Start Task (External Forms) activity

An activity that that shows an external forms that lets a user start a process.

Use a Start Task activity only if this is the first activity in your process. If you have other activities before the form, use the Standard Task (eForms) activity or Standard Task (External Forms) activity.


Start Task activity

Configure the Start Task (External Forms) activity

To configure the Start Task (External Forms) activity, do the procedure in this topic.

Good to Know

  • In most text fields, you can use process data variables as an alternative to literal data values.
  • Some information about third-party integrations is outside the scope of the AgilePoint NX Product Documentation, and it is the responsibility of the vendors who create and maintain these technologies to provide this information. This includes specific business uses cases and examples; explanations for third-party concepts; details about the data models and input and output data formats for third-party technologies; and various types of IDs, URL patterns, connection string formats, and other technical information that is specific to the third-party technologies. For more information, refer to Where Can I Find Information and Examples for Third-Party Integrations?

How to Start

  1. On the Application Explorer screen, do one of these:
  2. Do one of these:
    • Add an activity:
      1. In the Process Builder, in the Activity Library, open the External Forms External Forms icon tab.
      2. On the External Forms External Forms icon tab, drag the Start Task (External Forms) Start Task icon activity onto your process.
    • Change an activity:
      1. In your process, double-click your activity.

Procedure

  1. Complete the fields on the General Configuration screen.
  2. Click Participants Participants icon
  3. Add or change participants for your task on the Participants screen.

    For more information, refer to Add Participants to a Human Task with External Forms.

  4. (Optional) ​When the task changes status, you can send notifications using e-mail, Yammer, Salesforce Chatter, Skype for Business, or SMS:
  5. (Optional) If you want to configure your task to show on a mobile device, click Advanced Advanced icon > Mobile View Mobile View icon.

    For more information, refer to Mobile View.

General Configuration

Specifies the basic settings for the Start Task activity.

Figure: General Configuration screen

General Configuration screen

Fields

Field Name Definition

Display Name
Function:
Specifies the activity name that shows in your process.
Accepted Values:
One line of text that can have spaces.
Default Value:
None
Accepts Process Data Variables:
No
Example:
This is a common configuration field that is used in many examples. Refer to:
  • Examples - Step-by-step use case examples, information about what types of examples are provided in the AgilePoint NX Product Documentation, and other resources where you can find more examples.

Description
Function:
Specifies an optional text description for your activity.
Accepted Values:
More than one line of text.
Default Value:
None
Accepts Process Data Variables:
No

Time to Complete
Function:
Specifies the maximum amount of time that should be allowed for the completion of the task associated with this activity before it is considered Overdue. This is a combination of a number of minutes, hours, days, or weeks.
Accepted Values:
A number of minutes, hours, days, or weeks.
Default Value:
1 Day
Accepts Process Data Variables:
Yes

External form to be associated with this task
Function:
Specifies the name of the task that shows in a participant's task list.

In most cases, for processes that use ASP.NET forms, this value also determines the file names for the .aspx form pages.

Accepted Values:
The values for this property change with the type of process you are using:
  • Generic - Does this:
    • Specifies the name that shows in the participant's Task List for this task.
    • If you create an ASP.NET project for this process in AgilePoint Developer, a new .aspx page is created for each human task with the same file name as the value of the Work to Perform property.
  • SPList - Specifies the name that shows in the participant's Task List for this task.
  • AgileForms - Specifies the name that shows in the participant's Task List for this task.

    The default value for this field is FormRender. AgilePoint recommends you change this value.

Default Value:
None, except for AgileForms processes.
Accepts Process Data Variables:
No

Participants

Specifies the user who starts the process.

Figure: Participants screen

Participants screen

Fields

Field Name Definition

Details
Function:
Shows participants for the task.
Accepted Values:
  • Any user, group, or role - You can add users, groups, or roles as participants, as long as ProcessInitiator is also included in the list.
  • A process data variable.
  • ProcessInitiator - This is a process data variable for that represents a participant who completes a form to start a process instance. This value is required for start tasks.
Default Value:
  • ProcessInitiator - For start tasks.
  • None - For other tasks.
Accepts Process Data Variables:
Yes
Example:
Refer to:

Participant Type list
Function:
Specifies a category of participants to add to the task. The list of participants of the type you select shows.
Accepted Values:
Default Value:
Groups
Accepts Process Data Variables:
No
Example:
Refer to:

Search
Function:
Does a search based on the specified criteria.

The maximum number of participants to complete this task
Function:
Specifies the number of group members who need to be assigned as participants for a task.
Accepted Values:
  • An integer that specifies a number of participants within a group required to complete a task.
  • Unlimited Participants - Specifies that all members of a group are required to participate.
Default Value:
1
Example:
If the participant is set to a group of users, and Max number of people to complete this task is 2, then 2 members of the group actually are required to participate in the task.

Assign task to the same participants each time activity runs
Function:
Specifies if, when a activity runs more than one time during a process, the same participants must complete the task each time.
Accepted Values:
  • Selected - If an activity is runs more than one time, the same participants who took assignment the first time are also assigned the task each time after.
  • Deselected - If an activity is runs more than one time, any participants can take assignment each time.
Default Value:
Selected
Example:
Ann is part of a group, and takes assignment for a task. She rejects the task. If this field is selected, the next time the process starts this task, the same user, Ann is assigned the task. If this field is deselected, the task goes back into the pool, and anyone in the group can take assignment.

Also refer to: