Create variables in workflow

AVEVA Work Tasks supports storage types that are mainly categorized as Variables, Contents, and XmlVariables.

• Create a variable

• Assign a value to the variable

• Use the variable in an activity

Prerequisites

• Create a repository.

• Log on to the repository using Administrator credentials.

Create variable

1. Access the Central Configuration URL (for example, https://worktasks.connect.aveva.com/CC123456789). .

2. In the Enterprise Console, click the Menu button, and then click Workflows. The Workflows page appears.

3. On the action bar, click New, and then click Workflow. The New Workflow wizard appears.

4. In the Title box, type a name for the workflow, and in the Description box, type a description for the workflow.

5. Click Save & Continue. The workflow is created, and the Workflow Options wizard appears.

6. Select Design the Workflow now, and then click Finish. The Process Designer appears. While designing a workflow, if you get a pop-up blocker warning message, then to select Allow Blocked Contents to proceed further.

7. Right-click the Start activity, and then click Activity Properties. The Activity Properties appears.

8. Click the edit icon near the Variables property to declare the variable. The Variables dialog box appears. All Variables added to the workflow are displayed in rows in the grid.

9. Enter "EmployeeName" in the Workflow Variables text box, and then select the Type as "String".

10. Click Update to save the variable.

11. Click the Save button in the Activity Properties pane to save all the data entered.

Update variable

To update the value of the variable in the subsequent activities, we have to add the Update Variable activity from the Engine Activities list.

12. Select Engine Activities from the Activities drop-down list.

13. Drag the Update Variable activity to the Design area.

14. Right-click the Update Variable activity in the Design area, and then click Activity Properties.

15. Configure the Update Variable activity. 

    1. Enter a Name and Description for the activity.

    2. Configure the SetVariable property.

       1. Click the edit icon in the Set Variable property to set a value for the variable. The Update Variable dialog box appears. Click Select. The tree view containing the list of Variables and XmlVariables is seen.

       2. Click Select. The tree view containing the list of Variables and XmlVariables is seen.

       3. Click the icon near the Variables view. You will see the variable that we created in the Start activity.

       4. Click the variable “Variable.Employee” and enter a value for it. Enter the name “John”.

       5. Click OK to update the value assigned

    3. Click the Save button in the Activity Properties pane to save all the data entered.

16. Click the Link icon in the toolbar to link the two activities, that is the Start and the Update Variable.

    The Link Action appears.

17. Click OK to establish the link.

Use variable in the activity

18. Select Human Activities.

19. Drag the Information activity to the Design area.

20. Right-click the Information activity in the Design area, and then click Activity Properties.

21. Configure the Information activity.

    1. Enter a Name and Description for the activity.

    2. Configure the Actor to whom you want to send the information:

       6. Click the edit icon near the Assign Actor(s) property. The Assign Actor(s) appears.

       7. You have to assign the Information task to the user who has alerted the workflow. For this, you have to specify a small expression:

       8. Select the required provider from the Providers list.

       9. Select ID from the first drop-down list.

       10. Keep the operator as default "=".

       11. Select Variable from the next drop-down list.

       12. Select Variable.SubmittedBy.ID in the last drop-down list, and then click Add.

       13. Click Update to save the property value.

    3. Configure the Subject property:

       14. Click the edit icon near the Subject property. The Subject appears.

       15. Enter the subject in the text area.

       16. To customize the subject and append the subject by selecting some XML variable and building an expression follow the next set of steps:

       17. Type 'The Employees Name is:' in the text area.

       18. Select Variables from the first drop-down list.

       19. Select the Variable you had declared in the Start activity from the second drop-down list, that is EmployeeName.

       20. Click Append.

       21. Click Update

    4. Click the Save button in the Activity Properties to save all the data entered.

22. Click the Link icon to add a new link between the two activities, "EmployeeVariableUpdation" and "DisplayingEmployeeInformation".

23. Click OK to establish the link.

24. Click Publish and Test Run. The Process execution view appears where you will notice the Start, Employee Variable Updation, and Display Information activity has been executed successfully.

Note: If the Status is "Execution Pending" in the Process execution view, then click the Refresh button to get the latest status.

View Inbox

To view the information task assigned to the actor who alerted the workflow.

25. Select the Inbox from the Enterprise Console menu. A task with the subject “The Employee name is John” is available in the users Inbox.

26. Click the Information task in the Inbox to view the details for the task. You have successfully created the VariableWorkflow.

AVEVA Work Tasks provides you other storage types, like Contents and XmlVariables.

For more information about using variables, see the Start Variables topic in the Developing Business Processes section.