Classic 23.4 Appian Developer Step-By-Step - All Exercises

Appian Step-by-Step #1
Exercise to Accompany
Welcome to the Appian Developer Learning Path
The Appian Step-by-Step series consists of 12 exercises that accompany

the courses in the Appian Developer learning path. Exercises build upon
each other. Complete exercises in order and keep the app and all
objects until you are done with the project.
1 Welcome to the Appian Developer Learning Path
2 Create an Application
3 Manage Users and Groups
4 Expressions
5 Design Record Types
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101
9 Process Modeling 101: Part 1
11 Reports
12 Task Report
© Appian Corporation, 2023

Introduction 3
How to Complete the Exercises in this Guide 3
What Will I Build? 3
How Can I Practice? 3
Save Often 4
Additional Resources 4
Exercise 1: Welcome to the Appian Developer Learning Path 5
Access Appian Community Edition Environment 5
Notice of Rights
This document was created by Appian Corporation, 7950 Jones Branch Dr, Tysons, Virginia 22102.
Copyright 2023 by Appian Corporation. All rights reserved. Information in this document is subject to
change. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, without
prior written permission of Appian Corporation. For more information on obtaining permission for reprints
or excerpts, contact Appian Training at academyonline@appian.com.
Appian Step-by-Step 23.4

© Appian Corporation, 2023 2
Introduction
How to Complete the Exercises in this Guide
This guide offers a series of exercises that will teach you how to build a functional Appian
application, step by step. Use this guide to support your learning throughout the Appian
Developer online learning path.
To understand specific Appian concepts and features, we recommend that you first take our
online courses (access our curriculum at academy.appian.com) and then complete the
associated step-by-step exercises before moving to the next course in the path.
What Will I Build?

You will build the Acme Auto Exercise Application (AX). This application automates the process
of registering a new vehicle in the fleet for the fictional company Acme Automobile, Inc. The
application is designed for three personas: registrars, supervisors, and mechanics. Registrars
use the AX application to add new vehicles to the fleet, supervisors review and approve new
vehicles, and all three employee groups can request maintenance and keep records for each
maintenance project. You will build the design objects and assemble them into a user-friendly
site that registrars, supervisors, and mechanics will use to add and approve vehicles and to
access fleet-related reports.
You will build most objects in this exercise. However, there will be some selected data and
objects that come from the existing Acme Automobile Reference Application (AA). You can also
use the Acme Auto Solution Application (AS) as a reference tool. Review this application to see
how specific objects or fields are configured, or test the app to see how the features work from
a business user’s perspective. You can find this app in your Appian Community Edition
environment. You will learn how to access that account in this first step-by-step exercise.
How Can I Practice?

You should practice in an Appian Community Edition environment. To request a site, make sure
you’ve registered in Community using your corporate credentials and have enrolled in an
Academy Online course within the last 30 days. Then, sign up for an Appian Community Edition
here: https://community.appian.com/p/my-learning-journey/. This free, unlimited-time Appian
instance comes with the pre-built AS application that you can reference while building your own
version.
To ensure you have the latest and up to date applications in your environment, make sure that
environment is the same or newer than the version the step-by-step exercises were developed
for. Outdated environments may not have the applications or objects you need to complete
exercises. If your environment is out of date, you can request a new one from your Appian
Community Edition account.

Save Often
Appian does not automatically save updates, so save your objects frequently.
Additional Resources
Appian provides several training resources for Appian developers. The following resources are
popular:
Academy Online - Appian’s online courses provide useful survey courses on application
building and best practices, step-by-step tutorials, and additional practice exercises.
Appian Documentation - Appian’s product documentation will provide you with the overview of
key Appian features, newest release information, additional tutorials, and helpful patterns and
recipes to implement in your app.
Community Discussions for New Users - Join our community of experts to ask questions and
find answers from past discussions.

