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Create step types

In this topic

  1. Execution types
  2. Build step types
  3. Clone step types

Available with Workflow Manager license.

Step types are the building blocks of your workflows. They provide basic information for what happens when the step is executed and how it is represented in the workflow. When a step type is added to a workflow, it becomes a step but still references all the properties of the original step type. A step is an instance of a step type on a workflow. Multiple occurrences of a step type can appear in a single workflow.

Step types have the following components:

  • Profile—Contains basic information about the step type
  • Description—An optional setting that allows you to configure additional information about what the step will do or what the user should do to complete the step
  • Execution—Defines the step behavior of the individual steps when executed in a workflow

Execution types

The following step execution types are available:

TypeDescription

Procedural

Manual step with no managed execution

Custom step object

Calls a custom class implementing IJTXCustomStep

Open File

Opens a file from the workflow

Executable

Starts an executable

Launch URL

Opens a URL

Ask Question

Asks the user a question with configurable answers

Note:

Custom steps built using IJTXCustomExecute can be run with the current version of ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic). However, you are encouraged to upgrade your step libraries to take advantage of the new options with IJTXCustomStep. See the developer kit for help upgrading step libraries.

Build step types

The following workflows explain how to build a step type.

Define basic step type properties

With the basic step properties, you provide descriptive information for the steps that make up your Workflow Manager (Classic) system.

  1. Start ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic) Administrator and connect to your Workflow Manager (Classic) database.
  2. Expand Job Components > Step Types.

    The list contains all the currently configured step types. If no step types are configured, the list will be empty.

  3. Right-click Step Types and click Add Step Type.

    The Step Type Properties dialog box appears.

  4. Provide a name and description for the step type in the Step Type Name and Description text boxes.
  5. Click the Indicator drop-down menu and choose a shape for the step type.
  6. Optionally, check the Hide ArcGIS Workflow Manager While Running check box if the user only needs to interact with the logic of the step.

    This setting is useful when the step opens another application in which the user will perform a task. If the task is fully automated, don't check the checkbox.

Configure step descriptions

Step descriptions allow you to provide specific information about the step that will be shown to your users.

  1. On the Step Type Properties dialog box, click the Description tab.
  2. Choose one of the following options to add a step description:
    • URL Link—Choose this option if all Workflow Manager (Classic) users have access to the link. This can be a link to a web page or an .html document you've authored.
    • Embedded HTML—Choose this option to provide simple text or HTML formatted text that will be available to all users, regardless of how they access the Workflow Manager (Classic) system.
    Note:

    If the step description uses Unicode characters, make sure that your HTML content contains a meta tag that specifies the character encoding, for example, <meta content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />.

Configure custom object step execution

The Execution tab allows you to configure the behavior of the individual steps when they're executed in a workflow.

  1. On the Step Type Properties dialog box, click the Execution tab.
  2. Click the Custom Step Object execution type button.
  3. Click the CLSID/ProgID browse button and choose the step to use.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Click List Expected Arguments or the Arguments browse button (...) to see a list of required and optional arguments for the custom step you chose.
  6. Provide required and optional arguments in the Arguments text box or the argument editor dialog box as necessary.
    Note:

    Tokens can be used for arguments. Arguments should be separated using spaces. In the case where the argument itself contains spaces, enclose the argument in double quotes (").

  7. Optionally, click Validate Argument Names to ensure that the arguments you provided are valid.
  8. Click the Supported Platforms drop-down arrow and choose the supported platform for the step.
    Note:

    Not all custom steps that are included with Workflow Manager (Classic) can be executed on all platforms. The steps are divided into the following categories:

    • All Platforms—Supports ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and ArcGIS Server
    • ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Desktop—Supports ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap, and ArcCatalog
    • ArcGIS Server—Supports ArcGIS Server
  9. Click OK to save changes to the step type and close the Step Type Properties dialog box.

Configure open file execution

The Execution tab also allows you to open a file through a Workflow Manager (Classic) step.

  1. On the Step Type Properties dialog box, click the Execution tab.
  2. Click the Open File execution type button.
  3. Click the File Path browse button (...).
  4. Browse to the file that you want Workflow Manager (Classic) to open during the execution of this step.
    Note:

    This file will be stored in the database. If it's large, you may need to work with your database administrator to increase the MAXBLOBSIZE setting.

  5. Click Open to associate the file with this step.
  6. Click the Supported Platform drop-down arrow and choose the supported platform for the step.
  7. The Open File execution type works on both the desktop and the server.
  8. Click OK to save the step type and close the dialog box.

Configure executable execution

The Execution tab also allows you to run an executable through a Workflow Manager (Classic) step.

  1. On the Step Type Properties dialog box, click the Execution tab.
  2. Click the Executable execution type button.
  3. Browse to the location of the executable you want this step to execute.
  4. Provide any arguments for the executable.
    Note:

    Tokens can be used for arguments. Arguments should be separated using spaces. In the case where the argument itself contains spaces, enclose the argument in double quotes (").

  5. Click the Supported Platform drop-down arrow and choose the supported platform type.
  6. Click OK to save the step type and close the dialog box.

Configure launch URL execution

This option allows you to open a web browser with a specified URL through a Workflow Manager (Classic) step. This step can be configured with a web map or web editing application URL and the [JOB:AOI_ENVELOPE] token to zoom to the location of interest of the job on the map after it's opened. Append the extent to the web map URL, and prefix the parameter with ? if the extent is the first parameter in the URL, or prefix the parameter with & if it’s not the first parameter. For example, http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?extent=[JOB:AOI_ENVELOPE].

  1. On the Step Type Properties dialog box, click the Execution tab.
  2. Click the Launch URL execution type button.
  3. Provide the path that you want to launch when Workflow Manager (Classic) executes this step.
  4. Click the Supported Platform drop-down arrow and choose the supported platform.
  5. Click OK to save the step type and close the dialog box.

Configure ask question execution

The Execution tab also allows you to define steps that ask your users questions when executed in the Workflow Manager (Classic) step.

  1. On the Step Type Properties dialog box, click the Execution tab.
  2. Click the Ask Question execution type button.
  3. Click the Question browse button.

    The Question Editor dialog box appears.

  4. Provide the question to be asked in the Question text box.
  5. Provide a title for the dialog box that will appear to the user when the step is run in the Title text box.
  6. Check the Include Note Field check box to allow users to provide feedback.

    When the step is run, the user is presented with a text box to provide the reason for their selection. The value entered is appended to the job history as a comment.

  7. In the Question Responses section, provide the responses in the Response text box and a return value in the Return Value text box.
  8. Click OK.
  9. Click the Supported Platform drop-down arrow and choose the supported platform for the step.
  10. Click OK to save the step type and close the dialog box.

Clone step types

The step types in your Workflow Manager (Classic) repository can be reused. You can make a copy by cloning the step type along with all the defined properties.

  1. Open Workflow Manager (Classic) Administrator for ArcGIS Pro and connect to your Workflow Manager (Classic) database.
  2. Expand Job Components > Step Types.
  3. Right-click the step type you want to clone and click Clone Step Type.

    A copy of the step type is added to the list of existing step types.

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In this topic
  1. Execution types
  2. Build step types
  3. Clone step types