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Introduction

Cause​

There was a need to:

  • Exchange data between Skills Workflow and any other platforms
  • Automate internally tasks in the system

Technology​

Automation Workflows is a technology that allows you to create actions:

  • Rests API calls
  • SFTP connection to download, upload and move files
  • Convert data into CSV files
  • Send e-mails with actions results
  • Logical actions
  • HTTP response for the automation workflow result

Configurations​

An Automation Workflow is made of actions.

  • There are two actions that must exist and be properly configured in order to save an Automation Workflow successfully
    • Start
    • Result

Everytime an action is executed, it will produce a result, made available in the action's content.

It is possible to access an action result by invocating its "Content".

To invoke the action content use the following statement: {{['actionName']}}

  • It can be evaluated using JsonPath syntax

Please see the example below to see access to the action GetProjectFile and get the Uri:

Accessing GetProjectFile action's content to use the Uri
{   
    "actionType": "Download",  
    "name": "DownloadFile",  
    "next": "UploadFile",  
    "url": "{{['GetProjectFile']$.Content.Uri}}`"  
}

Parameters​

{{['#HttpRequest']}}​

Full HttpRequest that triggered the Automation Workflow.

Full Http Request Example
{
  "Scheme": "https",
  "Host": "integrationworkflow-skills-dev-we.azurewebsites.net",
  "Path": "/api/tenants/{tenantId}/integration-workflows/{AutomationId}/execute",
  "Method": "POST",
  "Query": {
    "TenantName": [
      "playground-dev"
    ]
  },
  "Headers": {
    "Accept": [
      "application/json"
      ]
  },
  "Body": {
    "parameter": "value"
  }
}

Functions​

Functions replace evaluated value with a function that runs a specific Task.

  • {{NewGuid}} - Returns a new Guid
  • {{NewDateUtc(value[Required])}} - returns a new Utc DateTime
    • value:
      • {{NewDateUtc(Now)}} -returns a new Utc DateTime with current time
      • {{NewDateUtc(Today)}} - returns a new Utc DateTime with time set to MidNight (00:00:00)
      • {{NewDateUtc(Yesterday)}} - returns a new Utc DateTime with time set to Yesterday's MidNight (00:00:00)
      • {{NewDateUtc(FirstDayOfYear)}} - returns a new Utc DateTime with time set to new Years Day at MidNight (00:00:00)
      • {{NewDateUtc(LastDayOfYear)}} - returns a new Utc DateTime with time set to last day of the current Year at MidNight (00:00:00)

Pipe Functions​

Pipe Functions enable transformations on evaluated values using '|' modifier after the value and a specific Pipe Function. Pipe Functions support arguments between parentheses

Converters​

  • ToBase64 - {{['CreateCsv']$ | ToBase64}}
  • FromBase64 - {{['CreateCsv']$ | ToBase64}}
  • UrlEncode - {{['GetProjectFile']$.Content.Url | UrlEncode}}
  • ToJsonString - {{['GetProjectFile']$.Content | ToJsonString}}
  • ToDateUtc - {{['GetProjectFile']$.Content.CreatedOn | ToDateUtc}}
  • ToJson - {{['CreateCsv']$ | ToJson}}
  • ToJsonString - {{['CreateCsv']$ | ToJsonString}}
  • FromUnixTimeSeconds - {{['CreateCsv']$ | FromUnixTimeSeconds}}
  • FromUnixTimeMilliSeconds - {{['CreateCsv']$ | FromUnixTimeMilliSeconds}}

Boolean Operators​

  • IsNullOrEmpty - {{['CreateCsv']$ | IsNullOrEmpty}}
  • Contains - {{['MyText'] | Contains('Text to check if exists')}}
  • Join - {{['MyText'] | Join('Text to append')}}
  • Split - {{['My/Text'] | Split('Separator Char')}}

Arithmetic Operators​

  • AddDecimal(value) - {{['MyIntValue'] | AddDecimal(2)}}
  • Sum - {{['ArrayOfValues']$ | Sum}}
  • Min - {{['ArrayOfValues']$ | Min}}
  • Max - {{['ArrayOfValues']$ | Max}}
  • Avg - {{['ArrayOfValues']$ | Avg}}

Date Operators​

  • AddMonths(value) - {{['StartDate'] | AddMonths(2)}}
  • AddDays(value) - {{['StartDate'] | AddDays(-1)}}
  • AddHours(value) - {{['StartDate'] | AddHours(12)}}
  • AddMinutes(value) - {{['StartDate'] | AddMinutes(2)}}

String Formatting​

  • RemoveLeading('value') - {{['MyText'] | RemoveLeading('Text To Remove from start')}}
  • RemoveTrailing('value') - {{['MyText'] | RemoveTrailing('Text To Remove from End')}}
  • Trim - {{['MyText'] | Trim}}
  • ToLowerCase - {{['MyText'] | ToLowerCase}}
    • ToUpperCase - {{['MyText'] | ToUpperCase}}

Preprocessors​

Preprocessors are used to apply transformations on part of a expression.

