A workflow can sometimes require additional input parameters from an outside source while it runs. These input parameters can come from another application or workflow, or the user can provide them directly.
For example, if a certain event occurs while a workflow runs, the workflow can request human interaction to decide what course of action to take. The workflow waits before continuing, either until the user responds to the request for information, or until the waiting time exceeds a possible timeout period. If the waiting time exceeds the timeout period, the workflow returns an exception.
The default attributes for user interactions are security.group and timeout.date. When you set the security.group attribute to a given LDAP user group, you limit the permission to respond to the user interaction request to members of that user group.
When you set the timeout.date attribute, you set a time and date until which the workflow waits for the information from the user. You can set an absolute date, or you can create a scripted workflow element to calculate a time relative to the current time.
1 | You request input parameters from users during a workflow run by adding a User Interaction schema element to the workflow. When a workflow encounters a User Interaction element, it suspends its run and waits for the user to provide the data that it requires. |
2 | The security.group attribute of a user interaction element sets which users or groups of users have permission to respond to the user interaction. |
3 | You set the timeout.date attribute for a user interaction to set how long the workflow waits for a user to respond to a user interaction. |
4 | You can calculate in a Date object a relative time and date at which a user interaction times out. |
5 | You can set the timeout.date attribute of a User Interaction element to a relative time and date by binding it to a Date object. You define the object in a scripted function. |
6 | You specify the information that users must provide during a workflow run as the input parameters of a user interaction. |
7 | If a user does not provide the input parameters within the timeout period, the user interaction returns an exception. You can define the exception behavior in a scripted function. |
8 | Users provide input parameters during a workflow run in an input parameters dialog box, in the same way that they provide input parameters when a workflow first starts. |
9 | Workflows that require interactions from users during their run suspend their run either until the user provides the required information or until the workflow times out. |