Modifying Workflows at Runtime

As a developer and object designer, after designing a Workflow you execute it to check its behavior. If the execution does not meet your expectations, you can modify it from the Workflow Monitor in the Process Monitoring perspective. Workflows can be modified only if they are active (they have already started) or are in generation. The reports provide detailed information about these changes.

The changes in the Workflow monitor apply to that particular execution only. They are not stored in the Workflow definition.

Important! It is not possible to delete tasks from the Workflow monitor, whether they are active or not. You have two possibilities to get rid of a task in the Workflow:

Set it to inactive
Remove the connecting lines that point to the task and redesign the workflow accordingly

This page includes the following:

Switching Between Read-Only and Monitor Mode

When you open the monitor, the Workflow is in read-only mode. To change the Workflow or the properties of its tasks, the monitor must be in monitor (edit) mode.

Click the Modify button on the toolbar. The Workflow stops and activates the edit mode. Now you can make changes without new tasks starting.
Make your changes.
Click the Modify button again to switch back to the read-only mode.

Note: The Modify button is not available in Client 0.

Modifying Workflows with Embedded (Child) Workflows

Switching the parent Workflow to the modify mode does not automatically switch its child Workflows. To modify embedded Workflows, you must set them to modify mode too.

To Switch Embedded (Child) Workflows to Modify Mode

Click the Modify button on the toolbar.
Expand the child Workflow by clicking on the flip icon on its upper right corner. The structure of the embedded Workflow is displayed.
Right-click anywhere on the expanded Workflow to open the context-menu and select Modify. The embedded Workflow is now in modify mode and you can edit it.
Make your changes and click the Modify button to switch back to the monitor (read-only) mode.
The parent Workflow is still in modify mode. Click the Modify button here as well.

Special Case: IF and ForEach Workflows

The properties of IF and ForEach Workflows cannot be changed. For this reason, the Modify button is always disabled.

However, you can perform certain functions on the tasks included in them, such as set a breakpoint, cancel, restart, and so on. The status and the type of the tasks determine which functions are available.

For information about which functions are available see Available Functions Depending on the Task Status.

Replacing Tasks

You can only replace tasks that are activated but not started yet.

Right-click the task and select Replace Task.
On the Replace Task dialog, search for the task you want to replace. You have two possibilities:
- Scroll through the folder structure by clicking the arrow next to the home icon and expanding the nodes.
- In the Search field, enter the name or par of the name of the task that you are searching for.
The new task replaces the old one in the Workflow. The new task inherits the dependencies and properties of the old task.

The old task is moved one line below the new task. Its connector line changes to a dashed lines to indicate that this task is deactivated. It is not removed from the monitor because it has already been generated. This is essential for auditing purposes because it allows you to track what has changed with each replacement.
Save your changes and click the Modify button to leave the edit mode. The Workflow is activated again.

External Tasks

External tasks are not part of the Workflow but affect it. An external dependency is graphically displayed in the form of a dashed task box.

An external task can only be replaced by another external task. The Replace Task dialog contains an additional Insert as External Dependency field at the bottom to indicate that you insert an external task. For more information, see External Dependencies in Workflows.

Adding Tasks

Right-click on the monitor and select Add Existing Task from the context menu.

Note: You can only add tasks (or moved them) to areas that are on the same column, to the right of or below already existing tasks. If you try to do so outside of this area, one of the following happens:
- A message is displayed stating that there is "No action available for selection".
- The tasks are displayed in red.
On the Add existing Object dialog, search for the task you and add it to the Workflow. If you want the task to be included as an external task, activate the Insert as External Dependency checkbox.
Connect the new task as needed.
Click the Modify button to leave the edit mode.

Moving Tasks

You can move tasks from one position in the Workflow to a different one. This applies both for the tasks within the Workflow and for the start and end nodes, which can also me moved. Move the tasks using the drag and drop function.

Rearranging tasks does not modify the Workflow logic because their position does not determine their sequence. The connection lines determine the sequence.

Connecting/Disconnecting Tasks

The task sequence is defined by the connecting lines that link them. In the Workflow monitor you can connect and disconnect tasks. For information on how to connect and disconnect tasks, see Connecting Tasks in the Workflow.

Important! It is not possible to delete tasks in the Workflow monitor. If you want to prevent the execution of a task in an active/stopped Workflow, you can disconnect it from its predecessor. Select the line that points to the task you do not want to execute and either right-click and select Delete or press the Delete button on your keyboard. The connector is now displayed as a dashed line indicating that the connection has been removed. The task (as well as all subsequent tasks) will not be executed.

You can only remove the connection to a task that has not been executed yet.

Modifying the Properties of Tasks

Click the Modify button on the toolbar.
Select the task that you want to modify and right-click to select Properties. Alternatively, select the task and click the Properties button on the toolbar.
The properties pane opens at the bottom half of your screen. Select the appropriate tab and change the values as needed. See Modifying Workflow Tasks at Runtime for a description of the possibilities.
Click the Modify button to leave the edit mode. The workflow is activated again.

Rollbacks

For more information, see Rolling Back Tasks and Workflows and Rollback Page.

Bulk Operations on Tasks

To perform the same operation on several tasks simultaneously, do the following:

Select the tasks:
- In the graphical view, press the Ctrl key on your keyboard and select the tasks. The connector lines are also selected.
- In the hierarchical view you can also use your keyboard. Select a task and press the Shift + arrow up/down keys.
Right-click to display a context menu with the options that are available to all selected tasks. If the tasks have different statuses, the context-menu contains only the options that are available and common to all.

To know how many tasks you have selected, click the Details button after bulk-selecting. The Details pane on the right indicates it.