Functional blocks of the workflow scheme:

  • "Start" block
  • "Finish" block
  • "Robot" block
  • "Screen Form" block
  • "And" boolean gateway
  • "Or" boolean gateway
  • "Workflow" block
  • "Note" block

"Start" block

The "Start" block is the starting point of the workflow.

Its main purpose is to set the workflow parameters that can be used in any subsequent block in the workflow scheme.

The panel with the properties of the workflow parameters opens to the right of the workspace of the Workflow Designer and looks as follows: 

 

Workflow parameter properties panel

Each workflow parameter has its own panel, which contains:

  1. On the top left is the sequence number of the parameter
  2. On the top right the buttons with icons:
    • "-" - minimize the parameter panel
    • "+" - развернуть панель параметра
    • "Trash" - delete workflow parameter
  3. In the center - properties of the workflow parameter:
    1. Parameter name (arbitrary);
    2. Parameter type:
      • string
      • boolean
      • numeric
      • date and time
      • table
      • array
    3. Parameter value (to be set).

Example of setting a parameter: 


Types of workflow parameters

String

You can specify the value of a parameter of this type using letters of any alphabet, numbers and symbols.

Boolean

This parameter can take only two values, True or False (in any case).

Number

A number can be positive, negative, floating point or fixed point.

Table

A table is specified as a JSON object. For example, the value of a parameter with a 3x3 table type with string values will look like:

[
    [ "element 1.1", "element 1.2", "element 1.3",],
    [ "element 2.1", "element 2.2", "element 2.3",],
    [ "element 3.1", "element 3.2", "element 3.3"]
]

All values in the table must be of the same type: all blocks must be either strings, or boolean or numbers.

Adding a workflow parameter

Using the "Add Parameter +" button, multiple workflow parameters can be added to the Start block. Each new parameter will be numbered in order: 


Deleting a workflow parameter

A workflow parameter can be deleted from the parameter list using the "Trash" icon located in the upper right corner on the property bar of the specific parameter to be deleted.

"Finish" block

The "Finish" block is intended for setting the parameters of the workflow result. Any input and/or input parameters of a workflow/task/SF/subprocess can be used as result parameters.

It is up to the Workflow designer to select the result parameters of the workflow: the designer successively adds the result parameters to the "Finish" block, names them and links them to the workflow/task/SF/subprocess parameters.

For the workflow, the scheme of which is shown in the figure below, the robot output parameter " Adding 2 numbers" is chosen as the final result of the workflow, which adds 2 numbers: the degree of the first workflow parameter and the area of a circle with radius equal to the second workflow parameter. 

"Robot" block

The "Robot" block performs a robotic task. The block has 3 common properties:

  1. Robot name (filled in automatically after selecting the robot).
  2. Robot description (filled in automatically after selecting the robot).
  3. Block color (filled in by the workflow designer).
  4. Special launch:
    • Host (filled in by the workflow designer after the robot is selected)
    • Account (filled in by the workflow designer after robot is selected)
  5. Input parameters (filled in by the workflow designer after robot is selected).

Selecting a robot

To select a robot as the executor of a task, you must click on the "Select robot" button. 


When you click on the "Select robot" button, a list of ready-made robots appears, in which you must select the one that will perform the task. The robot is selected using the left mouse button. As an example, we have selected the robot "Exponentiation", which, as the name implies, increases a number to a degree: 


General properties

After selecting a robot, the Robot block's properties panel will display:

  1. Robot name.
  2. Robot description.

The rest of the properties must be filled in by the workflow designer.

Special launch

In a special launch, the designer is given the opportunity to select:

  1. The host on which the robot will be loaded.
  2. The account under which it will be executed.

Input parameters

Fields for robot input parameters appear automatically based on the robot's internal specification. The designer only has to bind them either to workflow parameters or to parameters of previous tasks.

In our example, we will bind the robot input parameters to the workflow parameters "x1" and ""n1"", which are set in the "Start" block: 


It is very easy to bind the robot input parameters to the input parameters of a workflow or task. To do this, in the field for each robot input parameter you need to select the desired workflow or task parameter from the dropdown list by clicking LMB. In our case we need to select the workflow input parameters "x1" and "n1": 


This completes the work with the "Robot" block.