This exercise was developed for Appian 23.4. If you are using a
different version, please see Appian Community for information
about updating your environment to the current version.
Exercise 1: Welcome to the Appian Developer

Learning Path
Access Appian Community Edition Environment
To complete the exercises in the Appian Developer learning path, sign up for access to the
Appian Community Edition environment. Once you sign up, you will have access to a free,
unlimited-time instance. The environment comes with pre-loaded objects that you will need as
you build your application. Follow the steps below to access your Appian Community Edition
environment.
1. Go to the Appian Community website, and sign in to your Appian Community Edition
account.
2. Click the LEARN tab.
3. Click the My Learning Journey icon.
4. In the My Community Edition Site card, click Get my site.
5. Choose your region, and generate your site.
When an instance is assigned to you, your instance URL is added to the My Community Edition
site card on the My Learning Journey page. Your username, which is the email address
associated with your Appian Community account, and password is sent via email. If you do not
receive your site’s credentials, please email CommunityEdition@appian.com for help.
Download and save these exercises as a reference.

Create an Application: First Steps

4 Expressions
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101
11 Reports
12 Task Report

Exercise 2: Create an Application 3
Create an Application 3
Create Parent Folders 4
Create Subfolders 5
Troubleshooting Resources 5
Notice of Rights

Exercise 2: Create an Application

Create an Application
You will start building by creating the application, which is a container for the design objects
that make up a business solution.
Follow the steps below to create your Acme Auto Exercise Application.
1. Sign in to your Appian Community Edition environment.

2. Go to Appian Designer by clicking the Navigation button next to your avatar and
selecting Appian Designer from the dropdown. You can also change the URL from
/suite/site to /suite/design.
3. In the Applications view, click +New Application.
4. In the Create New Application dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter Acme Auto Exercise Application.

● Description: Enter Practice application for managing vehicles
and maintenance in a fleet.
● Prefix: Change the prefix to AX.
● Generate groups and folders to secure and organize objects: Clear this
checkbox. In this exercise, you will manually create groups and folders to
practice all steps of application building.
5. Click CREATE.
6. In the Review Application Security dialog, click SAVE. Because you do not have
application groups yet, you will come back to application security later.
NOTE: Even though the default No Access permission level is selected, you will still be
able to access your application because you are a system administrator in your
environment.
7. Your new application will open automatically. Close the What do you want to build
first? dialog.
You will be in the Explore view. This view gives you immediate insights into the structure of
your application, its packages, and supporting documentation.
Create Parent Folders
In this exercise, you will create folders that you will use to organize and secure application
objects. In Appian, there are four types of folders: Rule, Process Model, Document, and
Knowledge Center.
Follow the steps below to create the parent folders that will hold your subfolders.
1. In the navigation pane on the left, click Build.
2. In the Build view, select New > Folder.
3. Create the Rule folder. This will be the parent folder for other rules and constants
folders. Configure the following properties:
● Type: Select Rule Folder.

● Folder Name: Enter AX Rules & Constants.
● Folder Description: Enter Contains all constants, expression
rules, and interfaces used in the AX application.
● Parent Folder: Leave this field blank.
4. Click CREATE.
5. In the Review Rule Folder Security dialog, click SAVE. You will revisit security
settings after you create application groups.
6. In the same manner, create the following parent folders:
● AX Process Models
● AX Knowledge Center (the folder for application documents)
Remember to choose the correct type for each folder.

Create Subfolders
Subfolders reside in parent folders and inherit the security of the parent folder. Follow the steps
below to create subfolders.
1. Create three subfolders in the AX Rules & Constants parent folder: AX Constants,
AX Expressions, and AX Interfaces. For each folder:
● Select New > Folder.

