Process creation designer formulas syntax

The formula window in the business process element settings enables you to solve many tasks without developer involvement. The functions of the formula range from automatically generating email message texts, determining the conditions for transitions between flows. Using formulas requires knowledge of basic syntax rules, which are covered in this article.

Contents

•Basic syntax rules

•Syntax rules use cases

Basic syntax rules

The formula syntax will be familiar to anyone who worked with C#. When entering formulas, it is important to follow typing. If possible, use values of one type, for example, text values with text values, numeric values with numeric values. Otherwise, you must convert values to the proper type.

In addition, we recommend you to familiarize yourself with the basic operators that will help to implement complex conditions in your formulas.

Syntax rules use cases

In most cases working with the syntax formulas requires more than just proper placement of characters and quotes. To solve specific tasks, you must also use simple functions and properties.

Next

•How to build a complex text

•How to use different types of data

•How to use date and time parameters

•How to work with lookup parameters and conditional flows

How to build a complex text

The [Formula] field is usually used to generate variable text.

Example

Use a formula to generate a header for the activity to compile product bundle. The header text must contain the product and the customer for whom the bundle is compiled.

To do this, add the [Read data] element parameters and constant text values to the formula:

"Compile bundle" + [#Read products.First element of the resulting collection.Name#] + "for customer" + [#Read account data.First element of the resulting collection.Name#]

Note

Add spaces between static data and quotation marks "” to separate the resulting text.

Example

Copy a complex text to the [Recommendation for filling in the page] business process element

To solve the task, use the \n text wrapping character as follows:

“1. Make an appointment with the manager. \n2. Discuss the deal tactics with the manager.”

Thus, you can wrap either textual lines or other formula window parameters. The wrapping character must always be placed in parentheses “ ”.

Note

To wrap the text lines you can also use the “<br>” HTML tag.

How to use different types of data

When working with the [Formula] element, use a single type of data. There is no need to memorize the typification — on the formula edit page, the data type of each parameter is marked with:

— element Id;

— numeric;

— fractional;

— text;

— lookup value;

— time and date value.

Example

Use a formula to generate a header for the activity to compile product bundle. Specify the product name, customer and the date of product compilation.

In this case, the compilation date parameter cannot be added in the usual way. To do this, you need to convert the date value to the text value:

"Compile bundle" + [#Read products.First element of the resulting collection.Name#] + “ for customer " + [#Read account data.The first element of the resulting collection.Name#] + ", due date " + ([#Read order.First element of the resulting collection.Planned date of completion#]).ToString()

To convert the [#Read order.The first element of the resulting collection.Planned date of completion#] parameter, enclose it in parentheses and add the .ToString() property. In this case, the business process will work correctly.

How to use date and time parameters

To execute business processes with the use of operations with date and time, you can use the C# DateTime structure. The main characteristics and methods are as follows:

Example

In the lead qualification process, before transitioning between conditional flows, the system must check whether the decision date field is filled in.

To check whether a date field is filled in, use the != operator and the DateTime.MinValue parameter:

[#Read Lead data after Qualification.First element of the resulting collection.Decision date#]!=DateTime.MinValue

Example

To transition between conditional flows, the system must compare closing dates of two opportunities.

To compare two date values, use the == operator and the .Date property:

[#Read opportunity data 1.First element of the resulting collection.Closing date#].Date
== [#Read opportunity data 2.First element of the resulting collection.Closing date#].Date

Example

During the execution of the business process, it is necessary to calculate the time it took to close the opportunity.

If you need to calculate the difference between two date values, use the following construct:

RoundOff(([#Read opportunity data.First element of the resulting collection.Closing
 date#]-[#Read opportunity data.First element of the resulting collection.Creation date#]).TotalMinutes)

In the formula window, select the [RoundOff] function and fill it in with the necessary process element parameters, in our case, the difference of values, and then add the .TotalMinutes property. As a result, you will get the elapsed time in minutes. Use the .TotalHours or .TotalDays properties to obtain same result in hours or days.

Example

To transition between conditional flows in a business process, you must determine whether the lead was generated more than 12 hours ago.

To do this, add the .TotalHours property to the element parameter, enclose the parameter value in parentheses, and then compare it with a numeric value:

Round(([#System variable.Current date and time#]-[#Read lead data.First element of the resulting collection.Creation date#]).TotalHours) –› 12

When working with date and time parameters, you can also use .AddMinutes(), .AddHours() and .AddDays() functions to increment the time and date to a certain value. For example, you can bring the date and time value to user’s time zone when using the [Read data] element.

Note

In bpm'online the "Date/Time" type data is stored in UTC. The [Read data] element does not adjust this data to the current user’s time zone.

Example

When performing lead registration business process, you need to set the call time to 3 hours after the lead creation.

To do this, add the number of hours in the .AddHours() value:

([#Read lead data.First element of the resulting collection.Creation date#].AddHours(3)).Hour

How to work with lookup parameters and conditional flows

The functionality of the [Formula] element in a conditional flow is same as in other process elements. That is, the basic rules and operators are relevant. Conditional flows are used to transition to the next process element, if transition conditions are met.

Often, values of the lookup parameters must be compared with a specific lookup value.

Example

Check whether an opportunity is on the “Commercial offer” stage of the corporate business process.

To do this, compare the current opportunity stage in the conditional flow with the value in the lookup:

[#Read opportunity data.First element of the resulting collection.Stage#]==[#Lookup.OpportunityStage.Commercial offer#]

Example

A conditional flow must be activated if the lead contact lookup field is filled in.

To check whether the lookup field is filled in, use the following condition:

[#Read lead data.First element of the resulting collection.Contact#]!= Guid.Empty

Transition must occur if the lead contact lookup field is not filled in, use the following construct:

[[#Read lead data.First element of the resulting collection.Contact#]==Guid.Empty

Example

A transition in the invoice approval must check whether the approval has been acquired.

To do this, use the following condition:

[#Invoice approval.Result,#] = = "Approved"

In this case, the approval result is checked.

Please note, that there may be several solutions of this case. For example, you can use a more complex structure:

[#Invoice approval.Result#] = = "Rejected" || [#Invoice approval.Result#] = = "Approval pending”

In this case, the system checks whether the approval status is not “Rejected” or “Approval pending”.

Example

A conditional flow in a sale process must be activated if the presentation has been conducted.

To check the status of your presentation, use the following structure:

[#Give presentation.Result,#] = = true

If the presentation has not been conducted, the conditional flow will not be activated.

See also

•How to work with the parameter value window

•How to specify constant parameter values

•How to acquire parameter values from other process elements

•How to map a process parameter