Plugin Node

Introduction

Feature(s)

Plugin Node is the node for handling workflows. Specifically, it can be used to call external plugins to transform, process, validate workflow data, and send notifications, thereby achieving automated workflow management.

Application Scenario(s)

In the case of employee management, you need to collect the information of employees from different departments. To create a form template applicable to all departments with different numbers of employees, you can use the Subform Filler plugin to make it happen.

For example, a manager initiates a workflow to collect employee information from all departments with different numbers of employees. The manager can select a department head and enter the number of employees accordingly when filling out a form. In this way, the head will be spared the effort to add rows.

Preview

Take the Employee Information form as an example: If the initiators enter the number of employees when initiating a workflow, the approver will be spared the effort to add rows.

Plan Description

This is a paid feature. For details, see Understand Your Account Usage and Limits.

Setting Procedure

Take the scenario of collecting employee information as an example:

Creating a Form

1. Create an Employee Management form. Here are the fields and field types:

2. Add a Number field in the Employee Information subform as an auxiliary field. Then select the subform and go to Initial Value > Settings. After that, set the default number of rows and enter the initial values.

Designing a Workflow

In Design, drag a Plugin Node from the toolbar to the workflow and connect all nodes with connections.

Note:

To make a plugin node work, you should at least add two connections: an incoming connection, through which data flow into a workflow, and an outgoing connection, through which data flow out.

Configuring the Plugin Node

1. Select the plugin node, go to Node Properties > Node Name, change the node name to Subform Filler, and click Plugin Configuration.

2. On the Plugin Configuration Page, select a plugin you want to use. You can install a plugin in Market or create one by yourself. Take the Subform Filler plugin as an example:

3. After you select a plugin, the request parameters you need to configure will appear, such as the number of added rows. The followings are the values you can configure for request parameters.

Customization: the value you manually enter

Field Value: the value selected from a form

4. Click Add to set how the return values are saved to the subfields, such as Subform.Order in the Subform Filler plugin.

Note:

For different plugins, you need to configure different parameters.

Triggering the Plugin

If the plugin is triggered successfully, the workflow will continue to flow. In Updates, you can check the start time and the used time. The return values can be written back to the subfields.

If the plugin is triggered unsuccessfully, the process will stay at that plugin node. Error report of execution failure is displayed in the updates. App admins/system admins/the creator can click Retry at the updates to run the plugin with the original process version and latest data.

Notes

1. If you have enabled a workflow, the Plugin Node will not appear on the workflow design page.

2. If a workflow is at a plugin node, you cannot manually end the workflow, change approvers, or expedite the workflow.

3. If there is a plugin node in a workflow, you cannot return the workflow to the plugin node. Otherwise, the system will report an error.

4. If there is a plugin node in a workflow, you cannot return the workflow to the plugin node. Otherwise, the system will report an error.