● Select the type, name your folder, enter a simple description, and select AX
Rules & Constants as the parent folder.
NOTE: Alternatively, you can open AX Rules & Constants and create all subfolders
from within this parent folder. With this method, the Parent Folder field will be
pre-populated with AX Rules & Constants.
2. From within the AX Knowledge Center parent folder, create the subfolder AX
Documents:
● Select the type, name your folder, enter a simple description, and ensure that AX
Knowledge Center is the parent folder.
To check that you set up your parent-child folder relationships correctly, you can use the
hierarchical view. Above the objects list on the right, click Hierarchical View to see your
folders organized into the hierarchy.
Troubleshooting Resources
Stuck on a step, or need help troubleshooting? Appian provides several support resources that
you can use as you build:
1. Acme Auto Solution Application - The Acme Auto Solution Application (AS) is the
solution you are working to build in the Step-by-Steps, so you can use it as a reference
tool. Review this application to see how specific objects are configured, or test the app
to see how the features work from a business user’s perspective. You can find this app
in your Appian Community Edition environment.
2. Community Discussions for New Users - Check out the New to Appian thread in
Community. Join our community of experts to ask questions and find answers from past
discussions.
3. Appian Documentation - Appian’s product documentation will provide you with an

overview of key Appian features, newest release information, additional tutorials, and
helpful patterns and recipes to implement in your app.

Manage Users and Groups

4 Expressions
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101
11 Reports
12 Task Report

Exercise 3: Manage Users and Groups 3
Manage Users 3
Create Groups 3
Configure Group Security 4
Configure Folder Security 5
Configure Application Security 5
Notice of Rights

Exercise 3: Manage Users and Groups

Manage Users
In Appian, application security is configured with groups, which contain your application’s users.
When you requested your Appian Community Edition environment, a user with your credentials
was created for you. For the step-by-step exercises, you do not need to create additional users.
Learn more about creating and managing users by visiting Appian Documentation.
Create Groups
In this exercise, you will create your application groups: AX Users, AX Administrators, AX
Supervisors, AX Registrars, and AX Mechanics. You will use these groups to set security for your
application and its objects.
The Users and Administrators groups are best practices in most applications. The Users group
includes all users with access to the application, and it is always the parent group for other
application groups. The Administrators group includes the users who administer the application
and its objects.
In your application, the AX Supervisors and AX Registrars groups are for the business users who
will use the application to do their work. You will use these groups to define which business
users can access particular features.
Remember to use the application prefix in all object names. Prefixes will help you discern
between similar objects from different applications.
Follow the steps below to create groups.
1. In the Build view of your application, click New > Group.
2. In the Create Group dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX Users.

● Description: Enter Parent group for all roles in the AX
application.
● Parent Group and Group Members: Leave these fields empty because this
group does not have a parent or group members yet.

● Group Type and Privacy Policy: Keep the default selections.
● Visibility: Select Public.
3. Click CREATE.
4. In the Review Group Security dialog, click SAVE. You will review and set up security
after you create the AX Administrators group.
5. In the Build view, click AX Users to open it.
6. From within AX Users, follow steps 1–4 to create the remaining groups:
● AX Administrators
● AX Supervisors
● AX Mechanics
● AX Registrars
Add AX Users as the parent group. Do not configure security. You will secure them later
using their parent group, AX Users.
7. Add yourself to AX Administrators, AX Supervisors, AX Mechanics, and AX

Registrars. To add a user, open each group and select ADD MEMBERS.
As you build your application, you will be able to see the features designed for particular user
groups. You can also remove yourself from a group to test the security of those features.
Configure Group Security

Now that you have the two main application groups, AX Users and AX Administrators, you can
start securing your application objects. This is called object-based security in Appian. You will
start by securing the AX Users parent group.
Follow the steps below to configure group security.
1. Next to AX Users, select the checkbox. In the toolbar, select SECURITY.
2. In the Group Security dialog, click Add Users or Groups.

