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How to configure an action section

Updated on May 3, 2020

Summary

Work object forms that allow users to select from multiple flow actions (often produced by harness rules named Perform) contain an action section. The action section can present user options in a number of ways, and the developer can choose the method that best suits the workflow and expectations of those who will be processing work objects.

The action section also dynamically provides button controls as needed to help the user move through a multi-step screen flow and submit the work when it is ready. If there is only one step, the gadget will present just the Submit button.

With Version 6.1+, the recommended action section is a PegaGadget called Work-.pyActionArea:

Action area

When you add the gadget to a harness because a "stack" of buttons appears in the upper section. The gadget knows at runtime which row of buttons to display: the user never sees more than one row at a time.

The lower layout by default holds the breadcrumbs control to help users know where they are in the process.

You can drag the lower layout above the upper one if it matches your users' expectations; however, users typically look for the breadcrumbs control on the margins of a form (at the top or bottom, or vertically down the left side).

Harness rules created in releases before V6.1 may reference the older and less flexible Work-.Action section, or one of a few other action sections. While the V5 Work-.Action section (and other standard action sections included in V6.1) remains functional and supported, the Work-.pyActionArea is recommended. To replace an older action section with the pyActionArea section:

  1. Select the harness and, in the Layout tab, change to wireframe mode.
  2. Select the section currently using Work-.Action and click the magnifying glass to display its properties panel.
  3. In the Include Section field, replace Action with pyActionArea.
  4. Save the harness.

 

Suggested Approach

When the user has a choice of multiple actions, the action gadget can display options in a way that best matches end-user expectations: in a dropdown menu, as a series of buttons, or as a series of links.

To configure the display:

  1. Select the harness and, in the Layout tab, change to wireframe mode.
  2. Select the section using Work-.pyActionArea and click the magnifying glass to display its properties panel.
  3. Click the magnifying glass beside the Include Section field to display the parameters panel:

action area params panel

Select the display option for actions that you prefer: buttons, dropdown menu, or links.

If you choose the Drop Down option, a checkbox appears. The actions appear in the order of their likelihood, as established in the Visio diagram of the flow:

dropdown menu option

By default, the dropdown menu has the label "Take Action". Check the box to replace that text with the name of the most likely action. At runtime, users can then just click the Submit or Next button at the bottom of the form; if they want to choose a different action, they can pick it from the dropdown menu.

Button labels

The gadget's standard navigation buttons have the default labels Submit, <<Back, and Next>>. You can customize the labels to match your users' expectations:

  1. In the gadget, select a button and click the magnifying glass of the cell it is in to display the cell's properties panel:
    cell properties panel
  2. Click the magnifying glass beside the Display As field to display the parameters window for the pzActionButton:
    parameters panel for action button
  3. Make the changes you want to Caption field (and, preferably, to the ToolTip field), and click OK to save your changes.

 

Additional information

How to present the default and alternate flow actions to users distinctly (V5)

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