Versions Compared

Version Old Version 11 New Version Current
Changes made by

Zoe Baldwin

Zoe Baldwin

Saved on

Key

  • This line was added.
  • This line was removed.
  • Formatting was changed.

Insert excerpt
_Banners
_Banners
nameactionflow
nopaneltrue


Excerpt
nameWhatIsAnActionflow

What is an Actionflow?

Insert excerpt_actionflow_icon_actionflow_iconnopaneltrue

An Actionflow is

a

a diagram

that

 that represents a sequence of actions and data flows

.

Actionflows...

control

within an application. It controls the interactions users have with

your

an application and its data, e.g. opening a new screen to edit data

belong to an application or package and can be reused in multiple locations within that application and with different inputs, e.g

.

address cleansing/finder

Actionflows are composed of individual

actions (

actions nodes

) that 

 that each perform a specific task,

such as

e.g. opening a screen or saving data

, and have input and output connections to screens, buttons, tables or

tablesare designed to be composable, e.g. can be combined and are data agnostic

other Actionflows.

Actionflows belong to an application or package, and are represented by the Image Added icon.




Excerpt
nameExample

Example Actionflow

For this example Actionflow, the user clicks a button to trigger the Actionflow that saves a new record containing the text "New".

Image Added

Tip

Click on any image to see it in a larger window.



Excerpt
nameWhyAreActionflowsUsed

Why are Actionflows used in PhixFlow?

Actionflows make PhixFlow applications interactive. They convert a static screen into a user interface

,

by combining

simple

individual actions into

complex

advanced functionality. This enables

the

an application user to interact with the screens

, screen components

and data.

The /number/ principles of an Actionflow

  • All Actionflows require an input, this can be data or an input action (user interaction or scheduled task/task plan)
  • To use data within an action node it must be mapped into an input parameter for that node
  • Action nodes return data to the Actionflow as Output Attributes
    • Actionflows only require minimal data to be mapped in to run, e.g. just the primary key. This is because we can look the data up using a unique identifier (UID)

    Actionflows are composable and reusable across an application but with different inputs connected, making Actionflows "data agnostic" and flexible, and ultimately saving time and effort. 




    Excerpt
    nameSimpleOverview

    Actionflow Simplified Overview  

    The following diagram illustrates a simplified view of an Actionflow that is being used by two different applications.

    The Actionflow is set up to take in a value, Area Code, and return an value, Normalised Area Code, in the form of an Output value. The Contact App maps a Postcode onto the Area Code, this is then processed by the Actionflow to produce a Normalised Area Code, and the Actionflow returns a normalised version of the Postcode. The Logistics App also uses the Actionflow, which is a different instance, and this time a Zip Code is mapped in.

    The returned Output can be used by the applications, for example, mapping the output onto a form field on a screen to display it.   

    Image Added


    How to Create Actionflows

    On a screen, any component that has an 

    Insert excerpt
    _actionflow
    _actionflow
    nopaneltrue
     tab can be configured to trigger an Actionflow to run. 

    Image Added

    On a screen, click a component to display its properties. Components that can have Actionflows are:

    • buttons
    • grid views
    • card/containers
    • areas
    • form fields

    Create via Buttons

    Right click on a button and select Add Actionflow.
    Adding an actionflow by right-click on a buttonImage Added

    Create via Event Handler

    In the component properties →

    Insert excerpt
    _actionflow
    _actionflow
    nopaneltrue
     Settings, in the Event Handler section, click 
    Insert excerpt
    _add
    _add
    nopaneltrue
    .

    1. Event Type: select an event type
    2. Action Method: select Actionflow
    3. Insert excerpt
      _save
      _save
      nopaneltrue
    4. Actionflow: click 
      Insert excerpt
      _add
      _add
      nopaneltrue

      Image Added

    Create via Action Settings

    Add via an action directly.

    1. Action Method: select Actionflow
    2. Actionflow: click 
      Insert excerpt
      _add
      _add
      nopaneltrue

      Image Added


    Image Added