Basic activity usage in a flow
Hi,
I'm trying to understand how to use an activity from a flow.
Activities have in and out parameters. However, the help on utility shapes says that one can only give an activity a literal value as a parameter, and doesn't even mention out parameters.
So how can I make an activity interact with case data (pyWorkSpace.*)? And if the answer doesn't use out parameters, then what are those for?
I was specifically trying to achieve what follows: in the LSA exercise VM, in a dummy case type, use Obj-Open to get the Office with OfficeID 1001 and then display the Country property of this office in a flow action.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Pegasystems Inc.
US
Sopra
FR
OK, thanks.
Sopra
FR
But my main question still stands: what's the right way to make an activity read and write the properties of the case that calls it? Is it even possible?
Pegasystems Inc.
US
The applies-to class of the Utility Activity is the same as the case. The "Primary" page is typically "pyWorkPage" which contains every case Property. Within your Activity you can read and update these Properties as you choose - or add/remove case Properties. Ideally if only modifying Properties you would use the Apply-Data-Transform method and perform those Property manipulations within a Data Transform rule. You also have the option of calling a Data Transform from a non-Flow Action connector. Within Flow Actions you can invoke both a Data Transform and Activity before a Flow Action is displayed as well as when the Flow Action is submitted. Does this answer your question?
Sopra
FR
Yes, thank you.
An OUT parameter is for when an Activity calls another Activity.
The first Activity can capture the OUT parameter from the Activity it called.
Having an OUT parameter on a Utility Activity does not do anything -- the code that calls the Utility Activity will ignore it.