3. In the User or Group column, enter and select AX Administrators. Keep
Administrator in the Permission Level column.
4. Click SAVE CHANGES.
Now that you have set security for the AX Users group, its child groups will inherit this security
setting. This is called security inheritance in Appian.
Configure Folder Security

In Exercise 2, you created parent folders for your application objects. Now that you have
application groups, you will configure folder security. Documents or rules contained in a parent
folder automatically inherit security from the parent folder. However, Process Model folders do
not provide security inheritance.
Follow the steps below to configure security for your parent folders.
1. From the Object Type filter on the left, select Folder.
2. Select the checkbox next to AX Rules & Constants, and select SECURITY.
3. Click Add Users or Groups.
4. In the User or Group column, enter and select AX Administrators. In the

Permission Level column, select Administrator.
5. Click Add Users or Groups.
6. In the User or Group column, enter and select AX Users. In the Permission Level
column, select Viewer.
7. Repeat steps 2–6 for AX Process Models.
8. For AX Knowledge Center, select AX Administrators, and set the permission level
to Administrator. Then, select AX Users, and set the permission level to Editor.
NOTE: The Editor permission level allows users to upload, modify, and delete
documents. Viewers are able to view documents, but not upload.
Configure Application Security

Now that you have groups, you will set application-level security. From now on, you will set
security for all objects that you create.
Follow the steps below to configure application security.
1. Next to the application name, Acme Auto Exercise Application, click <. This button
brings you back to the Applications view.

2. In the All Applications list, select the checkbox next to Acme Auto Exercise
Application (AX), and select SECURITY.
3. In the Application Security dialog, click Add Users and Groups.
4. In the User or Group column, enter and select AX Administrators. In the

Permission Level column, select Administrator.
5. Click Add Users or Groups again.
6. In the User or Group column, enter and select AX Users. Keep the default Viewer
permission level.
discussions.


Expressions: Transform Your Data

4 Expressions
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101
11 Reports
12 Task Report

Exercise 4: Expressions 3
Create Constants 3
Create an Expression Rule 4
TIP: About a!match 6
Notice of Rights

Exercise 4: Expressions
In this exercise, you will create two types of rule objects: six constants and one expression rule.
Create Constants
A constant is a literal value that can be called from any expression, across objects in your
application. In this section, you will create constants that point to the groups and folders you
just created.
First, you will create constants that point to groups.
1. From within the AX Constants folder, click New > Constant.
2. In the Create Constant dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX_ADMINISTRATORS_POINTER.

● Description: Enter A pointer to the AX application
administrators group.
● Type: Select Group.
● Value: Enter and select AX Administrators.
3. Click CREATE.
4. Follow steps 1–3 to create constants for the remaining four groups:
● AX Users
● AX Supervisors
● AX Registrars
● AX Mechanics
Next, you will create a constant that points to the AX Documents folder.
1. Click New > Constant.
2. In the Create Constant dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX_DOCUMENTS_FOLDER_POINTER.

● Description: Enter A pointer to the AX application documents
folder.
● Type: Select Folder.
● Value: Enter and select AX Documents.
3. Click CREATE.
Create an Expression Rule

An expression rule is a statement that evaluates to return a value. In this section, you will
create an expression that formats a user’s name. You will use this expression rule in a later
exercise.
Follow the steps below to create this expression rule.
1. From within the AX Expressions folder, click New > Expression Rule.
2. In the Create Expression Rule dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX_FormatDisplayName.

● Description: Enter Formats a user’s name for the AX
application.
3. Click CREATE.
4. In the Rule Inputs pane, click the New Rule Input icon.

5. Configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter user.

● Description: Enter Username of logged in user.
● Type: Select Text.
6. Enter the following expression into the Expression Editor:
a!match(
value: true(),
equals: isnull(ri!user),
then: "",
equals: isusernametaken(ri!user),
then: proper(
user(ri!user, "firstName") & " " & user(ri!user,
"lastName")
),
default: proper(joinarray(split(ri!user, "."), " "))
)
In this expression, a!match evaluates the input (a username) against multiple conditions
and returns a value (the formatted name) based on a match.
7. In the toolbar, click Format to automatically format your expression.
9. Test this expression:
● In Test Inputs, in the Expression column, enter your Appian Community

Edition email (wrapped in quotes).
● Click TEST RULE to see the formatted name.

