This page describes how to create record actions.
With Appian Records, you can use record views and a record list to provide a more comprehensive view of your data. Using these display elements, multiple users can benefit from a single record and use the record list to navigate and view the larger enterprise data.
In addition to these display elements, you can enable users to take action directly from the record data. Using different types of record actions, you can integrate enterprise processes so users can take informed action from the record list or when viewing the data from a record.
From the record list, you can add a record list action to start a process to add new records to the record list. For example, in a Case record type, support engineers may need to add new support cases.
From the records themselves, you can add related actions so users can use the information directly from a single record to update, add, or modify its information.
For example, in a Customer Support record type, you may have support engineers who need to update and resolve submitted support cases. Since each case's resolution will be different, you can add a related action to your records so support engineers can use the record's information to start a process to update and resolve the case.
Once you configure record actions in the record type, you can reference these actions in interfaces when you use a record type to power a read-only grid or use the record action component.
Record list actions are links to process models the user can start directly from the record list.
Record list actions can be configured to open in a dialog, the same tab, or a new tab. After completing a record list action, users return to the record list. When actions are configured to open in a dialog, any user filter values are remembered when returning to the record list.
A common use case is to add an action to create a new record. This allows users to leverage the record list search to ensure the record in question does not already exist. It also allows developers to use their five site pages more efficiently by combining record and action functionality.
By default, record list actions display on the record list. Optionally, you can also configure record list actions to display in interfaces.
Related actions are links to process models the user can start directly from a record using information from that record. We call that information the context for the related action. For example, within a customer record, there might be a related action to enter a new order for that customer or to update the customer information.
Related action process models are the same as any other process model, except for a start-form restriction; if the process model has a start form, that form must be a SAIL form. Since record types that use a process model as their source derive related actions from the process model's quick tasks, this restriction doesn't apply to quick tasks.
By default, related actions display in the Related Actions view. Optionally, you can configure related actions to display in other record views.
You can configure the following properties for record actions:
Property |
Description |
---|---|
Display Name |
Specify a display name using one of the following options:
This name is displayed on the button or link that initiates the action. Follow the recommended naming standard when creating a display name for the action. |
Key |
Verify the value. Appian auto-generates this value from the Display Name. This key is used to reference record actions within SAIL components. |
Description |
Enter a description of the record action.
|
Icon |
Select the icon you want to display with the action in either the record list or the Related Actions view. The default "plus" is a good choice when adding a new record. |
Dialog Box Size |
Choose which size dialog to open your action in. For manually configured actions, Large is selected by default. For generated actions, Large is selected for Create and Update actions, and Small is selected for Delete actions. This setting is only applied if you configure the action to open in a Dialog Box. Configure how record list actions are opened in the Open Actions In property. Configure how related actions are opened in each record view or in a record action component. |
Process Model |
Select the process model you want to use as a record action. The security for the process model determines who can perform the action. |
Context |
(Related actions only) Configure the parameters. The process parameters from your selected process model are pre-populated with their values set to You do not need to include all parameters from the process model; only include the parameters you need for the related action, and remove the rest. If you make changes to the process parameters later, you'll need to manually update this field. |
Security |
To further control when the record action displays to users, configure a Security Expression. The action will only be visible when the expression evaluates to true for the user. Learn more about record action security. |
Regardless of record type configuration, record actions require the creation and configuration of at least the following design objects:
If data sync is enabled and the data source is a database, you can use the Write Records Smart Service in your process model to create and update records. You can do this when manually creating a record action or when generating a record action.
If data sync is not enabled or the data source is not a database, you must create the following additional objects:
In addition, design best practices recommend using the following supporting objects:
If you have a database-backed record type data sync enabled, Appian can generate common record actions for that record type using basic information you provide.
Common record actions include creating a record, updating a record, and deleting a record. The generated actions use existing objects or creates new objects to meet the object requirements.
You can quickly generate your record actions using default values for your action names, objects, and security. Alternatively, you can customize the generated action names, objects, or security to fit your business needs.
However, you'll need to create the required objects, then configure the action manually in the record type if any of the following is true:
For the fastest configuration, you can generate your record actions using the default values provided for the action names, objects, and security. These values follow Appian's recommended naming standards and best practices.
For example, if you generated record actions for the Case record type in the Customer Support Application (CSA), the default values would be:
Action | Default Properties | Default Objects | Default Security |
---|---|---|---|
Create |
|
|
Users who are in the SCA Administrators group and SCA Users group, and have permission to the SCA Rules & Constants folder and SCA Process Models folder. |
Update |
|
|
Users who are in the SCA Administrators group and SCA Users group, and have permission to the SCA Rules & Constants folder and SCA Process Models folder. |
Delete |
|
|
Users who are in the SCA Administrators group and SCA Users group, and have permission to the SCA Rules & Constants folder and SCA Process Models folder. |
To generate record actions with default values:
Tip: Appian recommends generating the CREATE and UPDATE actions at the same time so you can reuse the same start form and process model for both actions.
Appian generates the actions, creating and/or configuring the objects you need in your current application. For details about these objects, see Generated process models and Generated interfaces.
