Workflow Editor

When a workflow or workflow template is selected in the LiveCompare hierarchy, the Workflow Editor is displayed in the Details pane. If you have LiveCompare Editor privileges, the Workflow Editor allows you to modify a workflow by placing nodes and text labels, and by setting the properties of diagram objects.

Note that workflow templates cannot be modified in the Workflow Editor. To make changes to a workflow template, import it into a workspace, modify the workflow diagram, rename the original workflow template in the hierarchy, and then export the workflow diagram to create a new template.

The Workflow Editor includes the following components:

Status Bar

The status bar displays the workflow’s title. For workflows that have been run, it also displays a description of the workflow’s execution status, and an associated icon. The following icons may be displayed.

Icon	Description
	The workflow has no unsaved changes.
	The workflow has unsaved changes.
	The workflow is scheduled for execution. Scheduled workflows may not be modified or run directly.
	The workflow is scheduled for execution and its schedule is disabled.
	The workflow is read-only. This icon is shown for template workflows, and for workflows displayed by a user with LiveCompare Administrator privileges.
	The workflow or a workflow action is currently running.
	The workflow or workflow action completed successfully.
	An error occurred during the workflow’s execution. The action which caused the error is marked with or , and the associated error message is displayed in the status bar.
	The workflow is aborting, or has been aborted.
	The workflow is queued for execution.

The status bar may be resized vertically by dragging its border handle. If required, click the border handle to expand the display so that the complete status message may be displayed without scrolling. Click the border handle or double-click the status message to restore the status bar to its default size.

Workflow Canvas

The workflow canvas displays the nodes, links and text labels that make up the workflow diagram.

Component Palette

The Component Palette allows workflow components to be added to a diagram. To add a component, choose either the ‘Actions’, ‘General’, ‘Parameters’ or ‘Datasets’ category, select the component to be added, and drag it onto the workflow diagram. A margin is maintained along the workflow’s top and left edges. The components in the current category may be filtered by entering an initial letter or a substring of the component name in the ‘Search Palette’ field.

Property Editor

The Property Editor allows you to edit the properties for the selected diagram component. Each component has appearance properties which define how it is displayed in the diagram. Action and parameter objects also have action properties which define the parameters they will use when the workflow is run.

Call Tree

The Call Tree is initialized when a workflow is run or saved, and uses a hierarchy display to list the workflows and workflow templates that are to be executed. Child nodes in the hierarchy indicate workflows and workflow templates that are called using the Run Workflow action (workflow templates and shared workflows are displayed using a lighter font). Double-click a node in the Call Tree to open the associated workflow diagram.

During execution, the workflow that is currently running is marked with in the Call Tree, and the current status of the workflow is shown in parentheses after the workflow name. A workflow’s status shown in the Call Tree may switch between ‘Running’, ‘Success’ and <blank> (between actions) multiple times during the workflow’s execution. If an error occurs during the execution of a workflow, the appropriate icon is shown next to the Call Tree’s top level node.

Mini Map

The Mini Map displays a scaled version of the workflow canvas. The rectangle in the Mini Map window may be repositioned using Left Click+Drag (or by clicking an area of the Mini Map) to determine which portion of the diagram is shown.

The Property Editor, Call Tree and Mini Map are displayed in a separate pane to the right of the workflow canvas.

Toolbar

The Workflow Editor toolbar includes the following tool buttons:

Tool Button	Description
	Saves the workflow diagram. This tool button is enabled if a workflow has been changed.
	Deletes the currently selected diagram objects and places them on the Windows Clipboard (Ctrl+X).
	Copies the currently selected diagram objects and places them on the Windows Clipboard (Ctrl+C).
	Pastes diagram objects from the Windows Clipboard into the current workflow diagram. The objects are pasted below any existing nodes in the workflow diagram (Ctrl+V). Use double-click to paste the diagram objects at the current cursor location.
	Undoes the last diagram editing operation (Ctrl+Z). This tool button is enabled if a diagram editing operation is available to undo.
	Reapplies the last diagram editing operation (Ctrl+Y).
	Zooms in on the workflow canvas (Ctrl+Scroll Wheel).
	Zooms out from the workflow canvas (Ctrl+Scroll Wheel).
	Resets the workflow and clears all its result datasets. If a Run Workflow action has been used to call another workflow, the called workflow is reset and reloaded from the LiveCompare hierarchy. Note that the ‘Reset’ option is not supported for called workflows directly.
	Aborts the execution of the workflow.
	Runs the current workflow (F5).
	Shows or hides the Component Palette.
	Shows or hides the right hand pane.

Hiding and Displaying Workflow Editor Panes

Each pane in the Workflow Editor may be hidden or displayed by clicking its border handle. If the Component Palette, Mini Map or Call Tree panes are hidden, they may be displayed temporarily by clicking their borders. The panes will be hidden again when they lose mouse focus.

Workflow Idle Timeout

If a saved workflow is displayed and the browser is idle for a specified amount of time, LiveCompare displays the Process Run screen for the workflow. The idle timeout value is set to 900 seconds (15 minutes) by default. However if you have LiveCompare Administrator privileges, this value may be changed in the Configuration - General screen by specifying a different number of seconds in the ‘WorkflowIdleRedirectTimeout’ field.

Any action performed in the Workflow Editor (for example, clicking, panning, zooming or tracking the next action) will reset the timeout.

Editing Workflows