User step

A user step contains a sequence of interaction items, like input controls, lists and static texts. Each interaction item type has a number of properties and preferences. Extend User step in the tree beside to read about all the different user controls.

Multi exits

A user step can have multiple exits that will appear like buttons in the clients. There is no restriction on how many exits that it is possible to have, but too many buttons in the client (especially in the mobile clients) can look messy, therefore it can sometimes be better to use a sub-workflow instead of a button.

If a user step got one exit step it's automatically set to default but when having more than one exit you have to manually set one exit to default, otherwise, no exit will be selected automatically when using enter or scanning in a workflow.

Click to open the exit step and choose default.

The first exit button is set to default in the Web Client and the priority of the buttons is set to show in which order they should be displayed.

Always enabled exit

Tick the box Always Enabled if an exit should be available even if mandatory data in the user step is missing.

If data is partly entered in the user step from which an always enabled exit is used, the data is not cleared but can be used later in the workflow. The workflow designer should take care when using always enabled exit so the next step is not dependent on data from the exited step.

Pinned user steps

A pinned user step is an information step.

It is only possible to use Header, Static Text, Labeled Static Text, Link and List Presentation in pinned user steps, this because a pinned user step is only a way to show the user information.

The pinned user step will show up on the side of the screen, and the user needs to tap/click on the icon to extend or collapse the pinned user step. In the below picture is the pinned user step to the left and the regular user step to the right. If there is more than one pinned user step in the workflow, will the pinned user step be replaced when the user steps over another pinned user step.

History

From the user step, it's possible to edit the text that is displayed in the historical view in the clients.

Click on historical to configure the historical view. Then enable show in history to be able to see the text in the clients. Enter the preferred text into the text, title and, value field.

In Universal windows client the configured history step looks like this:

The new generation of clients does not support history. The history list has been replaced by a back button which takes the user back to the previous user step.

User step designer

The designer allows for drag-and-drop interaction with the user step. The user can simply drag one item on the left bar and drop it inside the design area. The designer allows for 1, 2, 3 and 4 columns to be added in one row. The web client will expand or shrink depending on the number of columns added in the designer step.

User step settings

Auto Forward

Available from 6.15.

The option to configure the workflow for automatic progression to the next user step is enabled by the Auto Forward configuration.

  • Enable - To activate the auto-forward feature, the Enabled checkbox is checked.

  • Delay - The waiting time before the workflow advances automatically is defined by the Delay setting, with available options including Instant, 1 second, 2 seconds, and 4 seconds.

  • Condition - A condition can be added to determine when the auto-forward action should occur. Note that it's the values entering the user step that will be taken into account, not any changes made within the user step itself.

Use auto-forward in combination with Default and Always enabled Exits to maximize flexibility.

General

Prevent going back

Available from 6.15.

The prevent going back configuration is to set if it should be an option or not for a client user to Undo and go back to the previous user step.

If checked the Undo option will not be available, if checked it will be visible unless the workflow just passed a committing step.

Note that Prevent going back can be set on the individual user steps or for the whole workflow, including fragments, in Workflow - Runtime options - Prevent Go Back.

Reloading

Available from Flow 6.14.

User steps with incoming data arrows can be reloaded, if the "Allow reloading" checkbox in the User step dialog is checked. The Allow reloading option is off by default for workflows created before Flow 6.14 and on as of Flow 6.14.

Reload is done by swiping down, coming back to the user step from a sub-task, and by timer. Note that if an event step timer is used, it will reload the user step regardless of Allow Reloading being true or false.

Reloading rules

The reloading rules are configured in Merge behavior:

  • Keep my local changes

  • Take their changes

  • Discard my local changes

Merging rules per control

Text input, Numeric input, Time picker, Date picker, Checkbox, Menu selection and Binary Option input: For these controls, we have three options: Keep their changes, Keep my local changes, Discard my local changes.

  • For Keep their changes:

    • If we reload and the default value has changed, the new default value is used.

    • If we reload and the default value has not changed, the value typed by the user is used

  • For Keep my local changes:

    • If we reload and the user has changed the value, the user's value is used no matter what the new default value is.

    • If we reload and the user has NOT changed the value, then the new default value is used.

  • For Discard my local changes:

    • Whatever the user has typed, it is not kept when reloading.

Grid, Calendar: There are two options: Keep my local changes, and Discard my local changes. There is also the option of specifying a Unique ID column, which is used to identify rows when merging changes after reloading.

  • For Keep my local changes:

    • If a Unique ID column is set, deleted rows are still deleted after reload

    • If a Unique ID column is set, selected rows are still selected after reload

    • If a Unique ID column is set, edited cells keep their value IF the column has "Keep my local changes" set

    • Added rows are added back (no Unique ID column needed for this)

  • For Discard my local changes:

    • Selection, additions, deletion and cell edits are reverted when reloading.

List selection, list multi-selection and image selection:

  • For Keep my local changes:

    • Selected items are re-selected after reload, if possible.

    • For list selection and multi-selection, rows are identified by group text, large text and small text, if all three are the same, the row can be re-selected

    • For image selection, the image URL is used to identify rows for re-selection.

File gallery and camera input:

  • For Keep my local changes:

    • Added files/pictures are kept after reload

  • For Discard my local changes:

    • Added files/pictures are removed after reload

For signature input:

  • For Keep my local changes:

    • Added signature is kept after reload

  • For Discard my local changes:

    • Added signature is removed after reload

External app launcher:

  • For Keep my local changes:

    • The state is restored if the launcher has been run For Discard my local changes:

    • The state is reset so that the launcher can be used again.

Verb subtask:

  • The state is reset when reloading

Checklist subtask: A unique ID column has to be set up for merging to work.

  • For Keep my local changes:

    • Checked items are still checked (based on the Unique ID column) when reloading For Discard my local changes:

    • Checked items are reset when reloading.

Item creation subtask:

  • For Keep my local changes:

    • Added items are still added

  • For Discard my local changes:

    • Added items are removed when reloading.

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