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.
Before you begin
The following procedures indicate the basic steps involved in creating a simple workflow
with a web form.
About this task
Note: For a video tutorial of this topic, use a browser to open
http://www.youtube.com, and then search for
GE Proficy
Workflow - Developing a Web Form for a Workflow.
Procedure
-
Log in to Workflow.
-
Launch Workflow client using either the Start menu or desktop
icon.
-
On the main Workflow screen, click .
The Workflow Login dialog box appears.
- Optional:
In the Authentication Type setion, select the type appropriate
to your user profile.
-
In the User Name field, enter your user name.
-
In the Password field, enter your password.
-
Click OK.
-
Create a web form resource.
-
From the navigator, click .
-
Click Add Form.
-
In the Name field, enter a name, such as My
First Form.
-
In the Description field, enter clarifying information
about the web form resource, such as This is my first web
form.
-
Click OK, or press ENTER.
-
In the Displays panel, click Display
Editor.
-
On the Overview tab, select Use the Designer tab to
create a simple web form.
-
Click Save.
-
Design a form by adding a read-only text field to the web form.
-
Click the Designer tab.
-
In the Form Fields section, click the
Text form control to add the field to your form.
Tip: You can add multiple text fields, as well as other form controls.
Each text control is labelled and numbered in the Name field
in sequence; for example, Text1, Text2, and so
on.
To delete a field, select it, and then click
Delete.
The Layout area displays the basic configuration for
your form.
-
In the Properties section, you can configure the form
fields.
- In the Name field, enter a unique identifier by modifying
the existing text. For example, enter Text Control Name.
For example, enter Text Control Name.
- In the Text field, enter content that is displayed to the
operator and provides more information about the form. For example, enter
Form Title.
- In the Size field, from the
drop-down list, select a text size.
- In the Alignment field, from the
drop-down list, select an alignment value.
-
Design a form by creating a text box to the web form.
-
In the Form Fields section, click the Text
Box form control to add the field to your form.
The Layout area displays the basic configuration for
your form.
-
In the Properties section, you can configure the form
fields.
- In the Name field, enter a unique identifier by modifying
the existing text. For example, enter Text Box Control
Name.
- In the Label field, enter descriptive text on the form
control that is displayed to the operator. For example, enter Text Box
with Status Message.
- From the Type drop-down list,
ensure Text is selected.
No further configuration is required.
-
Click Save.
-
To view your form or display, in the Displays panel, click
Global Viewer.
-
Create a workflow resource.
-
In the navigator, click .
-
Click Add Workflow.
-
In the Name field, enter a name, such as My
First Workflow.
-
In the Description field, enter clarifying information
about the workflow resource, such as This is my first
workflow.
-
Click OK, or press ENTER.
-
Configure the workflow resource.
-
In the Displays panel, click .
-
Click the Workflow Editor tab.
-
To assign a task in the workflow, on the General tab, in the
Personnel field, click the ellipsis button.
-
In the Universal Browser, click , and then select your user name.
-
Click OK, or press ENTER.
-
Drag and drop a Local Subprocess into the workflow and
double-click it, or double-click an existing subprocess.
-
From the subprocess configuration panel, click Edit.
-
In the Name field, enter a name, such as
WebFormStep, and then click OK.
-
Click Save.
-
Click the Overview tab.
-
In the Status section, click
Enable.
-
Add a form to the workflow.
-
Click the Workflow Editor tab.
-
From the workspace, double-click the subprocess,
WebFormStep.
-
From the Standard Activities panel, drag and drop a
Form activity into the subprocess.
-
From the activity configuration panel, click Edit.
-
In the Name field, enter a name, such as
WebFormActivity, and then click
OK.
-
From the activity configuration panel, in General
Settings, click the ellipsis button next to the
Forms field.
The Universal Browser appears.
-
In the Universal Browser, click , and then select the form that you created, My First
Form.
-
Click OK, or press ENTER.
-
Click Save.
-
Add activities to the subprocess to display form information to and request input from
an operator.
You can bind user input from the form's text box control (step 4) to workflow
variables. For example, you can add a Status Message activity to
your subprocess in order to deliver a message to your operator regarding a particular
task, and request input.
-
From the Standard Activities panel, drag and drop a
Status Message activity into the subprocess after the
Form activity.
-
From the activity configuration panel, in General
Settings, click the drop-down arrow next to the
Message field, and then select
Expression to bind the message in your form.
-
In the Enter Expression field, enter the following
expression: "User entered:"+
-
Click the Workflow Variables tab.
-
Expand the Form activity,
WebFormActivity, that you added to the
subprocess.
-
To complete the expression, double-click the text box value, Text
Box Control Name.Value, that you created in step 4.
You have created the following expression: "User
entered:"+{WebFormActivity}.{Text Box Control Name.Value}
-
Click OK.
-
From the Standard Activities panel, drag and drop a
Delay activity into the subprocess after the Status
Message activity.
-
In the Timeout field, select the
seconds section, and then use the arrows to set a 5-second
delay.
-
Click Save.
-
Add work instructions to the workflow.
-
Click the Work Instructions tab.
-
From the Task/Task Steps list, select the task step,
WebFormStep.
-
In the Work Instructions area, enter instructions or insert an
image.
-
Click Save.
-
Create a workflow schedule to start the workflow automatically, and then activate it so
that it is available in production.
-
In the navigator, click .
-
Click Add Schedule.
-
In the Name field, enter a name, such as My
Schedule.
-
In the Description field, enter clarifying information
about the resource, such as This is my first
schedule.
-
Click OK, or press ENTER.
-
In the Displays panel, click .
-
In the Select Workflow section, click
Browse.
The Universal Browser appears.
-
Select the workflow that you created in step 6, My First
Workflow
-
In the Start Task Filter section, select the Is
schedule visible in Start Task window check box.
-
Click Save.
-
In the Status section, click
Enable.
-
Run and test the workflow.
-
From the title bar, click the Task List icon,
.
-
Click Start Task.
-
Select the schedule that you created in step 11, My
Schedule.
-
Click Start.
The task that you created is now visible in the Task List. You can enter
data into the form, view work instructions, and submit changes.
What to do next
Tip: For Vision users, click the TASKS tab to see pending
workflows.