"Screen form" block

The "Screen form" block performs a user task.

The block has properties:

  1. Task name (filled in automatically after selecting an SF).
  2. Description (filled in automatically after selecting an SF).
  3. Block color (filled in by the workflow designer).
  4. Responsible - selected by the designer from the list, by default the executor is "Initiator".

SF selection

To select an SF for a user task you should click on the "Select a screen form" button. 


When you click on the "Select a screen form" button, a modal window opens with a list of published screen forms, from which you should select the one that will be used to perform the user task: 


The modal window contains the following artifacts:

in the upper left corner                - the title of the modal window;

to the right of the title                  - number of screen forms in the list;

in the upper right corner              - search line of the SF by its name;

in the center                                  - list of screen forms with fields:

              • Screen form - name of SF
              • Version - SF version
              • Author - workflow designer who created the SF
              • Publication date - date and time of SF publication

under the list of screen forms  - navigation line through the pages of the SF list with a choice of the number of screen forms to be placed on the page;

bottom right                             - buttons:

              • "Select" - when you click this button, the SF for the user's task is selected
              • "Cancel" - when this button is clicked, the modal window is closed

on the outer side of the upper right corner - icon "Cross", clicking on which closes the modal window


Suppose we want to select from a list of SFs named "SF #1". Actions to be performed:

enter the symbol "#" in the search bar, thus the list of screen forms is automatically reduced to those that have the symbol "#" in their name - out of 5 screen forms, only one SF with this name is in the list 

    • select this SF with the left mouse button and click on the "Select" button
    • the modal window closes automatically
    • and "SF #1" is attached to the user task
    • properties "Task name" and "Description" are filled in automatically using properties of the selected SF: 


The remaining properties of the SF:

  • Responsible
  • Block color
  • Priority
  • Deadline
  • Input parameters

are filled in by the workflow designer. 


Selecting the responsible

The responsible is an individual, an employee of the company and at the same time a user with the role "Task Executor", who will work with the SF.

By default, the task executor is the "Initiator".

An initiator is a user who can initiate the launch of a workflow, and in doing so he becomes the default executor of that workflow, i.e. assigns the task to himself. 

If the workflow designer wants to assign a specific employee to a custom workflow task, he must select him from the list of users.

If the workflow designer wants to assign several employees from a specific group to a user task, he must select this group of users as executors. In this case, each user with the role "Task Executor" from this group will be given the right to take over the task and the first one to take over the task will be the executor.

Each workflow has a group of users with different roles that work with this workflow. The task executor must be a member of this group if there are user tasks in the workflow. So, when you click on the "Responsible" dropdown list, the following should appear:

  • list of all users with the "Task Executor" role
  • list of user groups that contain users with the "Task Executor" role

The user or user group is also searched by the first entered characters 

Block Color

Block color is a common optional property of any block. It is filled in the same way as for all other blocks.  

Priority

The workflow designer can set the priority of a task, which should be used by its executor when selecting the next task, if there are several user tasks in progress at the same time.

In doing so, the executor should choose the one with the higher priority first. If an executor has several tasks with the same high priority, he should choose the task that needs to be completed earlier.

A task may have the following priorities:

  1. High
  2. Medium
  3. Low 


Deadline

The deadline is set in days, hours and minutes and is counted from the moment the task has a specific executor. If a task's deadline expires, the executor, workflow owner and administrator will receive a notification that the task has expired, if they are all subscribed to this type of notification. Upon receiving such a notification, the workflow owner should find out the reason for the delay in execution and take the necessary measures to eliminate them as soon as possible. 

Input parameters

The fields with input parameters are created automatically on the basis of the internal specification of the SF. The workflow designer only has to set the values of these parameters.

As with robots, the input parameters of the workflow at the "Start" block and the resulting parameters of the previous task can be used as input parameter values.

For example, the workflow shown in the figure below has 2 input parameters "a" and "b". SF #1 also has 2 input parameters. We can link the values of the input parameters of the workflow to the input parameters of SF #1: 


In this case, the task executor, while working with SF #1, will see 2 fields in it with the values of workflow parameters that were set either by default or at launch.

