Back Forward About Flow Action rules

User Interface category
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Purpose

A flow action rule controls how users interact with work object forms to complete assignments. After selecting one flow action, users may fill in a section of the form to complete (perform) the assignment.

Where referenced

In a flow rule, developers can associate flow actions with connectors (arrows) and with assignment tasks. At runtime, the flow actions associated with an assignment determine the choices available to users as they perform the assignment.

Controls and Layouts

On the Layout tab, each flow action references one or more section rules that define the runtime presentation of the flow action. You can directly edit these section rules in the Flow Action form, using these controls and layouts. (When you save the flow action rule, the updated section rules are also saved.)

Containers

Layout Section Tree Tree Grid Grid

Basic

Button Check box Calendar Icon Image
  Input Box Label Radio Buttons TextArea Select
URL    

Advanced

AutoComplete Chart Data Field Dynamic Select List to List
  List view Menu Bar Paragraph Smart Label  

Short Descriptions

TipChoose the wording for the Short Description field carefully, so that it is meaningful in context to application users who must select one action from the list. Starting each Short Description text with an action verb such as "Approve", "Reject", "Send", or "Transfer" is often helpful to users. This is known as intent-driven processing.

Action Section

On Perform work object forms presented with the default action section, the form area created by a flow action can offer the most likely action as the default, while allowing the user to choose other actions:

Flow action

The text in the action's Short Description field appears as user-visible text in the action selection list.

Other formats are supported. See Presenting flow actions.

Access

Use the Application Explorer to access the flow action rules that apply to the work types in your application. Use the Rules Explorer to list all the flow action rules available to you.

Delegation

C-494 KHATV 10/22/03 After initial development and testing, selected flow action rules can be maintained by line business managers rather than by application developers. The Layout tab of the form provides managers access to the fields most often updated.

TipFor each flow action rule in your application, consider which business changes might require rule updates, and whether to delegate the rule to non-developers who then can make such updates directly. See How to build for change.

Category

Flow action rules are part of the User Interface category. A flow action rule is an instance of the Rule-Obj-FlowAction rule type.

How to unit test a flow action rule

Related topics Understanding CSS styles
Standard rules Atlas — Standard flow actions (Connector/Local)
Atlas — Standard flow actions (Local)

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