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Building and Configuring Workflows
Task Configuration
Task Configuration
The workflow configuration panel in the Workflow Editor allows you to configure task details, properties, parameters, variables, events, namespaces, and data sources for workflows.
Configuring Operator Task List Actions
Operators can perform a variety of actions with a task or task step, such as assigning priority, entering expiration reasons, cancelling, performing jumps, acquiring and releasing the task, and reassigning task steps.
Task Expiration
Operators can enter an explanation as to why a task or task step expired.

Workflow Products Documentation

Building and Configuring Workflows
- Workflow Design Basics
- Workflow Foundations
- Task Management for Administrators
- Task Configuration
  - Task Configuration
    The workflow configuration panel in the Workflow Editor allows you to configure task details, properties, parameters, variables, events, namespaces, and data sources for workflows.
    - Developing a web form for a workflow
      This tutorial shows how you can design, develop, and use a web-based form, then add it to a simple workflow for use by an operator working in the Task List.
    - Task List Filters Configuration
      Users can perform context sensitive filtering in the Task List, which focuses a list of tasks or task steps on specific criteria.
    - Task Assignments
      Task assignments include routing workflow task to a location or personnel resource depending on the requirement of the workflow.
    - Continuously Looping Workflows
      You can configure a workflow to run the preprocess through the postprocess logic in a continuous loop.
    - Task Name
      Task Name is a general read property that is available at the workflow level.
    - Highlight Color
      Highlight Color is a general writable property that you can use to emphasize a task or task step during run time. When viewing these tasks during run time, you will observe a bar of color on the task that you set a color against.
    - Configuring Electronic Signatures
      To include a signature with a task/task step action or a form, add personnel with the authority to sign and verify forms. By default, all signatures are configured at the workflow level.
    - Automatic Task Selection
      Auto Select is a read property that is available at the workflow level. You can set a task to be selected automatically in the Task List during run time by configuring client methods or workflow activities with the Auto Select feature.
    - Parameters
      Parameters are used to pass data into and out of a workflow or subprocess, so that they can interact with other workflows and subprocesses.
    - Local Variables
      Local variables are used as local data sources that are available to the running workflow during the lifetime of the workflow instance.
    - Data Items
      Data items are data bound to data sources that are external to the current workflow. If the data item has a defined data type, then the data item acts as a local variable of that data type.
    - External Events
      External events allow the workflow or subprocess to use events defined outside of the workflow.
    - Namespaces
      A namespace is a logical design-time naming convenience, used mainly to define scope in an application and organize classes and other types in a single hierarchical structure.
    - Linked Documents
      You can link documents or web sites in workflow tasks, subprocess task steps, and schedule tasks. If the document is defined at the task level, it is visible in all task steps.
    - Work Instructions
      The Work Instructions tab is where you can input detailed instructions for a person performing a task or task step.
    - Configuring Operator Task List Actions
      Operators can perform a variety of actions with a task or task step, such as assigning priority, entering expiration reasons, cancelling, performing jumps, acquiring and releasing the task, and reassigning task steps.
      - Set the priority of a workflow task
        You can apply a numeric value for a task. This priority setting does not affect the execution of the workflow; it is used only for sorting and filtering within the Task List.
      - Set a workflow task to expire
        You can set an expiration date and/or time for workflow tasks when a workflow is running.
      - Task Priority
        Task Priority is a general read property that is available at the workflow level. Task Priority is a general read property that is available at the workflow level. You can apply a numeric value for a task. This priority setting does not affect the execution of the workflow; it is used only for sorting and filtering within the Task List.
      - Task Expiration
        Operators can enter an explanation as to why a task or task step expired.
      - Canceling Tasks
        Operators can cancel an entire task or an individual task step in the Task List.
      - Acquiring and Releasing Tasks
        Task steps may be acquired by an operator if it has not already been acquired by another operator. Then, if required, an operator may release a task step so that it can be acquired by another operator.
      - Task Jumps
        Operators can skip from one task step to another in the Task List when a workflow is running.
      - Reassigning Tasks Steps
        In an active, running workflow, operators can reassign a task step to a different person, piece of equipment, or location, as required.
- Task Step Configuration
- Global Subprocesses
- Basic Activities
- Schedules
- Faults
- Test Workflows
- Debug Workflows
- Track Data
- Web Services Service Provider
- Legacy Workflow Web Service
- Categories
- Completion Codes
- Actuals
- REST APIs

Task Expiration

Operators can enter an explanation as to why a task or task step expired.

Note: Operators must have authorization to perform certain actions in the Task List, which can be assigned to them in the Security Editor. They may, however, still view the contents in this area.

An expiration is a visual indication about how much time is available to perform a workflow task (or a subprocess task step). Expirations determine the duration of a task or task step when a workflow or a subprocess is in a run-time state.

In a workflow instance, if a task or task step expires, you can still complete it. The entire process is not lost; however, the task or task step is logged as having timed out, and the workflow state changes and initiates an event that you can hook into. This event can also be used as a means of escalation. If required, you can then run the task or task step again. A running task is not interrupted if a task expires.

Example

During the execution of a task, one of the task steps expires because of an equipment maintenance issue. The task supervisor can, during the execution of the subsequent task steps, go back and complete or restart the expired task step when the employee and equipment are available to complete the task step.

Expiration Options

Note:

The Absolute and Relative expiration types allow you to build an expression or perform a bind.

Action	Value	Description
Name	System-defined; Default selection	No expiration is set for the selected item.
Absolute	User-defined	Select this option to define an exact date and time when this item expires. In the Duration field, select a date and time.
Relative	User-defined	Select this option to provide a countdown timer to indicate how long this item has to complete. In the Duration field, you can set the number of days, hours, minutes, or seconds for this item to expire. Tip: Insert a condition event to: provide the completion countdown, or ensure a condition is met to expire this item.
Relative: Condition Event	User-defined	Select this check box to configure a condition event for the item's relative time. Click the Configure Event link to configure the conditional event. For information, see Condition Events.