Configuring pre-processing for a flow action

Provide relevant data before users start working on an assignment by configuring pre-processing for a flow action. Flow actions can call a data transform, an activity, and a robotic automation, which gives you a possibility to meet your unique business requirements connected to data manipulation in a case.

For example, you can autopopulate fields on a form that a user needs to process to complete the assignment.

In pre-processing, the system first applies a data transform, runs an activity, and then runs an automation. Specify the elements of pre-processing that match your needs. For example, you can specify only a data transform, and you can omit providing robotic automation and an activity.Note: If you assign this flow action to an assignment that is one of the possible paths in the flow, for example, a path that results from the Decision shape, you need to consider the likelihood value of the assignment. If this flow action has the highest likelihood value at run time, the form for this flow action appears as the default form when your application displays a Perform harness, and the system also runs the data transform and the activity. As a result, users interact with the updated values on a form. For more information, see Types of decision logic and Changing the decision logic in a flow.Note: You can configure pre-processing only for flow actions that do not support bulk-processing. Bulk processing cannot use a pre-processing activity, data transform, or a robotic automation.

1. In the navigation pane of Dev Studio, click Records.
2. Expand the Process category, and then click Flow Action.
3. In the list of flow action instances, open the flow action that you want to edit.
4. On the Action tab, in the Pre-processing section, in the Apply data transform field, specify a data transform that the system applies to the current primary page at run time.
5. If the data transform includes parameters, in the Parameters section, enter values for the parameters.
6. In the Run activity field, specify an activity that the system runs before performing any additional processing for the flow action.

   Consider the following factors when you use an activity for pre-processing:

   • This activity runs only once, when a user selects the flow action for an assignment, even if the application displays the action area more than once. For example, when the data that the user submits for the first time fails validation. The activity also runs when you preview the flow action.
   • In the activity that you want to use, do not perform a Commit operation, and do not transfer the assignment.
7. If the activity has parameters, in the Parameters section, enter values for the parameters. For example: To allow users to return control to a completed assignment that is marked as an entry point, use the jumpToTask activity from the Work- class, and then complete either the TaskName parameter with the internal shape name, such as ASSIGNMENT52, or select the previousEntryPoint check box. For an example, see the standard flow action entitled Work-.Previous.
8. If you use Robotic Desktop Automation (RDA), specify the pre-processing automation that you want to run on the user's desktop to retrieve data to display to users on a form in your application:
   1. In the Run robotic automation field, enter an automation name.
   2. In the Description field, enter text that describes what the automation does.
   Note: Automations always run synchronously and flow processing pauses while the automation is in progress. After an automation completes processing, the system updates the clipboard, and renders the section that the flow action references.
9. Click Save.