Activity form: Completing the Steps tab — Entering method parameters

The Method Parameters section allows you to pass information from an activity to a method or instruction specified in the Method field of a step.

To complete the Method Parameters section in a step:

1. Enter a method name or instruction in the Method field.
2. Click the Expand icon to expand the step.
3. Review the fields in the Method Parameters section. These fields dynamically update based on the value you specified in the Method field:
   • For method names, parameters specific to the method appear.
   • For instructions, parameters specific to the rule name associated with the instruction appear. The keywords Call, Branch, Collect, Queue, Flow-New, or Rule, followed by a rule name are examples of instructions.
   • For a Java instruction, a text area appears where you can enter inline, Java source code.
   • The message "No parameters" appears when the specified method or instruction does not accept any parameters.

4. Enter values in each field, using the SmartPrompt to help you select an option from a list where available. Icons appear next to a field when appropriate:

   • Star – Indicates the field is required.
   • Magnifying glass – Opens the rule referenced in the field.
   • Gear – Launches the Expression Builder.

At run time, the system passes the values specified in the Method Parameters section to the method or instruction. If applicable, a parameter page is created for the step that is separate from the parameter page of the activity. This separate parameter page is destroyed when the step completes.

In some cases, you can use the parameter page of the activity to pass information instead of explicitly setting values in the Method Parameters section. This technique is referred to as passing parameters by reference.

To pass parameters by reference:

1. Ensure that the parameter values required by the method or instruction are present on the parameter page of the activity before the step executes.

   This is typically done by a previous Property-Set step in the activity or a rule higher up in the call stack.

2. Enter a method name or instruction in the Method field.
3. Click the Expand icon to expand the step.
4. Select the Pass current parameter page check box.

At run time, the parameter page of the current activity is passed to the method or instruction. This page returns to the activity when the step completes.

Passing parameters by reference allows the called method or instruction to modify the parameter page.

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