TIP: About a!match
a!match evaluates a value against multiple conditions and returns a value based on a
match. If no match is found, the default is returned.
● First, this expression checks whether the user’s username is null. If the user’s
username is null, an empty string is returned.
● If the user’s username is not null, then the expression checks whether the user is
an active user. If the user is active, the first and last name associated with the
username is returned.
● If the username is not null and the user is not active, the default is returned.
● The process for formatting users and non-users is different. The last line in the
expression reformats the username input as First and Last Name for a non-user.
Visit Appian Documentation to learn more information about functions and expressions.
discussions.


Design Record Types: Model and Configure Your Data

4 Expressions
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101
11 Reports
12 Task Report

Exercise 5: Design Record Types 4
Create the AX Vehicle Record Type 4
TIP: Use Record-Level Security to Configure Your Record Security Requirements 6
Create a Custom Record Field 7
Configure Vehicle Record Events 8
Configure the Record List 8
Edit Record List Columns 10
Add a User Filter 12
Generate the Summary View Interface 13
Configure a Dynamic Title 15
Create a Record Action 16
Create the AX Maintenance Record Type 17
Configure Maintenance Record Events 18
Generate the Maintenance Summary View Interface 19
Add Record Type Relationships 20
TIP: Use the Out-of-the-Box User Record Type to Easily Reference User Data 22
Use Record Type Relationships in Custom Record Fields 22
Add an Expression-Based User Filter 24
TIP: Use Local Variables to Define and Store Temporary Values 25
Notice of Rights

Exercise 5: Design Record Types

In this exercise, you will create two record types and their associated views and actions so
business users can view information about the vehicle fleet and take action. You will complete a
few incremental steps to create your record types:
1. Create the AX Vehicle record type.

2. Configure vehicle record events.
3. Create a custom record field.
4. Configure the AX Vehicle record list.
5. Add a user filter to allow users to filter the fleet by the mileage category.
6. Create a summary view interface to display vehicle data.
7. Set this interface as the summary view for the AX Vehicle record type.
8. Create an action to add vehicles to the fleet.
9. Repeat these steps to create the AX Maintenance record type.
Create the AX Vehicle Record Type

Follow the steps below to create the AX Vehicle record type.
1. In the Build view of your application, click New > Record Type.
2. In the Create Record Type dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX Vehicle.

● Plural Name: Enter AX Vehicles. The plural name is what business users see
on their sites, so the name should make sense to them. Note that application
prefixes are not typically used for this field. In this exercise, you are using a
prefix because a Vehicle record type already exists in the Acme Automobile
Reference Application (AA).
● Description: The list of vehicles managed by the AX
application.
3. Click CREATE.
4. In the Review Record Type Security dialog:
● Add AX Users as Viewers.

● Add AX Administrators as Administrators.

5. Click SAVE.
Next, configure the data source.
1. In the record type, click TELL US ABOUT YOUR DATA.
2. In the Configure Data Source dialog, ensure that Database is selected. Click NEXT.
3. Select Build Apps Faster with Sync. Click NEXT.

4. Under Choose Database Table, find and select AS_VEHICLE. Click NEXT.
5. Under Configure Source Filters, click NEXT. You will not create source filters in this
exercise.
6. Preview the fields, and click FINISH.
7. Click SAVE CHANGES to save the record type before you build additional features.
8. Next to the record type name, click View Record List to view the record type from the
business user perspective.
TIP: Use Record-Level Security to Configure Your Record Security

Requirements
● You might have strict guidelines around who can see which data. With record-level
security, you can configure who can see which rows of your record data.
● By default, any user with Viewer permission on the record type can see all available
records.
● To configure security rules, click Record-Level Security in the left menu.
● For this exercise, you do not need to configure record-level security.

Create a Custom Record Field
Before you configure the record list, you will first create a custom record field to display the
vehicle mileage category: Low Mileage, Medium Mileage, or High Mileage. Follow the steps
below to create a custom record field.
1. On the Data Model page, click NEW CUSTOM RECORD FIELD.
2. Under Select a Template, select Groups Based on a Range. Click NEXT.
3. In the Configure Values section, under Create Groups From, select mileage.
4. Change Number of Groups to 3.
5. Under Custom Field Value, configure the group names and values:
● Name Group 1 Low Mileage, and set Upper Limit 1 to 50,000.

