Creating A Simple Flow Structure

Overview

The Flow Structure allows Designers to temporarily organize data existing only within the Flow.

• Flow Structures can NOT perform actions on itself or others
• Flow Structures depend on other components to be manipulated and contained
• Flow Structures can NOT persist beyond the execution of the flow in which it is used

It does not store data within Decisions and also does not contain process tracking. Since its records only exist during Flow Execution, the User Defined Types category in the Flow Designer will not populate with data manipulating CRUD steps such as create, update, or delete records. Utilizing a Flow Structure also allows for data mapping to then save designated data into a different Data Structure for use in other workflows. Otherwise, data will expire at the end of Flow Execution as normal.

Example use cases involving a Flow Structure may include:

• Return for an API call meant to format the data and then map it to save into a different Data Structure
• Data Repeaters showing data from either different tables or Data Structures

Example

This example creates a basic Flow Structure called Corporate Printer and a Flow to review its behavior.

Flow Structure Creation

1.  In a Designer Folder, click the CREATE DATATYPES/INTEGRATION button on the bottom Action Bar.

2.  Select User Defined Types (left column), followed by the Flow Structure icon (right side).

3. Type in a Structure Type Name (ex: Corporate Printer). 

4.  Type in applicable attribute Names with defined Types (ex: Brand set to String [Text] and isOnWarranty set to Boolean [Logical])

5.  Click SAVE to complete Flow Structure creation.

Flow Structure Behavior Testing

1.  Click the CREATE FLOW button on the bottom Action Bar within the current Designer Folder. 

2.  Name the Flow and click CREATE to continue.

3.  In the Flow Designer, click the Flow Steps panel; drag a Create Data step, found nested under All Steps [Catalog] > Data, onto the Flow Designer canvas.

4.  Connect this step to the Start and End steps.

5.  With the Create Data step selected, locate the Data Definitions option and select Add New.

6.  Create an instance of the Data Structure by providing a Name (ex: DecisionsCorporatePrinter); set the Type to CorporatePrinter, created in the previous section.

7.  Click CLOSE to save and return to the Data Definition.

8.  Click OK to save and close the Data Definition window.

9.  Under the Inputs option, view the Printer; in the Mapping dropdown, select Constant and select Value to provide the Data Structure with pieces of data. In the Edit Object dialog define the Printer’s brand (ex: HP) and check the isOnWarranty checkbox. Select OK to save and continue.

10.  This completes the Basic Flow Structure definition.