Workflow Expression Builder

Learn how to create workflow expressions quickly and easily.

Last published at: April 30th, 2024

This UI makes it easy for users to build expressions, especially business users or non-technical users of FlowWright.

The expression builder (C #- based expressions computed on server-side code) will also display Variables and globals based on context. Functions, variables, and globals can be added with a double click.

Open a new process definition. Drag the evaluate decision step to the canvas and connect to the Start step as shown below.

Select the "EvaluateDecisions" step and inspect the step properties where inputs are required as Variable/Global to store the result, as shown below.

Use "Alt + E" to invoke the Workflow Expression Builder as a modal window inside the marked box. Use the expression builder UI to build an expression and validate it. Select the Use & Close button. The expression is copied to the Expression window and placed in the workflow step property.

The step property field is shown below.

Parts of the UI

1) Expression – Placeholder to build the expression. This can be done via manual entry type, picking operators (7), or function (8).

2) Verify – Select this function to verify the logic of the expression. It will allow you to enter a value into the defined input fields and simulate the expression. Example Expession: = CONCAT(“Dear, “ + variable.username + “, we’re today : “ +DAYTEXT(TODAY())

3) Use & Close: Depending on the starting point and the window is closed, the expression is used in the process or form control.

4) Save As – Saves the expression as a new function to re-use. Will be displayed in the functions overview (8) – Section Custom Expression

5) Send to Clipboard: copy the expression into the clipboard to be pasted later.

6) Clear Expressions: erases any definition in the expression builder

7) Available Operators

8) Available Functions (See Table below)

9) Description and example of the function

Functions Aggregate Table

AVERAGE	Description: Returns the average of the given numbers Example: AVERAGE(1,2,3) // returns 2
COUNT	Description: Counts the number of numerical items. Example: COUNT(1, 2, "a") // returns 2
MAX	Description: Returns the largest value from a set of data Example: MAX(3,15,27) // returns 27
MIN	Description: Returns the smallest value from a set of data Example: MIN(3,15,27) // returns 3
SUM	Description: Sums up all the given numbers Example: SUM(2,3,8) // returns 13

Functions Numeric Table

ABS	Description: Returns the absolute value of a given number Example: ABS(-324) = 324
FLOOR	Description: Round a number down to the nearest specified multiple Example: FLOOR(36,7) // returns 35
ISEVEN	Description: check if a numeric value is an even number. Example: ISEVEN(7) // returns False
LOG	Description: Gets the logarithm of a number Example: LOG (16,2) // returns 4
MOD	Description: Returns the remainder of the division of the given number in the divisor Example:MOD(10,3) // returns 1
QUOTIENT	Description: Returns the result of integer division without the remainder Example:MOD(10,3) // returns 3
POWER	Description: A number raised to a power Example: POWER(2,3) // returns 8
ROUND	Description: Rounds a number to a specific number of digits Example: ROUND(14.67891, 2) // returns 14.68
ROUNDUP	Description: Always rounds a number up Example: ROUNDUP(21.6,0) // returns 22
ROUNDDWN	Description: Always rounds a number down Example: ROUNDDOWN(1.1,0) // returns 1
SQRT	Description: Positive square root of a positive number Example:SQRT(9) // returns 3
TRUNC	Description: Truncate a number to a given precision Example: TRUNC(4.9) // returns 4 TRUNC(-3.5) // returns -3 TRUNC(PI(), 3) // returns 3.141

Function Date Time Table

ADD_DAYS

Description: Adds days to the given date. Returns the new date.
Examples: ADD_DAYS("2021-04-15", 5)
ADD_DAYS(TODAY(), 5)
FORMAT_DATE(ADD_DAYS("2021-04-15", 5) // returns 2020-04-20

ARE_SAME_DATE

Description: Returns a boolean value

TRUE - if date1 is same as date2

FALSE - if date1 is not same as date2
Example: ARE_SAME_DATE(date1, date2) // returns TRUE

COMPARE

Description: Returns the quarter of a given date
Example: MONTH(variable.startdate) // returns 2

CONVERT_TO_UTC

Description: Returns an UTC date time for requested timezone OR offset value
Example:

CONVERT_TO_UTC("2021-04-15T06:00:00","-05:00") //

returns 2021-04-15T11:00:00)

CONVERT_TO_UTC("2021-04-15T16:00:00","Eastern Standard Time") // returns 2021-04-15T20:00:00

CONVERT_UTC

Description: Returns an UTC date time based on current time zone
Example:

CONVERT_TO_UTC("2021-04-15T06:00:00") //

returns UTC value based on your current time zone

DATE

Description: Returns the value for the given parameters
Example: DATE(2021,4,15) // returns Wed April 15 2021

DAYNUMBER

Description: Returns the day of the month of a given date.
Example: DAY(variable.startdate) // returns 31

DAYTEXT

Description: Returns the day of the month of a given date in long format.
Example: DAY(variable.startdate) // returns Monday

DAYS

Description: Returns the number of days between the two dates
Example:DAYS(variable.startdate, variable.enddate) // returns diff between dates in days

