Create a workflow with the wizard

Introduction

There are two ways to create a workflow:

• Using a wizard
• Importing a workflow from a file

The wizard is described below, while you can find the import procedure described in the article dedicated to the topic.

To start the wizard, select the plus icon on the toolbar at the top of the page in any dashboard view, then choose Workflow project.

In the New workflow dialog:

1. Enter the name of the workflow and, optionally, a description for it.

2. Select Show ID preferences to display the settings that affect the workflow ID, the identification code that is required to use the workflow programmatically with the NL Flow API.

   • Select Auto-generated if you want the ID to be automatically generated by the system.

   Or:

   • Select Custom to set the ID you prefer. The custom ID must be:

     • Unique, no other workflow can have the same ID.
     • At most 36 characters long

     • Made only of ASCII characters of these subsets:

       • Lowercase letters
       • Digits
       • Dash (-)

     By default, the custom ID is derived by the workflow name and changes while you type the name itself. After the workflow name is set, however, you are free to change the custom ID as you like.

   Note

   The workflow ID cannot be changed after this preliminary step.

3. Select Create workflow. The creation wizard starts.

When using the wizard:

• To cancel the wizard at any step select Exit wizard at the top right of the page.
• To cancel the wizard at the first step you can also select Cancel in the step dialog.
• In the steps after the first you can go back to the previous step by selecting Back.

In the first step of the wizard you can choose a pre-set or decide to design a completely custom workflow.

The two available pre-sets are:

• Sequential
• Parallel

The Sequential pre-set allows you to create a workflow with one model optionally preceded by a pre-processor and optionally followed by a post-processor.

The Parallel pre-set allows you to create a workflow in which two or three models are executed simultaneously. The models can be preceded by a pre-processor and a Fork operator and followed by a Join operator and a post-processor.

If you choose Custom workflow, then select Create workflow: an empty workflow is created and you are brought to the workflow's editor.
If you choose a pre-set, instead, select Next. You are asked to optionally select a pre-processor.

Choose the optional pre-processor

Select a processor from the list or select No pre-processor to omit the pre-processor, then select Next.

Choose the models

In the next step of the wizard you set the model—or the models, in case of the Parellel pre-set—of the workflow.

If can choose between existing models or upload new models on the fly:

• To select an existing model choose it from the drop-down list. The input box of the list acts as a filter: type something in it to reduce the list to only the model whose name contains what you typed. Clear the field or select the X icon to cancel the filter.
• To upload a model from a file, select Upload.
• If you chose the Parallel pre-set, to add a third model to be executed in parallel with the other two select Add a third model to the fork.

When done select Next.

Choose the optional post-processor

In the last step of the wizard you can optionally choose a post-processer.

• To add a JavaScript Interpreter block with default code you can later modify, select Custom JavaScript.
• To add a Python Interpreter block with default code you can later modify, select Custom Python.
• To add a JavaScript Interpreter block with the code set to one of the built-in templates, select the template under JavaScript templates.
• To omit the post-processor select No post-processor.

When done, select Create workflow and you are brought to the workflow's editor where you will find the drawing of the workflow based on your choices.