4.4 Understanding User Input Forms

User input forms allow Workflow Automation users, typically Process Operators, to interact with a work item and provide feedback the associated workflow needs to complete its task. For example, if you are building a workflow to restart a service, and the restart requires approval, you can use the Collect Input from User activity to pause the workflow and wait for approval. Depending on the user’s response, the workflow can either restart the service or stop.

4.4.1 Linking to a User Input Form

If you do not want the user to interact with the Operations Console, you can send an email with a link to a specific user input form. When the user clicks the link in the email and logs in, the input form displays in a browser window. The user does not see the full workflow or any other data in the Operations Console.

Workflow Automation supports user input forms in the following Web browsers:

  • Mozilla Firefox

  • Google Chrome

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 11, Edge

To create a link to a user input form:

  1. In the Workflow Designer, drag a Send Email activity and a Collect Input from User activity to the design grid.

  2. Use a connector to join the activities, from the Send Email activity to the Collect Input from User activity.

  3. Double-click the Send Email activity, and then complete the following steps:

    1. On the Values tab, next to the Body parameter, select the Use Input Builder check box.

    2. In the Value field for the Body parameter, click Input Builder.

    3. On the Input Builder window, click New Input Element, and then click Input Form Link.

    4. Under Input Form Activity Name, select Collect Input from User, and then click OK.

      NOTE:If you have configured multiple Collect Input from User activities, ensure you select the one connected to the Send Email activity you are configuring.

    5. On the Input Builder window, click OK.

    6. On the activity properties window, configure the remaining input parameters, and then click OK.

  4. Configure the Collect Input from User activity and any other activities you have added to the workflow.

NOTE:For detailed examples of creating workflows, see Workflow Examples

4.4.2 Customizing a User Input Form

You can change the appearance of the user input forms in your environment by modifying the following cascading style sheets:

  • InputForm.css - styles related to the input form and form fields

  • LoginDialog.css - styles related to the login window

  • MainLayout.css - styles related to the banner, footer, and main panel

  • Page.css - styles related to the login view and the input form view inside the main panel

The .css files are typically located in the C:\Program Files\NetIQ\Aegis\AegisInputForm\css folder on the Web Server computer.

NOTE:If you modify the .css files in your environment, ensure you back them up before upgrading to the next version. After the upgrade is complete, you can restore them and replace the .css files installed by the upgrade.