Targeted users are the users who can access and work on the user task. The Targeted Users section allows you to manage which users should see a user task in their inbox.
There are three options for targeting:
- Target User(s): This allows you to target users directly.
- Target Workflow group(s): This allows you to target users indirectly through a pre-defined group.
- No targeting: This allows you to not immediately target users for the user task.
Target User(s)
This option lets you target users directly. You can use either an XPath constraint or a microflow, which results in a list of one or more User Entity objects. These objects are stored in the WorkflowUserTask_TargetUsers association, after which the user task will show up in the task inbox of those users.
The following table lists the sources you can use to target users:
| Source | Description |
|---|---|
| Database | Allows you to use XPath constraints to filter which users should see the user task in their inbox. For example, you can target a certain task only to users in a specific department (assuming such information is available in your domain model). You can use any attributes of the User Entity set in App Settings. |
| Microflow | Allows you to use a microflow to target the user task to certain users. You can check, for example, which users have the right to approve user tasks and are currently not on vacation, and assign the task only to users who passed the check. The return type of the microflow should be a list of the User Entity set in App Settings. |
Auto-Assign When Targeting Results In One User
When enabled, you can automatically assign a user task when a single user is targeted. This option is displayed only when the Target is set to User(s).
Target Workflow Group(s)
Target Workflow group(s) was introduced in Studio Pro 11.2.0 as a beta feature. To enable this option, go to Edit > Preferences > the New features tab > the Workflow section.
For more information on how to configure workflow groups, see Workflow Groups.
This option lets you target users indirectly through Workflow group(s). You can use either an XPath constraint or a microflow, which results in a list of one or more System.WorkflowGroup objects. These objects are stored in the WorkflowUserTask_TargetGroups association, after which the user task will show up in the task inbox of any user that is associated to those workflow groups.
The following table lists the sources you can use to target groups of users:
| Source | Description |
|---|---|
| Database | Allows you to use XPath constraints to filter groups of users who should see the user task in their inbox. For example, you can target a specific Managers group, which associates only the users with a management role. You should use workflow group tokens instead of the Name attribute. So, use [ id = '[%WorkflowGroup_Managers%]' ] instead of [ Name = 'Managers' ]. The latter will NOT be updated automatically if a group is renamed. |
| Microflow | Allows you to use a microflow to target the user tasks to specific groups. You can check, for example, which groups are associated to a specific department (assuming such information is available in your domain model). The return type of the microflow should be a list of System.WorkflowGroup objects. |
No Targeting
This options allows you to not immediately target the user task when the user task is created. Instead, you must set the target manually by setting either WorkflowUserTask_TargetUsers or WorkflowUserTask_TargetGroups, or both yourself. Setting these associations can be done from the On created event handler or at some other time after the user task is created, for instance by an administrator.
This can be useful when you, for example, want the user task to be created but have an administrator assign it to certain users and/or groups later. It should also be used if you want to have mixed targeting, containing both specific users and groups of users.
Differences Between Targeting User(s) and Workflow Group(s)
There is a fundamental difference between targeting User(s) and Workflow group(s):
- Targeting User(s) is static and associates only the users that match the targeting criteria at the moment when the user task is created. After that, the targeted users are NOT updated when new users are created (or when existing users are modified), even if these users would match the criteria.
- Targeting Workflow group(s) is not static and dynamically gets updated when users are added to or removed from the targeted groups. Note that the targeted groups themselves are still static and will not be changed when new groups are added.
FAQs
When Should I Use User Targeting vs. Group Targeting?
In general, we recommend always using group targeting as this provides the required flexibility most organizations need. Use user targeting when you want to assign a user task to specific individuals.
Can I Set or Change Group Targeting at Runtime?
Yes. Just like user targeting, you can change the group targeting at Runtime, for instance, by using the Workflow Commons module.
How Do I Manage Users in a Group?
The Workflow Commons module has a Groups function where you can manage group membership. You can also build your own logic to add members to certain groups based on directory information.
Outcomes Section
The outcomes property allows you to create new outcomes for the user task. Outcomes are translated into different outgoing paths of the user task and can be referred to by other elements, such as a button. For example, you have a process when you need to approve or reject a request. One button on a task page can refer to the Approve outcome of the user task, while another one can use the Reject outcome.
Task Page Section
Task page is the page that an assigned user will use to inspect their task and complete it. You can also allow users to add comments or attachments on this page.
If you generate the page using the templates in the Workflows Commons module, these templates contain necessary data containers and associated context entity.
Display Information Section
Task Name
Task name is stored in the System module on the UserTask entity as an attribute and its data can be dynamically displayed in the running app. If you are using the Workflow Commons module, the Task name is used in page templates and on preconfigured pages to identify the task.
For more information on using parameters, see the Parameters section below.
Task Description
Task Description is stored in the System module on the UserTask entity as an attribute and its data can be dynamically displayed in the running app. If you are using the Workflow Commons module, the Task description is used in page templates.
The Task description can contain parameters that are written between braces, for example, {1}.
Parameters
Parameters are attributes the value of which will be displayed. For example, you can display when the task is due using the DueDate parameter.
To view Parameters, click the ellipsis icon next to the Task name or Task description in properties depending on where you would like to display these parameters.
Parameters have the following settings:
- Index – an identification number of a parameter
- Expression – an attribute from the context that will be displayed
Adding New Parameters
To add a parameter to the Task name or the Task description, do the following:
-
Click the ellipsis icon next to the Task name or the Task description.
-
In the Edit task name/description dialog box > Parameters section, click the New button.
-
In the Template Parameter (String) dialog box, specify the expression, and confirm your choice:
Make sure that the attribute you use in the expression is of the string type. -
In the Template setting, write the text you would like to display and type Index of the parameter you would like to include. For example, you can add a template for the Task description specifying the name of the workflow and what the workflow due date is :
Performing Other Actions on Parameters
In addition to adding new parameters, you can perform the following actions on parameters:
- Delete – to delete a parameter click Delete or press Delete on your keyboard
- Edit – double-click a parameter to edit it or click Edit
- Move up – to move a parameter up in the list of parameters and also to change its index, click Move up
- Move down – to move a parameter down in the list of parameters and also to change its index, click Move down
Events Section
On Created event allows you to select a microflow that is executed immediately after users have been determined for a newly created task instance. You can use this setting for a microflow that will send an email notification about the user task to the assigned users.
Boundary Events Section
For more information, see Boundary Events.
Common Section
Name is the internal name of the user task. When referring to the user task in the app you will use this name. It must be unique within the workflow, but you can have two user tasks with the same name in different workflows.