Process-Based App with AI, Using SharePoint to Generate the Form

This topic explains how to create a process-based app with GenAI in the Modern Add an App Experience where the form is generated from a SharePoint list .

Background and Setup

Examples

Prerequisites

Good to Know

  • SharePoint does not have a date-only data type. If you configure a field in SharePoint to show the date only, it is stored in SharePoint as date-time in UTC format. The regional settings of the SharePoint site where this value is stored can result in data changes based on the time zone.

    If you want to use time zone conversion for a date-only value in SharePoint, AgilePoint recommends you use a field that is not data-bound. If a SharePoint date-time field is configured to show the date only, a data-bound field will always send an absolute date.

  • These time zones are not supported for SharePoint data-bound date-only fields. If the regional settings for your SharePoint site is configured to use one of these time zones, you might see a different date in the SharePoint UI.
    • UTC – 11:00 Coordinated Universal Time-11
    • UTC – 12:00 International Date Line West
  • When you create a new app, the first version is automatically checked in.
  • Once configured, the primary data source in a data source bound app cannot be deleted. Deleting the primary data source can lead to unexpected behavior or errors in your app because it is the main source of data for the app.

How to Start

  1. Click App Builder.

    Click App Builder
  2. On the App Builder Home screen, click Add App.

    Click Add App
  3. On the What type of app would you like to build? screen, click Process-Based App.

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:

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.

Do you want AI to create your process? screen

Specifies whether to create the process with GenAI.

Figure: Do you want AI to create your process? screen

Do you want AI to create your process?

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Create Process With AI / Create Process Myself

Description:
Specifies whether to create a process with GenAI.
Allowed Values:
Default Value:
Create Process With AI

What do you want your app to do? screen

Specifies a text prompt to create the app. Describe the purpose of the app with as much detail and as accurately as possible.

Figure: What do you want your app to do? screen

What do you want your app to do screen

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Process Description

Description:
Specifies a text prompt to create the app. Describe the purpose of the app with as much detail and as accurately as possible.

GenAI creates a process based on the description the app designer enters.

Allowed Values:
More than one line of text.
Default Value:
None

Review the activities for your app screen

Configures the activities for the process.

Figure: Review the activities for your app screen

Review the activities for your app screen

Good to Know

  • GenAI creates the process activities based on the process description the app designer enters. You can add, change, and delete process activities based on your business requirements.
  • You can not delete the Start and Stop activities from the process.

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Name

Description:
Specifies the text label for the activity that displays on the process.
Allowed Values:
One line of text (a string).

Accepted:

  • Letters
  • Numbers
  • Spaces
  • Special characters
Default Value:
The activity name specified in the imported file.

Type

Description:
Shows the type of activity used for the process.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Next

Description:
Specifies the next activity in the process.
Allowed Values:
An activity from the list.
Default Value:
None

Regenerate

Description:
Deletes the changes and restores the default values for the process model.

Edit Lane Name Edit Lane Name icon

Function:
Changes the name for the swimlane.

Maximize

Opens this Screen:
Shows the configuaration section at its maximum size.

Minimize

Opens this Screen:
Shows the configuaration section at its default size.

Edit Lane Name Edit Lane Name icon

Function:
Changes the name for the swimlane.

Delete Lane Delete Lane icon

Function:
Deletes the selected swimlane.

Add Activity Add Activity icon

Function:
Opens the Select Activity screen to add an activity.

Delete Activity Delete Activity icon

Function:
Deletes the selected row from the activities list.

Configure Activity Configure Activity icon

Opens this Screen:
Opens the configuration screen for a human task activity. This option lets the app designer configure basic information, such as a name and description, and assign the participants for the task.

Add Lane

Function:
Adds a swimlane for the process.

Do you want AI to create your form? screen

Specifies whether to create the form with GenAI.

Figure: Do you want AI to create your form? screen

Do you want AI to create your form screen

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Create Form With AI / Auto Generate Form From SharePoint / Create Form Myself

Description:
Specifies whether to create an eForm with GenAI.
Allowed Values:
Default Value:
Create Form With AI

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

Configures how to get data from SharePoint for your app.

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

Configuration tab

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

SharePoint

Description:
Specifies the access token that connects to your SharePoint site.
Allowed Values:
A list of access tokens configured for your environment.
Default Value:
None
Accepts Variables:
No
Example:
Refer to:

Create Add Token icon

Opens this Screen:
Access Token for SharePoint
Function of this Screen:
Configure an access token to connect to SharePoint.
Example:
Refer to:

Site URL

Description:
Specifies the URL for your SharePoint site.
Allowed Values:
A valid SharePoint site URL.
Default Value:
None
Accepts Variables:
No
Example:
  • http://[machine name]:[port]/sites/[site name]

    Note: You must include the /sites in the Site URL for the site to be created successfully.

