Hello App Creators,
Greetings from Zoho Creator!
We are glad to introduce the new form workflows that bring with it a revamped UI and a whole lot of enhancements that put a new spin on how you create and manage your workflows.
We always look to improve and enhance our product to provide a seamless and smooth app-building process. We identified that workflows had a scope for improvement in the following areas:
- Creating workflows used Created, Edited, Created or Edited, and Deleted as the events at which workflows can be triggered. Whereas, the event in the form (Examples: On load, On Validate, etc) for which the workflow was created was not clearly defined. There was no clear distinction between these two important aspects of workflow creation.
- Configuring actions required that the user chooses relevant actions from all the available actions. This set of actions included actions that did not cater to the user's requirement as well, putting the onus on the user to pick the appropriate action for the workflow.
- Managing workflows was difficult, particularly when the application had many workflows. Locating and accessing the required workflow was a little tedious.
- Execution order was based on the time of creation of workflows. It was not within the capacity of the user to determine the order in which the workflows need to be executed.
What's new?
The following features have been incorporated to provide a holistic enhancement to workflows:
Record and Form Events: The Create screen clearly identifies record and form events for which the workflow is created. This helps you have a well-defined process for creating and managing your workflows.
Actions based on Events: The record and form events that you provide act as a criteria that helps narrow down to specific actions that cater to your requirements, filtering out the rest of the actions. You can select and configure the action as intended.
Deluge Script Preview: A preview of the Deluge scripts appears in the workflow builder. This enables you to skim through the script without having to open the Deluge editor.
Deluge Editor: A resized Deluge editor window that spreads to 90% of the screen, accommodating lengthy statements. This allows you to view the entire statement without having to scroll left and right of the screen.
Dashboard with Filters: The dashboard is well-organized, equipped with categorically displayed workflows. It features filters based on forms, record events, and form events. This allows you to locate and track your workflows easily, while providing you with a high-level view of all the workflows in your app.
Execution Order: The order of execution is independent of the creation time. This allows you to rearrange and determine the sequence in which your workflows need to be executed.
Plans for rolling out
This update will be rolled out in phases. Initially, the new event-based form workflow will be enabled for new users who sign up after this update is rolled out. Later, existing users will be provided with the access to update all apps or selective apps.
We are thoroughly excited about this major update in form workflows and hope it improves your app-building experience to a great extent.
Let us know what you think of this update.
Regards,
Neethinila | Zoho Creator Team