Adding Tasks to a Workflow

As a developer and object designer, your first step when creating Workflows is adding objects to it. You add objects in the Workflow editor. Objects that have been added to the Workflow editor are called tasks. They are depicted as boxes that you can link to each other. You have various possibilities to add objects to a Workflow.

Drag and Drop

You can add objects from the Explorer or from the Global Search dropdown list by dragging and dropping them:

1. Do one of the following:

   • Open the Explorer in a new window and go to the folder that contains the object.
   • Start a Global Search.
2. If you are using the Explorer, arrange the Workflow and the Explorer windows side by side on your screen.
3. Select and drag one or more objects from the Explorer window or from the search dropdown list and drop them onto the Workflow editor.

4. (Optionally) If you want the task to be an external dependency, right-click it and select Convert to External Dependency.

   External dependencies are tasks that run outside a Workflow but that affect whether a task in the Workflow can start or not. For more information about the implications of external dependencies in Workflows, see External Dependencies in Workflows.

For more information, see Opening and Arranging Multiple Views.

Objects Pane

1. Click the Objects button in the toolbar.
2. The Objects pane opens on the right. It lists all the executable objects available in the Client you are logged into and that you have access to. The pane also displays Object Links.
3. Select one or more objects to drag and drop them onto the editor.

Searching for Objects in the Objects Pane

You have the following options to search for an object:

• Using the folder menu bar to scroll through the folder structure and select the objects.

  1. Click the arrow next to the home icon to open a drop-down list that replicates your folder structure in the Process Assembly perspective.
  2. Select a folder. If it has sub folders, a new drop-down list displays them.
  3. The objects in the sub folder are displayed in the hit list.

• Using the Search field

  This field uses implicit wildcards at the beginning and at the end of the search string.

  Example:

  Entering DB_BACKUP triggers the search for *DB_BACKUP*. The following results are also suggested in the drop-down list:

  • MSSQL_DB_BACKUP
  • DB_BACKUP_MSSQL
  • MSSQL_DB_BACKUP_JAN

• Combining the menu bar and the Search field. Restrict the search to a folder and enter a search string to find objects within that folder.

Note: If you are working with packs and actions, this pane also contains a tab that is called Actions. From this tab, you select the predefined tasks that you want to include in the Workflow. For more information, see Working with Actions.

Right-Click and Add

Optionally, right-click an empty space on the editor and do the following:

1. Right-click an empty space on the editor and select Add > Add Existing Object from the context menu.
2. On the Add Existing Object dialog, scroll through the folder structure and select one or more objects. Alternatively, enter the name of the objects in the Search field.
3. Click OK.

Add a New Object (Workflow Only)

From within the editor, you can create a new Workflow from scratch and insert it simultaneously as embedded Workflow.

1. Right-click on any empty space on the editor and select Add New Object.

2. The Add Object dialog is displayed.

1. Select the Workflow Type. In this dropdown, Workflow stands for STANDARD.
2. Enter a Title that helps you identify the Workflow later on. For more information, see Name, Title, and Alias.
3. (Optional) Click the Name button and enter the name of the new Workflow.
4. (Optional) Click the Folder button and specify a different path. By default, the path of the parent Workflow (where you are inserting the new one) is displayed.

3. Click OK.

4. Save your changes.

Next Steps

1. Arrange and connect the objects. The connection lines determine the object executing sequence.

   For more information, see Connecting Tasks in the Workflow.

2. Optionally, define object-specific properties.

   Select the object and click the Properties button on the editor toolbar. Alternatively, right-click the object and select Properties.

3. The Properties pane is displayed on the bottom half of the editor. It contains several tabs. Click the links below for a detailed description of the properties available in each tab:

   • General Tab
   • Calendar Tab
   • Variables Tab
   • PromptSets Tab
   • Time & Dependencies
   • Conditions, Preconditions, Postconditions
   • Runtime Properties
4. Save your changes.

Important! These properties apply to the object only when executed from within the Workflow. They are not saved with the object itself.

Notes:

• You can define properties not only for the tasks in a Workflow but also for the START and END nodes.

• ForEach or IF Workflows work in a slightly different way. Click the following links for information about them:

  • IF Workflows
  • FOREACH Workflows

Best Practices

Organize the structure of your Workflows so that it helps you visualize what the objects do and at which point of the process they are. If there are objects that belong together, arrange them in clearly recognizable clusters. Later, when monitoring the Workflow, a well organized structure helps you recognize the overall status of the process.

See also:

• Workflows (JOBP)
• Workflow Logic
• Workflow Monitor Overview
• Example: Designing and Monitoring Objects