List Name

Description:
Specifies the name of the SharePoint list.
Allowed Values:
The name of your SharePoint list.
Default Value:
None
Accepts Variables:
No

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

Specifies the fields from your SharePoint list to use in your app.

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

Fields tab

Prerequisites

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Show Internal Fields

Description:
Specifies whether to show the default fields in the SharePoint list.
Allowed Values:
  • Selected - Shows the default fields in the SharePoint list.
  • Deselected - Does not show the default fields.
Default Value:
Deselected

Check box

Description:
Specifies whether to show a SharePoint field on your process.
Allowed Values:
  • Selected - Your process contains the field.
  • Deselected - The field does not show on your process.
Default Value:
Selected

Display Name

Description:
Shows the fields in your SharePoint list.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Data Type

Description:
Shows the data type of a SharePoint field.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Required

Description:
Specifies whether the value is required in the SharePoint field.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Unique

Description:
Shows whether a duplicate value is permitted in the SharePoint field.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

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

Specifies the SharePoint list relationships to use in a process-based app.

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

Related Entities tab

Prerequisites

Good to Know

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Check box

Description:
Specifies whether to use the SharePoint list relationship on your form.
Allowed Values:
  • Selected - Your form uses the relationship.
  • Deselected - Your form does not use the relationship.
Default Value:
Deselected
Example:
Refer to:

Display Name

Description:
Shows other SharePoint lists that have relationships with SharePoint parent list.
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:
Read only.

Data Type

Description:
Shows the data type of your SharePoint list.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Required

Description:
Specifies whether the related entity is required.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Unique

Description:
Shows whether a duplicate value is permitted in the related entity.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Review the data fields for your app screen

Configures the fields for your eForm.

Figure: Review the data fields for your app screen

Review the data fields for your app screen

Good to Know

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Show Internal Fields

Description:
Specifies whether to show the default fields in the SharePoint list.
Allowed Values:
  • Selected - Shows the default fields in the SharePoint list.
  • Deselected - Does not show the default fields.
Default Value:
Deselected

Apply Layout

Opens this Screen:
Apply Fields Layout screen
Description:
Specifies a file that stores the form layout for an eForm.

Name

Description:
Shows the display name of the field in the SharePoint list.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

ID

Description:
Shows the unique, technical name for the field in the SharePoint list.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Data Type

Description:
Shows the data type of a SharePoint field.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Field Type

Description:
Specifies the type of form control used for the field.
Allowed Values:
A form control from the list.
Default Value:
A form control type that is interpreted from the input.

For example, a field called "Amount" might be assigned a Currency form control.

Regenerate

Description:
Deletes the changes and restores the default values for the form.

Delete Field Delete Field icon

Function:
Deletes the selected row from the fields list.

Mark as Mandatory

Description:
Specifies whether the form field is required.
Allowed Values:
  • Selected - The field must have a value.
  • Deselected - A value is not required for the field.
Default Value:
The value configured for the field.

Number Of Columns

Description:
Specifies the number of columns to show on the eForm.
Allowed Values:
An integer.

Range:

  • 1-10
Default Value:
2

Show Line Break Fields

Description:
Specifies whether to group the form fields based on the column layout on the form template you upload.
Allowed Values:
  • Selected - Groups the form fields with horizontal line breaks based on the column layout shown in the uploaded file.

    If you create the fields with the Excel or Generate using AI options, the fields are grouped based on the number of columns specified in the Number Of Columns field.

  • Deselected - Groups the form fields in a single list in the order shown in the uploaded file, as it reads left to right.
Default Value:
Deselected

Apply Fields Layout screen

Specifies a file that stores the form layout for an eForm.

Figure: Apply Fields Layout screen

Apply Fields Layout screen

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Select File to Upload

Function:
Specifies a file that stores the form layout for an eForm.

You can drag the image file from your local machine.

Allowed Values:
A PDF or an image file that shows a form layout.

Click Upload File to select a file from your local machine.

The file can be one of these types:

  • .pdf
  • .png
  • .jpg
  • .jpeg
Default Value:
None

Select the forms to create for your human tasks screen

Specifies the human task activities for which you want to create eForms.

Figure: Select the forms to create for your human tasks screen

Select the forms to create for your human tasks screen

Fields

Field NameDefinition

Human Task Activities

Description:
Shows the list of human task activities configured on the Review the activities for your app screen.
Allowed Values:
Read only.

Create Task Form

Description:
Specifies whether to create an eForm for the human task activity.
Allowed Values:
  • On - Creates an eForm for the human task activity and adds it to the associated activity.
  • Off - Does not create an eForm for the activity. The activity is created with no eForm.
Default Value:
On

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
Description:
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.