The Question step can be used to add a decision point to your workflows. This allows you to define a question with preconfigured responses that determine the next step to run in the workflow.
When the step is run, the question appears and the responses are displayed as buttons. If help text is configured for the step, it appears at the bottom of the job tile. Clicking a response sets the return value for the question and completes the step. If more than three responses are configured, they are displayed in a drop-down list along with a Proceed button.
When the step is run, the following actions can be performed:
- A response can be chosen to complete the step. If more than two responses are configured for the step, a response can be chosen in the drop-down list.
- The step can be cancelled by clicking Cancel.
- The step can be finished by clicking Proceed.
Configure the step
To configure the step, do the following:
- Create or edit a workflow diagram to access the Step Library panel.
- Drag Question from the Step Library panel to a connection arrow of a step on the workflow canvas.
The Step Details panel appears.
- Provide a name for the step in the Step Name text box.
- Provide a question in the Question text box.
- Provide preconfigured answers and return values in the Answer and Return Code text boxes.
Multiple answers can be configured to use the same return code, but all Answer text boxes must contain unique values.
Note:
All paths from the step must be configured to match one of the return code values defined in the step.
- Optionally, click Add New Response to add more answers.
Note:
To delete an answer, hover over it and click the Delete Answer button
. - Optionally, reorder the answers.
- Hover over an answer.
- Click the Reorder Answer button
and drag it to the desired location.
- Click the Options tab.
- Configure Step Options as necessary.
- Manual—Run the step manually.
- Optional—Allow the step to be finished without being run.
- Automatic—Run the step as soon as it becomes active.
Note:
If your workflow diagram is configured to automatically run a sequence of steps that includes the Evaluate Data Quality or the Run GP Service step, steps that attempt to run after the user token that started the sequence of steps expires will not run automatically. You must have a license for the ArcGIS Workflow Manager Server Advanced role to continue running the additional automated steps without manual intervention.
- Run on a Schedule—Run the step according to a schedule you set.
- Manual—Run the step manually.
- Optionally, check the Enabled check box in the Step Commenting section to allow a user to add a comment when the step is run.
- Optionally, if you enabled step commenting, check the Required check box in the Step Commenting section to require a comment.
- Optionally, provide help text for the step in the Step Help text box.
You can also use the following example to display a dynamic value using ArcGIS Arcade expressions:
'For further assistance, please contact ' + jobCreator($job) + '.' - Optionally, click the Style tab to change the shape and color of the step.
- Optionally, click the About tab and provide a description for the step in the Step Description text box.
Note:
The About tab also contains the step's ID that can be used with dynamic job properties to obtain a step's output.
Return value
When the step is completed, its return value is stored to indicate the result of the step. The return value can be immediately evaluated using paths to determine the next steps in the workflow. You can also retrieve the return value for completed steps throughout the workflow using ArcGIS Arcade expressions. The following table lists the step's return value:
| Return value | Description |
|---|---|
| <CustomReturnValue> | The step completed successfully, and the step returns the matching custom return value for the answer defined in the step. |