Understanding workflows and usage

To start using Workflow Builder, open a Workshop application and use the keyboard shortcut Command + i (macOS) or Ctrl + i (Windows) to view the relevant Workflow Builder graph depicting the relevant objects, actions, and functions that back the application.

Interface

Workflow Builder's interface consists of the two main components, as seen in the following notional screenshot:

1. Graph panel: An interactive graphical view of the entities backing your workflow and the relationships between them.
2. Workshop panel: An interactive view of the selected Workshop applications.

Graph panel

When you select nodes on the graph panel, you can see the corresponding Workshop components highlighted on the Workshop panel. This makes it easy to see the exact places that are using specific nodes and can help show you where specific objects are being used.

When you select a specific node on the graph, you can use the Pin option to pin it to the left sidebar, or see more details about the node.

To see all linked dependencies for a particular node, select the icon corresponding to the input type you want to see on the graph.

You can view the icons of each node type in the legend at the top right of the graph panel. Object type nodes are represented using the icon specified in the Ontology.

In the example below, we want to see the nine actions dependent on the Outage Alert object. Select the same icon location inline on the object to show and hide those dependencies from view.

Review details of a specific node by selecting the node and then opening the selection details panel on the left side of the screen. Details displayed vary depending on the type of node selected. The following is a list of sample details that can be found for each resource:

• Objects: A list of properties and where those properties are used throughout the workflow (see property provenance linked below), linkages, backing data source, etc.
• Functions: Inputs, outputs, dependencies, repository, and other relevant metadata.
• Actions: API, RID, input data, Ontology edits, and submission criteria.
• AIP Logic Function: Dependencies, automations, metadata about creation details.
• Language models: Model description and metadata on model creator and context window.
• Workshop applications: Metadata about creation and action, function, object dependencies.

Additional details

For Functions, you can see the code when you select the node. This includes the objects from which your Function reads and a description of the logic.

For Actions, you can see the Action function code, the Action log, and the option to upgrade the Action.

For objects, you can see a preview of the object data.

Workshop panel

On the Workshop panel, you can select different components and see the corresponding nodes highlighted on the Workflow Builder graph.

At the bottom of the Workshop panel, the Entities section shows all backing objects and Actions used in the workshop. When you select a specific entity, you can see exactly where the entity is used throughout the Workshop application.

If you have multiple Workshop applications on your graph, you can use the dropdown at the top to toggle between Workshop application views.

To reopen the Workshop panel, select any Workshop application on the graph and press i or double-click on the node.

Color legend

Workflow Builder provides a color legend system to help manage security and view metadata about specific applications. Examples of color legends are below:

• Node type: Show the type of resource that each node represents on your graph.
• Custom color: Add colors into the legend, right-click nodes to create a new color group or select an existing one, or drag colors from the legend onto nodes.
• Ontology permissions: Review Managing security.
• Resource permissions: Review Managing security.
• Application views: Color the Workshop applications based on how many views that application had over the past four weeks in both view and edit mode.
• Out of date functions: Review Action-backed Function upgrades.
• Folder: Color the nodes based on the folder each node lives in.

Managing security

The color legend allows you to view Ontology permissions and Resource permissions. There are two types of Ontology permissions:

• Definition: Whether the specified user can view or edit entity definitions.
• Data and execution: Whether the specified user can view object data or execute actions.

To understand the access permissions of a specific user, you can use input their username into the View as dropdown menu for a preview.

Performing refactors

You may wish to optimize the performance of your Workshop applications. Workflow Builder provides a simple way for you to understand attached properties and update outdated action-backed functions.

Property provenance

You can track the usage of each property within any object throughout your entire workflow. Select the object on the graph, and view the Selection details panel on the left to see where each property is being used.

The number shown next to each property refers to the amount of functions, Actions, linkages, Workshop applications, and more depending on the context.

Action-backed function upgrades

To identify and upgrade outdated function-backed Actions, begin by navigating to the color legend. From there, select the Out-of-date functions option. This action will highlight all the outdated functions in red, giving you a clear visual indication. Next, choose the specific Actions for which you wish to upgrade the backing function. Upon selection, any outdated Actions related to your choice will appear in the panel located at the bottom of the screen for further action.

After you upgrade your Actions, a proposal will be created in Ontology Manager. Here, you can ask for a review of the changes (for example, the function upgrades) and once approved, you will be able to merge the proposal.

Keyboard shortcuts

To view the list of keyboard shortcuts available to you, Select Help > View hotkeys.

The available hotkeys are as follows