Create Folder Smart Service (a!createFolder)

The Create Folder smart service allows you to create a folder to store files within the Appian file system. The Modify Folder Security Smart Service allows you to specify user rights for the folder.

To use the Create Folder smart service, select the activity and drag it onto the canvas to add it to your process model.

Properties

Category: Document Management
Icon:
Assignment Options: Attended/Unattended

Configuration options

This section contains tab configuration details specific to this smart service. For more information about common configurations see the Process Node Properties page.

Data tab

The Data tab displays all the input and output parameters of the smart service. You can add additional input and output parameters, if needed.

Node inputs

The default inputs that are generated for the Create Folder smart service are:

Input	Type	Required	Multiple
Parent Knowledge Center	Knowledge Center	No	Optional
Parent Folder	Folder	No	Optional
New Folder Name	Text	Yes	Required

Configuring the Inputs

On the Inputs property sheet, specify values for either the Parent Knowledge Center node input, or the Parent Folder node input. You cannot specify both.
Either manually enter data into the text-field, or create the value using the Expression Editor.
When using the Expression Editor, you can select or modify process variables. Process variables can then be used to populate node inputs.
The Expression Editor can be accessed by selecting Expression… from the dropdown menu under the Value column. The Value list displays all process variables that have the same data type as the node input.

Node outputs

Capturing the Output

The Create Folder smart service returns the folder object that was created.

To reference the newly created folder elsewhere in the process model, save the activity's output to a process variable.
- On the Data tab, select the Outputs tab.
- On the Results list, select the output named The created folder (Folder). The Result Properties are displayed, listing the AC!NewFolder result and its save options.
- Save the AC!NewFolder result into an existing process variable that holds a Folder data type on the Target list.create a new process variable to store the folder by clicking the New process variable button.

a!createFolder()

The Create Folder smart service is available as an expression function that can be executed inside a saveInto on a Interface Component or as part of a Web API.

Syntax

a!createFolder( name, parentFolder, parentKnowledgeCenter, onSuccess, onError )

Parameters

Keyword	Type	Description
`name`	Text	The name of the new folder.
`parentFolder`	Folder	When present, the new folder will be created in this Folder.
`parentKnowledgeCenter`	Knowledge Center	When present, the new folder will be created in this Knowledge Center.
`onSuccess`	Any Type	A list of saves or an HTTP response to execute after the smart service executes successfully. Created with `a!save()` or `a!httpResponse()`. When configuring this input, the `fv!folder` function variable (Folder) is available to specify the folder that was created. For more information, see Function Variables.
`onError`	Any Type	A list of saves or an HTTP response to execute when the smart service does not execute successfully. Created with `a!save()` or `a!httpResponse()`.

Folder naming considerations

Folder names cannot contain the following characters.

 \ / ; : " | ? ' > < * ]

If a folder is created with an invalid name, an alert is sent to configured alert recipients indicating that the node failed to execute due to an invalid folder name. In such a scenario, you must change the name of the folder and re-execute the unattended create folder node. See Edit Mode for additional information.

Feature compatibility

The table below lists this smart service function's compatibility with various features in Appian.

Feature	Compatibility	Note
Portals	Partially compatible	Can be used with Appian Portals if it is connected using an integration and web API.
Offline Mobile	Incompatible
Sync-Time Custom Record Fields	Incompatible
Real-Time Custom Record Fields	Incompatible	Custom record fields that evaluate in real time must be configured using one or more Custom Field functions.
Process Reports	Incompatible	Cannot be used to configure a process report.
Process Events	Incompatible	Cannot be used to configure a process event node, such as a start event or timer event.

Create Folder Smart Service