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.

Before you begin

The following procedures indicate the basic steps involved in creating a simple workflow with a web form.

Log in and launch Workflow client
Create and configure a web form with appropriate labels and operator controls
Tip: Text fields can be used to display read-only information, such as headings or titles on your form. Text boxes can be used for processing operator input.
Create and configure a workflow
Add a form to a workflow
Add activities to a workflow to demonstrate binding user input to a form
Add instructions for operators
Create a schedule to automatically start a workflow
Test the workflow in the Task List

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.
1. Launch Workflow client using either the Start menu or desktop icon.
2. On the main Workflow screen, click .
  The Workflow Login dialog box appears.
3. Optional: In the Authentication Type setion, select the type appropriate to your user profile.
4. In the User Name field, enter your user name.
5. In the Password field, enter your password.
6. Click OK.
Create a web form resource.
1. From the navigator, click Global Displays > Forms.
2. Click Add Form.
3. In the Name field, enter a name, such as My First Form.
4. In the Description field, enter clarifying information about the web form resource, such as This is my first web form.
5. Click OK, or press ENTER.
6. In the Displays panel, click Display Editor.
7. On the Overview tab, select Use the Designer tab to create a simple web form.
8. Click Save.
Design a form by adding a read-only text field to the web form.
1. Click the Designer tab.
2. 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.
3. In the Properties section, you can configure the form fields.
  1. 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.
  2. In the Text field, enter content that is displayed to the operator and provides more information about the form. For example, enter Form Title.
  3. In the Size field, from the drop-down list, select a text size.
  4. 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.
1. 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.
2. In the Properties section, you can configure the form fields.
  1. In the Name field, enter a unique identifier by modifying the existing text. For example, enter Text Box Control Name.
  2. 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.
  3. From the Type drop-down list, ensure Text is selected.
  No further configuration is required.
3. Click Save.
To view your form or display, in the Displays panel, click Global Viewer.
Create a workflow resource.
1. In the navigator, click Workflow > Workflows.
2. Click Add Workflow.
3. In the Name field, enter a name, such as My First Workflow.
4. In the Description field, enter clarifying information about the workflow resource, such as This is my first workflow.
5. Click OK, or press ENTER.
Configure the workflow resource.
1. In the Displays panel, click Workflow Management > Workflow Editor.
2. Click the Workflow Editor tab.
3. To assign a task in the workflow, on the General tab, in the Personnel field, click the ellipsis button.
4. In the Universal Browser, click Personnel > People, and then select your user name.
5. Click OK, or press ENTER.
6. Drag and drop a Local Subprocess into the workflow and double-click it, or double-click an existing subprocess.
7. From the subprocess configuration panel, click Edit.
8. In the Name field, enter a name, such as WebFormStep, and then click OK.
9. Click Save.
10. Click the Overview tab.
11. In the Status section, click Enable.
Add a form to the workflow.
1. Click the Workflow Editor tab.
2. From the workspace, double-click the subprocess, WebFormStep.
3. From the Standard Activities panel, drag and drop a Form activity into the subprocess.
4. From the activity configuration panel, click Edit.
5. In the Name field, enter a name, such as WebFormActivity, and then click OK.
6. From the activity configuration panel, in General Settings, click the ellipsis button next to the Forms field.
  The Universal Browser appears.
7. In the Universal Browser, click Global Displays > Forms, and then select the form that you created, My First Form.
8. Click OK, or press ENTER.
9. 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.
1. From the Standard Activities panel, drag and drop a Status Message activity into the subprocess after the Form activity.
2. 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.
3. In the Enter Expression field, enter the following expression: "User entered:"+
4. Click the Workflow Variables tab.
5. Expand the Form activity, WebFormActivity, that you added to the subprocess.
6. 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}
7. Click OK.
8. From the Standard Activities panel, drag and drop a Delay activity into the subprocess after the Status Message activity.
9. In the Timeout field, select the seconds section, and then use the arrows to set a 5-second delay.
10. Click Save.
Add work instructions to the workflow.
1. Click the Work Instructions tab.
2. From the Task/Task Steps list, select the task step, WebFormStep.
3. In the Work Instructions area, enter instructions or insert an image.
4. Click Save.
Create a workflow schedule to start the workflow automatically, and then activate it so that it is available in production.
1. In the navigator, click Workflow > Schedules.
2. Click Add Schedule.
3. In the Name field, enter a name, such as My Schedule.
4. In the Description field, enter clarifying information about the resource, such as This is my first schedule.
5. Click OK, or press ENTER.
6. In the Displays panel, click Workflow Management > Workflow Editor > Overview.
7. In the Select Workflow section, click Browse.
  The Universal Browser appears.
8. Select the workflow that you created in step 6, My First Workflow
9. In the Start Task Filter section, select the Is schedule visible in Start Task window check box.
10. Click Save.
11. In the Status section, click Enable.
Run and test the workflow.
1. From the title bar, click the Task List icon, .
2. Click Start Task.
3. Select the schedule that you created in step 11, My Schedule.
4. 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.