Adding Interactive Step Actions

To add an interactive Step Action, follow the instructions below.

INFO: For information on Interactive Actions, see Actions.

1. From the Sidebar, navigate to Workflow and Business Logic > [Module] > [Object Class] > Workflow > Actions > Step Actions. For example, to configure a Step Action for Incidents, go to Workflow and Business Logic > Service Desk > Incidents > Workflow > Actions > Step Actions.
2. Click New. The Step [ID] dialog box opens.

   NOTE: Note the unique auto-generated ID value. You can use this ID to quickly access the corresponding Step. For details, see Accessing Workflow Items or Components by ID.

3. On the General tab, specify the following properties of the Step:
   1. Type the Step name in the Name field.
   2. In the Caption field, type the text that will represent the Step in the Action Bar and in the Actions menu. By default, the Caption field is initialized with the name you entered in the previous step.
   3. If you want a hint to appear when the user hovers the mouse pointer over the Step on the Action Bar, type the hint text in the Hint field.
   4. Optional: Enter a description of this Step in the Description field.

      NOTE: Keep the Enabled check box selected. Otherwise, this Step will be unavailable to users.

   5. Under Allow to run, specify whether the Step Action can be run on multiple objects or only on a single object at once:
      • On multiple objects — the Step Action can be run on a group of objects selected in the grid. This option is enabled by default.
      • Only on a single object — the Step Action can be run only on a single object at once. When users select multiple objects, the Step Action will be unavailable.
   6. Under Icon, specify an image that will accompany the Step Action name both in the Action Bar and the Action menu:
      • To specify an icon image, click Change, select the image file and click Open. You can use one of the standard icons supplied with Alloy Navigator or specify your own image file.

        Standard icons for Step Actions are located in the \Resources\Icons\Pack2\Actions\ subfolder of your Alloy Navigator installation folder, typically:
        \Program Files\Alloy Software\Alloy Navigator 2023\Resources\Icons\Pack2\Actions\

        NOTE: Custom images should be in BMP, ICO, or PNG format. Recommended dimensions: 24x24 pixels.

        To apply the default icon, click Set Default.

      • If you do not want Alloy Navigator to display any icon for the Action, click Clear.
4. Click the Condition tab and specify the availability of the Step as follows:
   1. To make the Step available only for objects of a certain type, under Types, specify those Type values.
      • By default, the Any type check box is selected. To make the Step available only for objects of certain types, clear the Any type check box and select check boxes for those types.

      INFO: For details, see Setting Up Lookup Lists.

   2. To make the Step available only at certain phases of the business process, under Statuses, specify Status values.
      • By default, the Any status check box is selected. To make the Step available only when objects are in a certain Status, clear the Any status check box and select check boxes for those statuses.
   3. To make the Step available only to members of certain security roles, under Roles, specify corresponding roles.
      • By default, the Any role check box is selected. To choose specific roles, clear the Any role check box and select check boxes for those roles.

      INFO: For details, see Understanding Security Roles.

   4. To further define when the Step will be available, create conditions in the Additional Criteria section. When any data is invalid, Alloy Navigator cancels the transaction without saving the record.
      • To build conditions, click Edit and configure the list of conditions in the Criteria dialog box.

      INFO: For details, see Building Criteria.

      NOTE: By default, commands for unavailable Steps appear dimmed in the Actions menu and the Action Bar. However, you can configure Alloy Navigator to hide unavailable Steps. For details, see Controlling the Action Bar Options.

5. Click the Form tab and choose an existing Form, or create a new Form within the Step.
   1. To create a custom Form only for this Action, keep the default <Custom> value in the Form list and follow the instructions on creating Forms. For details, see Adding Action Forms.

      INFO: For details, see Creating Forms.

      • If you want to make your custom Form available in other Actions, click Make Reusable, enter a Form name, and save the Form.
   2. To choose an existing Form, select it in the Form list.
      • If you want to customize the Form you selected, click Make Custom and make your changes as described below.

      INFO: For details, see Custom and Reusable Forms.

6. Click the Programming tab and specify operations that should be performed by this Step.
   1. Under Operations, click New > [Operation] and specify the operation details.

      INFO: For details, see Adding Operations.

      Repeat this step to add other operations as needed.

   2. By default, all operations are executed unconditionally. If needed, you can enclose your operation in conditional blocks.

      INFO: For details, see Building Conditional Statements.

      IMPORTANT: Any workflow operation within a Function, Action, or Trigger can be enabled or disabled. Only enabled operations will be executed. For details, see Disabling and Enabling Operations.

7. If you want to categorize the Action by assigning it to one or more Processes, click the Processes tab and follow the instructions on assigning Actions to Processes.

   INFO: For details, see Assigning Workflow Items to Processes.

8. When done, click OK.