You can set the parameter properties in the workflow editor. Setting the parameter properties affects the behavior of the parameter, and places constraints on the possible values for that parameter.

Prerequisites

Complete the following tasks.

■

Create the Simple Workflow Example.

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Create the Schema of the Simple Workflow Example.

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Define the Parameters of the Simple Workflow Example.

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Define the Simple Workflow Example Decision Bindings.

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Bind the Action Elements of the Simple Workflow Example.

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Bind the Simple Workflow Example Scripted Task Elements.

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Define the Simple Workflow Example Exception Bindings.

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Open the workflow for editing in the workflow editor.

Procedure
1

Click the Presentation tab in the workflow editor.

The two input parameters you defined for this workflow are listed.

2

Click the (VC:VirtualMachine)vm parameter.

3

Add a description in the General tab in the bottom half of the screen.

For example, type The virtual machine to start.

4

Click the Properties tab in the bottom half of the screen.

On this tab, you can set the properties for the (VC:VirtualMachine)vm parameter.

5

Right-click within the Properties tab and select Add property.

6

From the list of proposed properties, select the Mandatory input property, click Ok, and set its value to Yes.

When you enable this property, users cannot run the Start VM and Send Email workflow without providing a virtual machine to start.

7

Right-click within the Properties tab and select Add property.

8

From the list of proposed properties, select Select value as, click Ok, and select list from the list of possible values.

When you set this property, you set how the user selects the value of the (VC:VirtualMachine)vm input parameter.

9

Click the (string)toAddress parameter in the top half of the Presentation tab.

10

Add a description in the Description tab in the bottom half of the screen.

For example, type The email address of the person to notify.

11

Right-click within the Properties tab for (string)toAddress and select Add property.

12

From the list of proposed properties, select the Mandatory input property, click Ok, and set its value to Yes.

13

Right-click within the Properties tab and select Add property.

14

From the list of proposed properties, select Matching regular expression and click Ok.

This property allows you to set constraints on what users can provide as input .

15

Click the Value text box for Matching regular expression and set the constraints to [a-zA-Z0-9_%-+.]+@[a-zA-Z0-9-.]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,4}.

Setting these constraints limits user input to characters that are appropriate for email addresses. If the user tries to input any other character for the email address of the recipient when they start the workflow, the workflow does not start.

You have made both parameters mandatory, defined how the user can select the virtual machine to start, and limited the characters that can be input for the recipient's email address.

What to do next

You must create the layout, or presentation, of the input parameters dialog box in which users specify a workflow's input parameter values when they run it.

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