"And" boolean gateway

The "AND" boolean gateway is designed to parallelize the workflow by branches. The number of parallel branches is unlimited and they must converge in one (robotic or user) task.

The block has properties:

  • Block name
  • Block sizes
  • Color (to be filled in by the workflow designer)
  • Description 


"Or" boolean gateway

The "Or" boolean gateway is intended for branching a workflow by a condition. The condition can be a single condition or there can be several conditions.
The condition is set only after creating a connector with the subsequent blocks of the scheme. The number of conditions of a block is equal to the number of connectors (workflow branches) coming from the block.

Condition Constructor

In the scheme shown below, the "Or" block has two outgoing guides to two "Robot" blocks: 


This block will have 2 conditions. The conditions are located under the general properties of the block in the "Conditions" panel. Conditions are set using the condition constructor. To set a condition, click on the "Gear" icon at the selected condition. As a result, the following modal window of the condition constructor will appear: 


In the condition constructor you can specify one or more conditions connected by boolean operators "And" or "Or". Each condition is defined by 2 operands (first and second parameters) and a boolean operation between the operands. 

Both workflow parameters and resulting parameters of other function blocks preceding the "Or" block can be used as condition parameters. 

The first parameter is always selected from the parameter list.

The second parameter can be selected either from the parameter list or set immediately with its own value.

The following boolean operations on operands are available in the constructor:

  • equals to
  • does not equal to
  • greater than
  • less than
  • contains
  • does not contain

Operands can be both numeric and string parameters.

As an example, let's set a condition for our "Or" block for the branch "1 condition" of the following form: i1 >= 0. This can be done using two conditions connected by the "Or" function: 


Let's save the condition by clicking on the "Create" button.

Similarly, create the second condition for the branch "2 condition" of the type: i1 < 0: 


As a result, we get 2 conditions at the "Or" block: 


Conditions can be edited at any time by clicking on the "Gear" button. To delete a condition, click the cross icon on the conditions panel or the "Trash" icon in the condition builder.

"Workflow" block

The "Workflow" block is designed to use another workflow that has already been published to execute a business task. The configuration of this block is very similar to the work with the "Robot" block.

The block has properties:

  • Workflow name (filled in automatically after selecting a subprocess)
  • Workflow description (filled in automatically after selecting a subprocess)
  • Block color (to be filled in by the workflow designer)
  • Input parameters (to be filled in by the workflow designer after selecting the robot)

Selecting a workflow

To select a robot as the executor of the task, click on the "Select Robot" button. 

If you click on the "Select workflow" button, a list of published workflows appears, where you should select the one that will perform the task. The workflow is selected using the LMB. As an example, the robot " Adding two numbers" is selected, which, as it is clear from the name, performs the addition of two numbers: 

We used the search bar to select the workflow.

General properties

Once a workflow is selected, the properties panel of the Workflow block will display:

  1. Workflow name
  2. Workflow description

The other properties must be filled in by the workflow designer.

Input parameters

Fields for subprocess input parameters appear automatically based on the internal specification of the subprocess. The designer only has to link them either to the main workflow parameters or to the parameters of previous tasks.

In our example, we will link the subprocess input parameters to the main workflow parameters: "a" and "b", which are set in the "Start" block: 

It is very easy to bind the input parameters of a subprocess to the input parameters of a workflow or task. To do this, in the field for each input parameter of a subprocess you need to select the required workflow or task parameter from the dropdown list. In our case we need to select the workflow input parameters "a" and "b": 

This completes the work with the "Workflow" block.

"Note" block

The "Note" block does not affect the workflow and is intended for the workflow designer - present or future - who will take it for revision or reworking. 

The note can contain any considerations regarding the purpose of the workflow, the principles of its design, features in the execution of the workflow.

A block has the following properties:

  • Text - the actual text that will be displayed in the note (set by the designer)
  • Background color (white by default)
  • Border color (black by default)
  • Text color (black by default)
  • Font size (16 by default) 

The designer enters the text of the note and changes the rest of the block's properties as needed to their preference.


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