Build an Activity form

Use the Activity form to generate forms for all ordinary and capture activities of a process map.

You can generate only one form for an activity.

The generated form has the following format for each activity in the process: <Form name><Activity name>. For example, in the PersonalInfoGetDetails form, PersonalInfo denotes the form name and GetDetails denotes the activity.

All the process initialization variables and the variables used as input or output to the activity appear as corresponding controls in the form. For example, a String variable becomes a text box, a Boolean variable becomes a check box, and a Date variable appears as a Calendar control.

Input variables are read-only; output variables are editable controls.

The output parameter is retained only on completing an activity; on canceling the activity, the output parameter is lost.

When you build an activity form (all form types), the controls added for activity inputs are read-only and enabled. For a process with activities, but no associated form, the controls added for activity inputs are read-only and enabled.

When you build a Scan Activity form, you can scan and import the files in the same batch without changing the scanner using the "Import Files" toolbar button that appears on a Scan Activity job form at runtime. The "Import Files" button is only available if the current scanner is not for File Import. For a File Import scanner, this button is hidden. The "Import Files" button supports the hotkey ("Ctrl,Ctrl+O"). In case the selected scanner is not File Import, then "Ctrl, O" will scan all files, and "Ctrl, Ctrl+O" will import files.

If a data object is used as an input/output variable:

  • A data model copy is added, and a data object form variable referencing the same model is added to the form.

  • The form controls for each field in the data object are added to the form.

  • An action for getting the fields and generating the corresponding controls is added on form load.

  • An action for updating the data object is added on creating the job. The same action is used on completing the activity.
  • When you regenerate the form, a warning message is displayed stating: The selected form cannot be regenerated. You must delete and recreate the form.

When you build an activity form for an activity that has a Folder variable as an input parameter:

  • The form variable holds the folder ID. When you view the activity form at runtime, a table is populated with the documents in the folder. If you select a document, the document is displayed in a Web capture control using the Same page action.

  • If you do not add a Folder variable to the ordinary activity, generating an activity form does not contain a table and Web capture control. When you regenerate an activity form where the process has a newly added folder input variable, the Table and Web capture controls are added.
  • When you debug the form, the controls appear, and the form can be debugged.

  • When multiple Folder variables are added as input parameters, the documents from the first Folder variable that is added as input are only displayed at runtime.

When you build an activity form for an activity that has a Document variable as an input parameter:

  • The form variable holds the document ID.

  • For each document variable, a web capture control is added to the form that displays the document using the form variable.

  • When you regenerate an activity form where the process has a newly added document input variable, a web capture control is added.

  • When you debug the form, the controls appear, and the form can be debugged.

This also applies to a generic form that has document variable as an input parameter and for which the activity does not have an associated form.

When you build an activity form for an activity that has a document variable as an output parameter and display it as File upload control in the form:

  • The form variable holds the document ID.

  • By default, "File selection mode" is "Single". It indicates that you can upload a single file (any file type), in the File upload control on the form for each document variable. Once uploaded, the ID of the document created appears in the job. The name of the uploaded document is set to the name of the file that is selected.

    This also applies to generic form that has document variable as an output parameter and for which the activity does not have an associated form.

  • By default, "Store in repository" is selected. It indicates storing the uploaded files in the repository.

When you build an activity form for an ordinary activity:

  • The Request Automation Rule button is added to the form so that you can request automation of the activity. At runtime when you click the Request automation button on an activity form, a pop-up window appears that displays the following details:

    • Process / Case name: The name of the process or case to which the activity belongs.

    • Activity name: The name of the activity.

    • Details: You can enter the description of the automation.

    • OK/Cancel: When you click OK, a process note is added to the process in the following format: Automation Request: description for NodeID x, EPC y.

You can open the pop-up and add the requests multiple times.

If a Checklist variable is being used in a map as input or output to an activity, or as part of process initialization:

  • Events such as Activity and ActivityComplete are mapped to the text property of checklist web controls. See Checklist control.

  • If the checklist variable is used as input, then the checklist web control is read-only.

  • If the checklist variable is used as output, then the control is editable.

To configure a variable for use as input or output, see Activity properties - Set input and output variables.

  1. Navigate to User interface > Forms.
    The Forms list page appears.
  2. On the Generate list select Activity forms.

    The Generate activity forms dialog box is displayed.

  3. On the Process list, select a process.

    When you generate an activity form on a process that exists in GitHub and the process is not checked out to GitHub or checked out with someone else, a warning message appears. When you click OK, the system will generate activity forms without increasing the process version.

    A list of activities appears displaying the activity name, process name, and activity type.

    A form cannot be generated for a protected process. If you try to generate a form for the protected process, the system displays an error.

  4. Configure the following options for the process as needed.

    Include embedded processes

    Generates forms for the activities of the embedded processes also.

    If a custom embedded process is used in an Activity form, the embedded page is loaded before the actions are performed, therefore only the default values that are selected are passed to the embedded page.

    Update process with associated form

    Displays the form name in the Associated file property of the corresponding activity.

    Include save button

    If selected, saves the changes of the activity to your work queue at runtime. The save button appears at runtime when you take the activity.

    The save button is not applicable for capture forms.

    Include complete and next button

    If selected, completes the activity, and takes the next activity from your work queue at runtime.

    The Complete and next button appears at runtime when you take the activity.

  5. By default, all activities in the list are selected. This means that forms are generated for all the activities. To exclude generating a form for an activity, clear the check box for that activity.

    Make sure that at least one activity is selected.

  6. By default, the generated form name is the same as the activity name and has the same category to which the process belongs. To change the form name and category, do the following:
    1. Select the activity.
    2. Click .
    3. Enter a form name in the Form name box.
    4. On the Category list, select a category.
    5. Click OK
  7. Click Generate and save to save the form or Generate and release to publish the form.
    The form is generated.
  8. You can regenerate a form on the newly generated activity form. On the context menu of the activity form, click Regenerate.

    A warning message appears stating the item exists in GitHub, but it is not checked out with the user. When you click OK, the activity form is regenerated.

Edit an Activity form

Once an Activity form is generated, you can open the form in the design view. All the process initialization variables appear as corresponding controls in the form. You can customize the form as needed. See Properties of a composite control and Customize the capture forms.

You can change the settings of a process or activity on which the form is generated.

  1. Open the Activity form in the Design view.
    The existing properties of the form are displayed in the properties panel.
  2. Make changes as needed.
  3. You can associate the form with another process.
    1. On the Form modeling bar, click File > Associations.
    2. Under Update associated file, select the process and activity.
  4. Click Update.
    The form is updated with the selected process and activity.
  5. Click Close.