Flowchart Actions
Breakpoint
This activity is for setting a Breakpoint in the Flow. The activity takes as input a Boolean expression. If set to True, the Flow will continue if there is an error. If set to False, the Flow will NOT continue if there is an error.
Breakpoint Properties:
Property Name | Data Type | Property Type | Property Description | |
---|---|---|---|---|
BackgroundColourName | Colour (from list) | Misc property | The property specifies the colour of the Activity box. | |
ContinueOnError | Boolean | Input property | If this property is set to True any error raised by the activity will be suppressed and control will move on to the next activity. If set to False flow execution will halt or move to exception handling logic (if activity is wrapped in Try Catch) in case of error from action. | |
Description | String | Misc property | This property specifies the description of the Activity. | |
DisplayName | String | Misc property | This property specifies the name of the Activity box. |
Parallel Task - For Each
This action is used to run parallel tasks (Actions) in the context of a For Each loop. This provides a way to input the same value for each parallel task. This action is useful to speed up processing time of the Flow when there are time-consuming actions/activities (by executing them at the same time rather than sequentially). When this action is dragged to the VIP canvas, the user is asked to input a Type (Int32, String etc.) which is the type of operator for the For Each loop.
Parallel Task – For Each Properties:
Property Name | Data Type | Property Type | Property Description |
---|---|---|---|
CompletionCondition | Visual Basic Boolean expression. | - | This property defines the completion condition of the Parallel For Each Task. |
DisplayName | String | - | This specifies the name of the action box. |
TypeArgument | Visual Basic Data Type(Int32, String, etc.) | - | This property specifies the Data Type of members of Values. |
Values | List of TypeArgument | Input | These are the Values of Type TypeArgument that are used in the For Each loop |
Invoke Workflow Static
This activity provides a means for creating a Workflow or sub-Workflow. It is primarily used to specify a Workflow for Parallel Tasks and Parallel Tasks-For Each. The execution of this Workflow is static so that any arguments input to the Workflow must be declared in advance. This can be done by selecting 'Arguments' found at the lower left bottom of the VIP canvas.

When the Activity is dragged to the VIP canvas, a box appears requesting:
a Workflow File
Workflow Arguments
Invoke Workflow Properties:
Property Name | Data Type | Property Type | Property Description |
---|---|---|---|
DisplayName | String | Misc | This property specifies the name of the Activity Box. |
FaultException | .NET Exception | Output | This property specifies the Exception to raise if a Fault is triggered. |
isFaulted | Boolean | Output | If True, a Fault has been triggered. If False no Fault has been triggered. |
WorkFlowPath | String | Misc | This property specified the Operating System path of the Workflow. |
Invoke Workflow
This activity provides a means for creating a Workflow or sub-Workflow. It is primarily used to specify a Workflow for Parallel Tasks and Parallel Tasks-For Each. The execution of this Workflow is dynamic so that any arguments input to the Workflow do not need to be declared in advance.
Invoke Workflow Properties:
Property Name | Data Type | Property Type | Property Description |
---|---|---|---|
Arguments | List of Dynamic Arguments | Input | This property specifies a List of Dynamic Arguments to be used as input in the Workflow. |
DisplayName | String | Misc | This property specifies the name of the Activity Box |
DontWaitForCompletion | Boolean | Input | If this property is set to True then the completion of the workflow is not necessary. (ELABORATE ON THIS). If it is set to False, then the workflow must complete before XXX. |
FaultException | Exception | Output (Fault Handling) | This property specifies which exception to use in the case of a Fault on Workflow execution. |
IsFaulted | Boolean | Output (Fault Handling) | This property is set to True if a Fault is triggered by the Workflow. It returns False if the Workflow does not trigger a Fault. |
LogFIlePath | String | Input | This property specifies the Operating Sysytem path where the LogFile is stored. |
ReturnArguments | List of Dynamic Arguments | Ouput | This property is a list of the arguments returned from the Workflow. |
RunAsynchronous | Boolean | Input | If this is set to True, the Workflow runs Asynchronously, otherwise it runs Synchronously. |
WorkflowPath | String | Input | This property specifies the path of the Workflow. |
Parallel Task
This action is used for specifying actions to be run in parallel. This may be desirable for running large action processes. To specify the processes for parallel execution, double click on the action box to see a down arrow with a 'Drop activity here' message. The only actions/activities that can be dropped into this box are:
Invoke Workflow or Invoke Workflow Static
Parallel Task Properties:
DisplayName : This property is of type String and contains the name of the action box.
CompletionCondition: This property is of type Boolean and specifies the completion condition of the Parallel task using a Visual Basic Boolean expression.
Terminate
This action is for terminating the workflow. For example, it may be used as one of the consequences of a conditional action. One of the properties allows the developer to specify which Visual Basic exception is to be thrown. Another one of the properties allows the developer to include the reason for termination.
Terminate Properties:
Property Name | Data Type | Property Type | Property Description |
---|---|---|---|
DisplayName | String |
| This property contains the name of the Action box. |
Exception | Visual Basic Exception | Input | This property contains the exception to be triggered. |
Reason | String | Input | This property contains the reason for terminating the workflow. |
Sequence
Sequence is used to encapsulate a group of Designer Activities that will be executed in a specified sequence. The only argument is a DisplayName which is a String defining the name of the Sequence.
TryCatch
VIP provides TryCatch component to handle scenarios which can cause faults to occur for example trying to connect a database which is not up or accessing a file which is not available at given path or trying to send an email with invalid details or inaccessible server.
These sort of scenarios are rare if the workflow is designed correctly, however it can happen. In such cases where an error is raised by a component workflow execution can halt which may not be the desired behaviour. To overcome such issues, flowchart can have TryCatch component and the component which can raise an error can be wrapped in Try block which falls back to Catch block in case component when executed in Try block raises an error. In Catch block fault handling can be performed, and corrective actions can be taken for smooth workflow processing.
TryCatch also provides Finally block, which executes in both cases if there is no error in Try block or if fallback has gone through the Catch block. It comes handy for users to perform any task which should be done in either case e.g. Send an email about component execution success or failure.
Flowchart Properties
Flowchart component allows creation of free-form workflow by dropping and chaining other components (including flowcharts) together to model workflows using familiar flowchart paradigm. It is useful to put logical stuff in a single flowchart to make it self-contained to achieve a set of functionality.
Variables can be declared at flowchart level which are accessible for all the components contained within flowchart including any inner flowcharts.
Flowchart Properties:
Property Name | Property Type | Property Description |
---|---|---|
DisplayName | String | Set friendly name for flowchart |
ValidateUnconnectedNodes | Bool | Indicates whether unconnected nodes are validated for valid property settings |
VIP DEVOPS INTEGRATION VIP DESIGNER ACTIONS FLOWCHART ACTIONS