● Name Group 2 Medium Mileage, and set Upper Limit 2 to 150,000.
● Name Group 3 High Mileage.
6. Click TEST to preview the custom record field.
7. Click NEXT.
8. Under Set Name and Type, change Name to mileageCategory.
9. Click CREATE, then SAVE CHANGES.

Configure Vehicle Record Events
Follow these steps to configure record events for the AX Vehicle record type.
1. In the left menu, go to the Events page.
2. Click GENERATE EVENT RECORD TYPES.
3. In the Generate Event Record Types dialog, include common event types by leaving
the Created Vehicle and Updated Vehicle checkbox selected.
4. Keep the default record type names for Event History and Event Type Lookup.
5. Click GENERATE.
Configure the Record List

Next, you will edit the record list to display the following columns: Vehicle VIN, Make, Model,
Year, Next Maintenance Date, Status, Added By, and Image. You will sort the list by the vehicle
make, condition, category, and status. You will also add a clickable link to the vehicle VIN. Later,
you will connect this link to a summary interface for each vehicle.
Follow the steps below to configure the record list.
1. In the left menu, go to the List page.
2. Click EDIT LIST.
3. In the Edit Record List dialog, review the list of fields. Keep only these fields: VIN,
Make, Model, Year, Next Maintenance Date, Added By, and Image. To delete all other
fields, click the in-line X next to those fields.

4. Move the Vin column up so that it is the first column in the grid. Click the in-line arrow
to move this column.
5. Click ADD COLUMN, and click the new Grid Column link to drill into the column.
● Label: Change the label to Mileage Category.

● Sort Field: Select mileageCategory.
● Display Value: Select mileageCategory.
7. Return to the grid-level settings, and move the Image column so that it is the last
column in the grid. Use the in-line arrow to move this column.
8. Click OK, then SAVE CHANGES.

Edit Record List Columns
Now that you have the columns you need for your record list, you will edit them. Follow the
steps below to transform the VIN field into a clickable link.
1. Click EDIT LIST.
2. In the left pane, under Columns, click Vin.
3. Change the Label to VIN.
4. Under Display Value, click DISPLAY OPTIONS.
5. In the Display Options dialog, select RECORD LINK.
6. Under Display Value, click Link.
7. Under Links, click List of Links.
8. Click Record Link (Record Link).
9. Next to Label, click the Edit as Expression icon.
● In the Expression Editor, delete the text.

● Enter fv!, and select row.
● Add a square bracket [, and start entering vin. Select vin when it appears.
● Your expression will look like this:
fv!row[AX Vehicle.vin]
● Click OK.
10. In the Record Link section, next to Record Type, click the Edit as Expression icon.
In the Expression Editor:
● Delete the text.

● Enter recordType!, and start entering and select AX Vehicle.
● Click OK.
11. In the Record Link section, next to Identifier, click the Edit as Expression icon. In
the Expression Editor:
● Delete the text.

● Enter fv!, and select identifier.
● Click OK.
Your configurations will look like the image below:
Follow the steps below to remove the link from the Make column.
1. In the left pane, under Columns, click Make.
2. Under Display Value, click Clear to remove the link.
3. From the dropdown that appears, select make.
Follow the steps below to format the Added By column.
1. In the left pane, under Columns, click Added By.
2. Next to Display Value, click the Edit as Expression icon. You will call in the
expression rule you created in Exercise 4.
● In the Expression Editor, delete the text, and enter the following expression:
rule!AX_FormatDisplayName(fv!row[recordType!AX
Vehicle.fields.addedBy])
rule! is a type of object prefix. Use rule! to indirectly reference a business

rule, like an expression rule or interface. fv!row is a grid-based function. This
function refers to the rows, while the field inside the bracket refers to the
column. The row and column intersect to output the cell.

