Collection form - Completing the Preamble and Stop tab

Complete the fields on this tab to define pre-actions and post-actions that are evaluated before and after the collection is processed.

Understanding actions and tasks

The Before This Collection and After This Collection sections display numbered lists of pre-actions and post-actions, respectively. Each action can contain one or more tasks. A task calls a supported rule or method.

Because pre-actions and post-actions use identical fields and options, the procedures for creating and configuring them are the same.

To add an action:

1. Click Add pre-action or Add post-action to append an action to the existing list.
2. Select a condition from the drop-down list.
3. Hover over the action number.
4. When the pointer becomes a drag handle, drag and drop the action to the required position in the list.

You can now add tasks to the action. You cannot save the collection until all required fields are populated.

To remove an action, click the delete icon.

To add a task to an action:

1. Click Add task to append a task to the existing list.

2. Click Edit to open the Update task modal.

3. Select an option from the Type drop-down list. Options include supported rules and methods.

4. Complete the additional fields that are required for your selected rule or method.

   For example, when you select an action type of Activity, you must enter the name of the activity to call and any applicable parameter values to pass at run time.

   Refer to the list of supported rules and methods for more details.

5. Click Submit.

6. Hover over the drag icon next to the task label.

7. When the pointer becomes a drag handle, drag and drop the task to the required position in the list.

You can now click on the task label to open the rule it calls. When a task calls a method, the label is read-only.

To delete a task, click Remove.

Run-time behavior

When a collection runs, the system processes the values on the Pre/Post Actions tab as follows:

1. Evaluates pre-actions in sequential order.

   Only pre-actions that satisfy condition criteria are run.

2. Waits for the tasks in the current pre-action to finish before evaluating the next pre-action in the list.

3. Processes the steps on the Rules tab of the Collection form.

4. Evaluates post-actions in sequential order.

   Only post-actions that satisfy condition criteria are run.

5. Waits for the tasks in the current post-action to finish before evaluating the next post-action in the list.

6. Returns control to the calling activity or collection.