You can generate record actions with custom values, instead of default values. In a single page of the guided experience, you can rename your actions, rename or use existing objects, or select different security configurations.
To generate record actions with custom values:
Tip: Appian recommends generating the CREATE and UPDATE actions at the same time so you can reuse the same start form and process model for both actions.
For each action, review the suggested values for the following properties, and change as needed:
Property | Description |
---|---|
Display Name | Specifies a name for the action. This name is displayed on the button or link that initiates the action. Follow the recommended naming standard when creating this name. |
Icon | Specifies the icon you want to display with the button or link that initiates the action. |
Description | Specifies a brief description of the action. For record list actions, this text displays in a tooltip when hovering on the record list action button. For related actions, this text displays with the Display Name in the Related Actions view. |
Review the objects that Appian will use for your new action, and make any necessary changes:
Object |
Can |
Can |
---|---|---|
Workflow |
||
Interface |
Yes |
No |
Process model |
Yes |
No |
Expression rule (individual records by record ID) |
Yes |
No |
Security and Organization |
||
Group (application administrators) |
Yes |
Yes |
Group (application users) |
Yes |
Yes |
Folders |
Yes |
Yes |
Note: Existing objects are marked with the icon.
To change an object:
Change | Action |
---|---|
Rename a generated object. |
|
Replace a generated object with an existing object. |
|
Replace an existing object with a generated object. |
|
Note: The related Dialog Box Size property is set based on the type of generated action. Large is selected for Create and Update actions, and Small is selected for Delete actions.
The generated process models are automatically configured in the following ways:
Normal
.The following process variables are configured:
Actions | Process Variable | Type | Parameter? |
---|---|---|---|
All | cancel |
Boolean | Yes |
All | record |
Record type that the action is generated from | Yes |
Create and Update actions only | isUpdate |
Boolean | Yes |
Delete actions only | countOfRecordsDeleted |
Number (Integer) | No |
The following nodes are present in the process model:
Node | Description |
---|---|
Start Node | Initiates the process, using the interface selected during action generation. |
XOR Gateway | Handles the use case where the user chooses to cancel out of the start form. This node evaluates the incoming cancel process variable to determine whether to proceed to the next node (false ) or the End Event (true ). |
Write Records Smart Service | (Create and Update actions only) Allows you to easily insert or update data data in a database table and automatically sync those change in Appian. |
Delete Records Smart Service | (Delete actions only) Allows you to easily delete data in a database table and automatically sync those changes in Appian. |
End Node | Terminates the process. |
Appian assigns security for the generated process models as follows:
Group | Permission Level |
---|---|
Application administrators group you selected | Process Administrator |
Application users group you selected | Viewer |
The generated Create or Update interface includes the following components:
The following rule inputs:
Rule Input | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
cancel |
Boolean | Determines if the form is cancelled. |
record |
Record type that the action is generated from | Stores record data from the selected record type. |
isUpdate |
Boolean | Determines whether the form is used to create a new record or update an existing one. |
record
rule input fields.cancel
rule input.The generated Delete interface includes the following components:
cancel
rule input.cancel
rule input.The generated interfaces inherit security from the folders where they're stored. If your interfaces are stored in a folder Appian generated for you, the inherited security is as follows:
Group | Permission Level |
---|---|
Application administrators group you selected | Administrator |
Application users group you selected | Viewer |
To configure a record action manually:
Configure the record action properties.
For example, the following is the manual configuration of a record list action:
The following is the manual configuration of a related action:
After you create an action in the record type, you can determine where the action appears as described in the following table:
Location | Description | Record List Action | Related Action |
---|---|---|---|
Record list | By default, record list actions display as buttons on the record list. When viewing your application on mobile, only the first record list action will be available on the record list. | Yes | No |
Related Actions view | By default, all related actions configured for a record type are available in a record's Related Actions view. This record view is configured out-of-the-box in the record type, so you cannot modify it; however, you can hide the Related Actions view, if needed. | No | Yes |
Record views | Related actions can display to end users as buttons on any record view, using related action shortcuts. | No | Yes |
Interfaces | Record actions can display anywhere in your interfaces, using the record action component or the recordActions parameter of records-powered grids. | Yes | Yes |
Note: When viewing your application on mobile, if you're using a record type as the source of a read-only grid in an interface, you can see and use all actions configured in the recordActions parameter of your grid.
To display related actions on a record view, you will use related action shortcuts, which are configured on the record view.
To display a related action as a button on a record view:
Select the checkbox next to the related actions you want to display on the view.
Note: Related actions from Quick Tasks won't show up in this list.
Under Open Shortcuts In, choose how the related action should open. By default, Dialog Box is selected and the Dialog Box Size configured on the related action will be applied.
Users will see the selected related actions as buttons when they are on that particular record view.
To update a record action:
Deleting a record action does not delete the objects supporting the record action.
To delete a record action:
To view and start a record action:
The same applies for quick tasks that appear as related actions for record types that use a process model as their source. If the user does not have the permissions to complete the quick task, the link to the related action will not display under Related Actions.
Create Record Actions