You can calculate in a Date object a relative time and date at which a user interaction times out.

You can set an absolute time and date in a Date object. When the time on the given date arrives, the request for a user interaction times out. Alternatively, you can create a workflow element that calculates and generates a relative Date object according to a function that you define. For example, you can create a relative Date object that adds 24 hours to the current time.

Open a workflow for editing in the workflow editor.

Add a user interaction element to the workflow schema.

Set the security.group attribute for the user interaction.

1

Drag a Scriptable Task element from the Generic menu to the schema of a workflow, above the element that requires the relative Date object for its timeout.date attribute.

2

Link the Scriptable Task element to the elements that precede and follow it in the workflow schema.

3

Click the Scriptable Task element to show its properties tabs in the bottom half of the Schema tab.

4

Provide a name and description for the scripted workflow element in the Info properties tab.

5

Right-click in the OUT properties tab, and select Bind to workflow parameter/attribute.

6

Click Create parameter/attribute in workflow to create a workflow attribute.

a

Name the attribute timerDate.

b

Select Date from the list of attribute types.

c

Select Create workflow ATTRIBUTE with the same name.

d

Leave the attribute value set to Not set, because a scripted function will provide this value.

e

Click OK.

7

Click the Scripting tab for the scripted workflow element.

8

Define a function to calculate and generate a Date object named timerDate in the scripting pad in the Scripting tab.

For example, you can create a Date object by implementing the following JavaScript function, in which the timeout period is a relative delay in milliseconds.

timerDate = new Date();
System.log( "Current date : '" + timerDate + "'" );
timerDate.setTime( timerDate.getTime() + (86400 * 1000) );
System.log( "Timer will expire at '" + timerDate + "'" );

The preceding example JavaScript function defines a Date object that obtains the current date and time by using the getTime method and adds 86,400,000 milliseconds, or 24 hours. The Scriptable Task element generates this value as its output parameter.

9

Click Save.

You created a function that calculates a time and date relative to the current time and date and generates a Date object. A User Interaction element can receive this Date object as an input parameter to set the timeout period until which it waits for input from the user. When the workflow arrives at the User Interaction element, it suspends its run and waits either until the user provides the required information, or for 24 hours before it times out.

You must bind the Date object to the User Interaction element's timeout.date parameter. See Set the timeout.date Attribute to a Relative Date.