What is an Actionflow?
An Actionflow is a diagram that represents a sequence of actions and data flows within an application. It controls the interactions users have with an application and its data, e.g. opening a new screen to edit data.
Actionflows are composed of individual actions (represented as action nodes) that each perform a specific task, e.g. opening a screen or saving data, and have input and output connections to screens, buttons or tables.
Actionflows belong to an application or package and are represented by the 
icon.
Example Actionflow
This is an example Actionflow where a user clicks to save data. All images in this course can be clicked on to make them larger.
Why are Actionflows used in PhixFlow?
Actionflows make PhixFlow applications interactive. They convert a static screen into a user interface, combining simple individual actions into complex functionality. This enables the application user to interact with the screens and data.
Actionflows are reusable across an application but with different inputs, making Actionflows flexible and efficient, and ultimately saving time and effort.
Actionflows are composable and interchangeable. This modularity allows for the creation of dynamic and adaptable Actionflows, that are "data agnostic".
Actionflow Simplified Overview
The following diagram illustrates a simple workflow that is being used by two different applications.
The Actionflow itself is setup to take in a value Area Code and return a value Normalised Area Code in the form of an Output. 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 an Output in the form or a normalised version of the Postcode which. The Logistics App also uses the Actionflow, this 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.
