Process-Based App with Microsoft Excel Table as the Data Source

This topic explains how to create a process-based app with Microsoft Excel as the data source in the Classic Add an App experience in the Modern Add an App Experience.

What type of app would you like to build? screen

Configures the type of app to create.

Figure: What type of app would you like to build? screen

What type of app would you like to build screen

Fields

Field NameDefinition

App Type

Description:
Specifies the type of app to create.
Allowed Values:
Default Value:
Process-Based App

How will people identify your app? screen

Configures the basic information for your app.

Figure: How will people identify your app? screen

How will people identify your app screen

Fields

Field NameDefinition

App Name

Description:
Specifies a name for your app.
Allowed Values:
One line of text (a string).

Accepted:

  • Letters
  • Numbers
  • Spaces
Default Value:
None

Language

Description:
Specifies the language for your app.
Allowed Values:
A language from the list.
Default Value:
None
Accepts Variables:
No

Category

Description:
Specifies a category for your app.
Allowed Values:
A category from the list.

The category list comes from Tenant Settings > Categories tab.

Default Value:
None

Description

Description:
An optional description for your app.
Allowed Values:
More than one line of text.
Default Value:
None

Enable Collaborative Development

Description:
Specifies whether app designers can use collaborative development to work on the app.
Allowed Values:
  • Selected - App designers can use collaborative development to work on the app.
  • Deselected - Collaborative development is not enabled for the app. Only one user at a time can check out the files for the app.
Default Value:
Deselected
Example:
Refer to:
Limitations:

This field is available in these releases:

How do you want to set up your process? screen

Configures the basic information for your process.

Figure: How do you want to set up your process? screen

How do you want to set up your process screen

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Process Model Name

Description:
Specifies a name for your process.
Allowed Values:
One line of text (a string).

Accepted:

  • Letters
  • Numbers
  • Spaces
Default Value:
None
Accepts Variables:
No

Description

Description:
A description for your process.
Allowed Values:
More than one line of text.
Default Value:
None
Accepts Variables:
No

Process Triggered By

Description:
Specifies what causes the process to start.
Allowed Values:
  • eForms - The process starts when a user submits a form made with eForm
  • External Forms - The process starts when a user submits a form that is made with a form technology other than eForms, such as Java or ASP.NET.
  • Message/Event - The process starts when an email account receives an e-mail, a specified event occurs.
  • System Integration - A specified event happens in an external system, such as Salesforce or a database.
  • Parent Process - The process is the child, or subprocess, to another process.

    If you create a process model in a process-based app that already has a process models, this is the only option.

    The limit of one parent process model in a process-based app was enforced in AgilePoint NX OnPremises v7.0 Software Update 1. In earlier releases, this was a limit according to the license, but the options in this list allowed more than one parent process.

  • SharePoint - A specified event happens in SharePoint. For example, a user creates a list or list item.
  • InfoPath Form Services - A specified event happens in SharePoint On Premises. For example, a user submits a form.
  • Salesforce - A specified event happens in Salesforce. For example, a user creates an entity.
Default Value:
eForms

Number of Swimlanes

Description:
Specifies a number of swimlanes to be added to the Process Builder screen to organize the steps in your process.
Allowed Values:
A number from 0 to 20.
Default Value:
1

Swimlanes Orientation

Description:
Specifies the direction for your swimlanes.
Allowed Values:
  • Horizontal - Shows swimlanes from left to right.
  • Vertical - Shows swimlanes from top to bottom.
Default Value:
Horizontal

Choose Theme

Description:
Specifies a process theme to show on the My Apps screen in Work Center.

Where do you want to store the data for your app? screen

Specifies to store and retrieve the data from Microsoft Excel table data source for your process-based app.

Figure: Where do you want to store the data for your app? screen

Where do you want to store the data for your app screen

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Select Data Source

Description:
Specifies the primary data source your app uses to store and retrieve data.
Allowed Values:
Default Value:
AgilePoint Data Entities

Repository screen

Specifies the location of your Microsoft Excel file that contains the data in table format.

Figure: Repository screen

Repository screen

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Box

Opens this Screen:
Document Repository for Box
Function of this Screen:
Specifies the location of your Microsoft Excel file in Box.

Google Drive

Opens this Screen:
Document Repository for Google Drive
Function of this Screen:
Specifies the location of your Microsoft Excel file in Google Drive.

OneDrive

Opens this Screen:
Document Repository for OneDrive
Function of this Screen:
Specifies the location of your Microsoft Excel file in OneDrive.