FORMAT_DATE

Description: Returns a formatted date
Examples: FORMAT_DATE(TODAY()) // returns "Apr 15, 2021" (using default format)
FORMAT_DATE(TODAY(), "YYYY-MM-DD") // returns "2021-04-15"
FORMAT_DATE(TODAY(), "dddd, MMMM Do YYYY") // returns Wednesday, April 15th 2021

HOUR

Description: Returns the hour as a number from 0 (12:00 A.M.) to 23 (11:00 P.M.).
Example: HOUR(NOW()) // returns 23 (in case it's 23:00 - 23:59 o'clock now)

HOURS_DIFF

Description: Returns the difference between two hours columns
Example: HOURS_DIFF("13:00", "07:00") // returns 05:00

WORKDAYS

Description: Returns the number of working days between the two dates
Example: WORKDAYS(variable.startdate, variable.enddate) // returns working days between dates in days

MINUTE

Description: Returns the minute as a number from 0 to 59.
Example: MINUTE(NOW()) // returns 42 (in case it's 11:42 now)

MONTH

Description: Returns the month of a given date.
Example: MONTH(variable.startdate) // returns 4

MONTHTEXT

Description: Returns the month of a given date in long format.
Example: DAY(variable.startdate) // returns March

NOW

Description: Gets the current time in 24hour format
Example: NOW () // returns 11:50:14

NOW_UTC

Description: Gets the current UTC time in 24hour format
Example: UTC_NOW () // returns 11:50:14

QUARTER

Description: Returns the quarter of a given date.

Example: MONTH(variable.startdate) // returns 2

SECOND

Description: Returns the second as a number from 0 to 59.
Example: SECOND(NOW()) // returns 1 (in case it's 11:42:01 now)

SUBTRACT_DAYS

Description: Subtract days from the given date. Returns the new date.
Examples: SUBTRACT_DAYS("2021-04-15", 5)
SUBTRACT_DAYS(TODAY(), 5)
FORMAT_DATE(SUBTRACT_DAYS("2021-04-15", 5) // returns "2021-04-10

TODAY

Description: Gets the current date
Example: TODAY() // returns 14th Wednesday April 2021.

TODAY_UTC

Description: Gets the current server date in UTC Format
Example: TODAY() // returns 14th Wednesday April 2021.

WEEKNUM

Description: Returns the yearly week number of a given date.
Example: WEEKNUM(variable.startdate)// returns 17

YEAR

Description: Returns the year of a given date.
Example: YEAR(global.startyear) // returns 2017

Functions String / Text

CONCAT	Description: This operator concatenate text values into a single text value Example: CONCATENATE(“I”,”love”,”FlowWright.com”) // returns “IloveFlowWright.com”
CONTAINS	Description: Returns a value indicating whether a specified character occurs within this string. Example: CONTAINS("FlowWright","iBPMS", "Enterprise Business Automation Software", "Flexible","Adaptable", "Embeddable") // true if the value parameter occurs within this string; otherwise, false.
CONTAINSLIST	Description: Returns a value indicating whether a specified character occurs within this string. Example: CONTAINSLIST("1", "2", "3", "4","5","6","7","8","9","10","123") // true if the value parameter occurs within this string; otherwise, false.
EXACT	Description: compares two strings and returns TRUE if both values are the same Example: EXACT(variable.username, global.username) // returns TRUE – if the value of both variable and global are the same
LEFT	Description: Extracts a given number of characters from the left side. Example: LEFT("flowwright.com", 4) // returns “flow”
LEN	Description: Returns the amount of characters of a given text string. Example: LEN("hello") // returns 5
LOWER	Description: Converts a specified string to lowercase Example: LOWER("Have a Nice Day") // returns “have a nice day”
MID	Description: Extracts a given number of characters from the middle of a supplied text string. Example: MID(“I Like FlowWright”, 3,4) // returns “Like”
REPLACE	Description: Replaces a part of a string with the new string. Example: REPLACE("Goat",1, 2,"Fl") // returns “Flat”
REPT	Description: Repeats a string a given number of times. Example: REPT("Flow",3) // returns “FlowFlowFlow”
RIGHT	Description: Extracts a number of characters from the right side of a given text string. Example: RIGHT("FlowWright", 4) // returns “right”
SEARCH	Description: Searches a string within another string Example: IF(SEARCH("love", "I love FlowWright", 1) > 0, "Exist", "Not") // returns “exist”
SUBSTITUTE	Description: Replace text in a given text string by matching. Example: SUBSTITUTE("goodmorning", "morning", "night") // returns “goodnight”
TEXT	Description: Formats the given value based on the given text format Example: TEXT(9340.1,"#,##0.00€") // returns “9,340.10€”
TRIM	Description: Removes all spaces from a string except for single spaces between words. Example: TRIM(" I love FW ") // returns “I love FW”
UPPER	Description: Convert a specified string to uppercase Example: UPPER(“www.flowwright.com”) // returns “WWW.FLOWWRIGHT.COM”

FlowWright Help Center

Parts of the UI

Functions Aggregate Table

Functions Numeric Table

Function Date Time Table

Functions String / Text

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