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Customizing a workflow with external parameters customizing-a-workflow-with-external-parameters

Last update: Tue Mar 22 2022 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Topics:
Workflows

CREATED FOR:

Intermediate
Developer

Once the workflow has been triggered, the parameters are ingested into the events variables and can be used to customize the workflow’s activities.

They can, for example, be used to define which audience to read in the Read audience activity, the name of the file to transfer in the Transfer file activity, etc. (see this page).

Using events variables using-events-variables

Events variables are used within an expression that must respect the Standard syntax.

The syntax to use events variables must follow the format below, and use the parameter’s name that has been defined in the External signal activity (see Declaring the parameters in the External signal activity):

$(vars/@parameterName)

In this syntax, the $ function returns string data type. If you want to specify another type of data, use the following functions:

$long: integer number.
$float: decimal number.
$boolean: true/false.
$datetime: timestamp.

When using a variable in an activity, the interface provides help to call it.

: select the events variable among all variables that are available in the workflow.

: edit expressions combining variables and functions (see this page).

This list provides functions that allow you to carry out complex filtering. These functions are detailed in this section.

Additionally, you can use the functions below, which are available in all the activities that allow you to use events variables after calling a workflow with external parameters (see this section):

table 0-row-3 1-row-3 2-row-3 3-row-3 4-row-3 5-row-3 6-row-3 7-row-3 8-row-3 9-row-3 10-row-3
Name	Description	Syntax
EndWith	Indicates if a string (1st parameter) ends with a specific string (2nd parameter).	EndWith(<String>,<String>)
startWith	Indicates if a string (1st parameter) starts with a specific string (2nd parameter).	startWith(<String>,<String>)
Extract	Returns the first characters of a string using a separator.	Extract(<String>,<Separator>)
ExtractRight	Returns the last characters of a string using a separator.	ExtractRight(<String>,<Separator>)
DateFormat	Formats a date using the format specified in the 2nd parameter (example: ‘%4Y%2M%2D’)	DateFormat(<Date>,<Format>)
FileName	Returns the name of a file path.	FileName(<String>)
FileExt	Returns the extension of a file path.	FileExt(<String>)
GetOption	Returns the value of the specified function.	GetOption(<optionName>)
IsNull	Indicates if a string or a date is null.	IsNull(<String/date>)
UrlUtf8Encode	Encodes an URL in UTF8.	UrlUtf8Encode(<String>)

Customizing activities with events variables customizing-activities-with-events-variables

Events variables can be used to customize several activities, listed in the section below. For more on how to call a variable from an activity, refer to this section.

Read audience activity: define the audience to target based on events variables. For more on how to use the activity, refer to this section.

Test activity: build conditions based on events variables. For more on how to use the activity, refer to this section.

Transfer file activity: customize the file to transfer based on events variables. For more on how to use the activity, refer to this section.

Query activity: parameters can be referenced in a query, by using expressions combining events variables and functions. To do this, add a rule then click the Advanced mode link to access the expression editing window (see Advanced expression editing).

For more on how to use the activity, refer to this section.

Channels activities: personalize deliveries based on events variables.

NOTE

The delivery parameters’ values are retrieved each time the delivery is prepared.

Recurring deliveries preparation is based on the delivery aggregation period. For example, if the aggregation period is “by day”, then the delivery will be re-prepared only once a day. If a delivery parameter’s value is modified during the day, then it will not be updated in the delivery, as it has already been prepared once.

If you plan on calling the workflow multiple times a day, use the No aggregation option, so that the delivery parameters are updated each time. For more on recurring deliveries configuration, refer to this section.

To personalize a delivery based on events variables, you must first declare into the delivery activity the variables that you want to use:

Select the activity, then click the button to access the settings.
Select the General tab, then add the events variables that will be available as personalization fields in the delivery.
Click the Confirm button.

Declared events variables are now available from the list of personalization fields. You can use them in the delivery to perform the actions below:

Define the name of the template to use for the delivery.

note note
NOTE
This action is available for recurring deliveries only.

Personalize the delivery: when selecting a personalization field to configure a delivery, events variables are available in the Workflow parameters element. You can use them as any personalization field, for example to define the delivery subject, the sender etc.

Delivery personalization is detailed in this section.