OneDrive For Business

Opens this Screen:
Document Repository for OneDrive for Business
Function of this Screen:
Specifies the location of your Microsoft Excel file in OneDrive for Business.

SharePoint

Opens this Screen:
Document Repository for SharePoint
Function of this Screen:
Specifies the location of your Microsoft Excel file in SharePoint.

File System

Opens this Screen:
Document Repository for File System
Function of this Screen:
Specifies the location of your Microsoft Excel file on the AgilePoint Server machine.

How do you want to set up your entity? > Configuration tab

Configures how to collect data from a Microsoft Excel table for a process-based app.

Figure: How do you want to set up your entity? > Configuration tab

Configuration tab

Good to Know

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Data Source Name

Description:
Specifies a name for your data source.
Allowed Values:
One line of text (a string).

Not Accepted:

  • Spaces
Default Value:
None
Accepts Variables:
No
Example:
Refer to:

Repository Type

Description:
Shows the type of repository you selected in the Repository screen for your Microsoft Excel file.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

File Name

Description:
Shows the name of the Microsoft Excel file you selected in your repository.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Primary Entity Name

Description:
Specifies the name of the Microsoft Excel table to use for your eForm.
Note: The word entity on this screen refers to a container within your data model. For Data Entities or Salesforce, this container is called an entity. For a database, entity refers to a database table. For SharePoint Integration, entity refers to a SharePoint list. For Microsoft Excel, entity refers to an Excel table.
Allowed Values:
A Microsoft Excel table name from the list.
Default Value:
None.

When you select the access token in the Repository Configuration screen for your repository, the Microsoft Excel tables associated with the Excel file in the repository show in the Primary Entity Name list.

Accepts Variables:
No

How do you want to set up your entity? > Fields tab

Specifies the Microsoft Excel columns to use in a process-based app.

Figure: How do you want to set up your entity? > Fields tab

Excel Table Configuration Fields tab

Prerequisites

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Check box

Description:
Specifies the Microsoft Excel columns to use in your eForm.
Allowed Values:
  • Selected - Your eForm uses the Excel column.
  • Deselected - The Excel column does not show in your eForm.
Default Value:
Selected

Display Name

Description:
Shows the Microsoft Excel column associated with an Excel table.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Data Type

Description:
Shows the data type for a Microsoft Excel column.
Allowed Values:
A data type from the list.
Default Value:
The data type of the associated Excel column.

Required

Description:
Specifies whether a value is required in the Microsoft Excel column.
Allowed Values:
Read only.
  • Yes - The Excel column must have a value.
  • No - The Excel column value is not required.
Default Value:
The value configured for the field.

Unique

Description:
Shows whether a duplicate value is permitted in the Microsoft Excel column.
Allowed Values:
Read only.
  • Yes - This column is unique. Duplicate values are not permitted.
  • No - Duplicate values are permitted.

Anything else right now? screen

Configures the optional features for your process-based app in the Modern Add an App Experience.

Figure: Anything else right now? screen

Anything else right now screen

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Access Tokens

Opens this Screen:
The configuration screen for your access token. The specific screen that shows depends on your access token type.

For more information, refer to Access Tokens.

Function of this Screen:
Configures an access token.

Document Repositories

Opens this Screen:
The configuration screen for your document repository. The specific screen that shows depends on your document repository type.

For more information, refer to Document Repositories.

Function of this Screen:
Configures your document repository.

Style Sheets

Description:
Uploads CSS files to change the look and feel of your eForms.

Groups and Roles

Description:
Creates groups and roles for the access rights for an app.

Images

Description:
Uploads image files to customize your app.

JavaScript

Description:
Uploads JavaScript files to use in eForms.

Who can access your app? screen

Configures the permission groups for an app.

Figure: Who can access your app? screen

Who can access your app screen

Fields

Field NameDefinition

App Owners

Opens this Screen:
App Owners
Function:
Specifies the users and groups who are App Owners.

App Designers

Opens this Screen:
App Designers (permission group)
Function:
Specifies the users and groups who are App Designers.

App Initiators

Opens this Screen:
App Initiators
Description:
Specifies the users and groups who are App Initiators for an app.
Limitations:
Users and groups can only be assigned to the App Initiators permission group after an app is published.

Report Viewers

Opens this Screen:
Report Viewers
Opens this Screen:
Specifies the users and groups who are Report Viewers for an app.
Limitations:
Users and groups can only be assigned to the Report Viewers permission group for an app after the app is published.