  • #eval(< expression >) - Pre-evaluates an expression and replaces the tag with it's value.
    • Can be used in any part of the expression.
    Examples
    {
      "example1": "{{['#eval(['MapCustomDatabaseForm'].Name)'].Content}}`",
      "example2": "{{['RecordsList'].Content..#eval(['MapCustomDatabaseForm'].Id)}}`",
      "example3": "{{['RecordsList'].Content..#eval(['MapCustomDatabaseForm'].name).#eval(['MapCustomDatabaseForm'].Id)}}`"
    }

Templates​

Some common used code snipets

SubWorkflow Template
{
   "name":"CreateProjectIfNotExistsSubWorkflow",
   "actions":[
      {
          "actionType": "Start",
          "name": "Start",
          "next": "Exit"
      },
      {
          "actionType": "Result",
          "name": "Exit",
          "httpResponse": {
              "statusCode": 200,
              "headers": {
                  "content-type": "application/json"
              },
              "body": ""
          }
      }
   ]
 }

JSONPath expressions​

JSONPath expressions always refer to a JSON structure and can apply transformations and filtering.

JSONPath expressions can use the dot–notation $.store.book[0].title or the bracket–notation $['store']['book'][0]['title'] for input path's. Internal or output path's will always be converted to the more general bracket–notation.

JSONPath allows the wildcard symbol * for member names and array indices. It borrows the descendant operator .. from E4X and the array slice syntax proposal [start : end : step] from ECMASCRIPT 4. Expressions of the underlying scripting language (<expr>) can be used as an alternative to explicit names or indices as in $.store.book[(@.length-1)].title using the symbol @ for the current object. Filter expressions are supported via the syntax ?(<boolean expr>) as in $.store.book[?(@.price < 10)].title .

Here is a complete overview:​

SyntaxDescription
$the root object/element
@the current object/element
. or [ ]child operator
..recursive descent. JSONPath borrows this syntax from E4X.
*wildcard. All objects/elements regardless their names.
[ ]subscript operator. In JSON it is the native array operator.
[ , ]Union operator. JSONPath allows alternate names or array indices as a set.
[start : end : step]array slice operator borrowed from ES4.
?()applies a filter (script) expression.
()script expression, using the underlying script engine.
Json Example
{
  "documents": {
    "client": [
      {
        "Id": "38ed55ac-cb45-4cbb-b89e-2f3cf480cb11",
        "Name": "Allbirds",
        "Code": "ABD",
        "HasContracts": false,
        "CommercialPaymentConditionId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
        "FullTimeEmployeeTime": 1800.0,
        "FileSystemRootId": "7ba972ac-afaa-4c86-bb0c-9b564276a109"
      },
      {
        "Id": "3f826c2c-96c1-4d75-82d9-c29b4e50d4ef",
        "Name": "Amazon",
        "Code": "AMZ",
        "HasContracts": false,
        "CommercialPaymentConditionId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
        "FullTimeEmployeeTime": 0.0,
        "FileSystemRootId": "1160f5d7-062a-4f78-a66b-e678a08052bb"
      },
      {
        "Id": "682823e1-0651-4e8d-a655-ab3f8bcc8f6f",
        "Name": "Americanas",
        "Code": "",
        "HasContracts": false,
        "CommercialPaymentConditionId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
        "FullTimeEmployeeTime": 0.0,
        "FileSystemRootId": "e56023d9-56db-49c9-97fd-96635e7cb251"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Expression Cheat Sheet:​

SyntaxResult
$.documents.client[*].Namethe names of all clients in the documents
$..nameall names
$.documents.*all things in documents, which are some clients.
$.documents..codethe code of everything in the documents.
$..client[2]the third client
$..client[(@.length-1)] or $..client[-1:]the last client in order.
$..client[0,1] or $..client[:2]the first two client
$..client[?(@.code)]filter all clients with code Name
$..client[?(@.FullTimeEmployeeTime>1800)]filter all clients with FullTimeEmployeeTime greater than 10
$..client[?(@.Name=='Americanas')]filter all clients with name "Americanas"
$..client[?(@.Name=='Amazon' && @.code ='AMZ')]filter all clients with name "Amazon" and Code "AMZ"
$..client[?(@.Name=='Amazon' || @.code ='AMZ')]filter all clients with name "Amazon" or Code "AMZ"
$..*All members of JSON structure

note: #eval() sintax can be included in in JsonPath Expressions ex:
$..client[?(@.code=='#eval(#eval(NewDateUtc(Today) | AddDays(-1)))')