9.1 About Workflow Builder

The Workflow Builder interface consists of a Canvas, Palette, and Associated Views.

To create a workflow diagram, drag the required activities from the palette, drop them in the canvas area, then configure their properties in the right-side properties window. Connect one activity to another using the connection tool. Use the associated views to define the data item mapping, email template settings and to view the problems associated with a workflow.

9.1.1 Canvas

The canvas is a space where you design and work on the workflow diagram. It provides a graphical view of the activities that build up an entire workflow. To move around and view different parts of your workflow, click any empty space in the canvas and drag the screen to your desired view. The canvas also provides the following options to make workflow viewing easier:

Zoom out and Zoom in

Click the Zoom out and Zoom in icons to decrease and increase the magnification of the workflow display. You can maximize the workflow to display a detailed view, or minimize the workflow for a compact view.

Click the Resize icon to return to the default size of the canvas.

MiniMap View

Click the MiniMap icon to see the whole workflow diagram in the MiniMap window. MiniMap provides a minimized view of the entire workflow in a small window. You can also click and drag the highlighted rectangle to view a specific area of the workflow diagram on the main canvas.

You will also notice an Errors and Warnings banner on the canvas. A green banner with 0 errors and 0 warnings indicates that a workflow has passed the validation check. However, the banner turns red if your workflow fails the validation check. For more information on validation rules, see Validating a Workflow. Click the Problems icon to display the errors and warnings reported on a workflow. You must resolve the reported errors and warnings before publishing.

NOTE:When you create a new workflow without using a template, the canvas is blank except for 2 errors which indicates that the workflow is missing a Start activity and a Finish activity. For general guidelines that must be followed before creating any workflow, see Guidelines for Creating Workflows.

9.1.2 Palette

The palette contains an array of activities that you can drag onto the canvas to create a workflow. In addition, the palette also provides two basic tools, one for selecting and the other for creating connections in a workflow.

The following table gives you a detailed description of all tools available in the palette:

Table 9-1 Workflow Builder Palette

Tool	Description
Global connect tool	Creates flow paths between activities. Flow paths provide connection logic for linking two activities. For more information about connecting activities, see Adding Flow Paths.
Lasso tool	Selects multiple activities or flow paths. Use this tool to move items as a group. To select multiple items, click the Activate the lasso tool icon, then hold down the mouse button in an area outside of the items that you want to select and drag over the items, then release the mouse button. When you select multiple items, the properties window displays properties for the first item selected (see Associated Views for more information).
Activities (for example, Start, Approval, Log)	Inserts the selected activity into the workflow. For more information about adding activities, see Adding Activities to a Workflow. For detailed descriptions of the activities, see Section 10.0, Workflow Activity Reference.

Tool

Description

Global connect tool

Creates flow paths between activities. Flow paths provide connection logic for linking two activities. For more information about connecting activities, see Adding Flow Paths.

Lasso tool

Selects multiple activities or flow paths. Use this tool to move items as a group. To select multiple items, click the Activate the lasso tool icon, then hold down the mouse button in an area outside of the items that you want to select and drag over the items, then release the mouse button.

When you select multiple items, the properties window displays properties for the first item selected (see Associated Views for more information).

Activities (for example, Start, Approval, Log)

Inserts the selected activity into the workflow. For more information about adding activities, see Adding Activities to a Workflow. For detailed descriptions of the activities, see Section 10.0, Workflow Activity Reference.

9.1.3 Associated Views

For each selected item on the canvas, Workflow Builder includes the following associated views:

Properties
Data Items
Problems
Email Template

Not all activities utilize all views. The following table identifies the views and the activities that use them:

Table 9-2 Associated Views for Activities

Activity	Properties	Data Items	Problems	Email Template
Create Start Activity	✓	✓	✓
Create Finish Activity	✓		✓	✓
Create Approval Activity	✓	✓	✓	✓
Create Log Activity	✓		✓
Create Condition Activity	✓		✓
Create Mapping Activity	✓	✓	✓
Create WorkflowStatus Activity	✓		✓
Create Email Activity	✓		✓	✓
Create Rest Activity	✓		✓
Create Notify Activity	✓		✓
Create Integration Activity	✓	✓	✓
Create Subprocess Activity	✓		✓