Skip to main content

Automation Screens

Automation screens are input forms shown as part of a workflow's start dialog when executing a workflow. Each screen collects values, which are passed as input parameters.

note

Screens are only available as part of the start dialog.

Use screens whenever a workflow needs information from the person starting it, for example:

  • Which system to act on
  • A maintenance window
  • A change ticket number
  • Credentials
  • Files to distribute.

How screens fit into a workflow​

A workflow can have a start dialog containing one or more screens. When a user starts the workflow:

  1. A scope screen is always shown first, where the user selects the customer and notification settings. If the workflow has no start dialog of its own, Avantra automatically generates a simple input screen from the workflow's input parameters.
  2. Each user-created screen is then shown one at a time.
  3. The user fills in each form and continues. Values are validated against each field's rules (required, format, ranges) before moving on.
  4. After the last screen, a summary screen shows everything that was entered.

For a workflow to be executable from the UI, its start dialog screens must provide values for all of the workflow's input parameters, with matching types. If they don't, the workflow is flagged as not executable and the reason is shown.

Creating and editing screens​

Screens are reusable. Each one has a name and namespace, is stored centrally, and can be used by any workflow's start dialog.

To create a screen:

  1. Navigate to Automation > Step Library.
  2. Click New > New Screen.
  3. Give the screen a Name and select a Namespace.
  4. Click Create.

The screen editor opens.

To edit an existing screen, from the Step Library, locate the screen you wish to modify and double-click on it. You can filter the step library to only display SCREEN-type steps by using the filter drop-down.

The screen editor allows you to create a screen using JSON, with live validation. You can add templates from the Add template drop-down. For information on the templates, see template reference. If required, you can reformat the JSON by clicking Reformat JSON.

The editor's Parameters tab shows the screen's resulting inputs (from {{input}} bindings, see input binding for more infomation), and outputs (one per field, plus one per table).

When you apply changes, the editor rejects definitions with duplicate field or section IDs, inputs used with conflicting types, or invalid format patterns.

Filling in screens at runtime​

When starting a workflow, each screen validates input as you go. Required fields, format patterns, and value ranges are checked before you can continue, and an error summary points to any field that needs attention. If something you selected earlier becomes unavailable before the dialog finishes, for example a system is deleted or an option is removed, the value is cleared and you are informed about the change.

Choices offered by system and file fields are always scoped to the customer selected on the first screen.