● Click OK. Notice how the names in the Added By column are now formatted
correctly.
Follow the steps below to format the Image column.
1. Under Columns, click Image.

2. Under Display Value, click DISPLAY OPTIONS.
3. Select DOCUMENT IMAGE.
4. Under Display Value, click Image.
5. Under Images, click Document Image.
6. Under Document, click a!EXAMPLE_DOCUMENT_IMAGE().
● In the Expression Editor, delete all text, and enter the following expression:
if(a!isNullOrEmpty(fv!row[recordType!AX
Vehicle.fields.image]), a!EXAMPLE_DOCUMENT_IMAGE(),
fv!row[recordType!AX Vehicle.fields.image])
This expression checks whether the image field is null. If it is null, it displays an
example document image.
● Click OK.
Follow the steps below to adjust the column alignment.
1. For each column:
● Click the column and find Alignment.

● Adjust the columns as needed. We recommend following UX best practices by
keeping the text left-aligned (Start) and numbers right-aligned (End).
3. Next to the record type name, click View Record List to view the updated record list as
it appears to business users.
Add a User Filter

Next, you will add a user filter to the record list so business users can filter for vehicles by
mileage category. Follow the steps below to create this user filter.
1. In the left menu, go to the Filters page.
2. In the User Filters section, click New User Filter.
● Name: Enter Mileage Category.

● Label: Enter “Mileage Category”. Use quotation marks because it is an
expression.
● Field: Select mileageCategory.
● Under List Configurations, click New Option.
○ Option Label: Enter “Low Mileage”.

○ Value: Enter “Low Mileage”.
○ Scroll down, and in the Operator field, leave the = option.
○ Click SAVE FILTER OPTION.
● In the same manner, create the Medium Mileage and High Mileage options.
5. Next to the record type name, click View Record List to test your user filter.
Generate the Summary View Interface

In this section, you will create the interface to display the vehicle summary information. Later,
you will link this interface to the vehicle record list so business users can click the VIN to access
the summary view.
Follow the steps below to create the summary interface.
1. In the left menu, go to the Views page.

2. Click GENERATE RECORD VIEW.
3. Select Vehicles, then click NEXT.
4. Keep the View Name as Summary, then click NEXT.
5. Under Security and Organization, click the Edit icon next to the AX Rules &
Constants folder. Replace this folder with AX Interfaces.
6. Click GENERATE VIEW, then CLOSE. Click SAVE CHANGES.

Configure a Dynamic Title
In a later exercise, you will update the interface generated in the last step, AX_VehicleSummary.
For now, you will use an expression to create a dynamic title that displays the year, make, and
model of the vehicle being viewed.
2. Under Header, under Configurations: Record Title, select Expression.
3. In the Expression Editor, delete the text, and enter the following expression:
rv!record[recordType!AX Vehicle.fields.year] & " " &

rv!record[recordType!AX Vehicle.fields.make] & " " &
rv!record[recordType!AX Vehicle.fields.model]
The rv! domain allows you to reference a record's ID or a value within a record field.
5. Preview the vehicle summary view with the new dynamic title.
● Next to the record type name, click View Record List.

● Select any vehicle to access its summary view. Your summary view should now
display a dynamically generated title.

Create a Record Action
In this exercise, you will create a record action that will allow registrars and supervisors to add
a new vehicle to the fleet. They will be able to click a button on the record list to fill out a form.
Follow the steps below to create a record action.
1. In the left menu, go to Actions.
2. Click GENERATE RECORD ACTIONS.
3. In the Choose Your Action dialog, deselect Update and Delete. For this exercise, you
will focus on the Create record action. Click CUSTOMIZE.
● Name: Enter Add Vehicle.

● Description: Enter Action for adding a new vehicle to the
fleet.
● Click NEXT: REVIEW OBJECTS.

5. Review the objects that Appian generates for this action, including a process model and
interface for adding a new vehicle. Click the Edit icon next to the objects to make the
following changes:
● Rename the interface AX_CreateVehicle to AX_AddVehicleForm.

● Rename the process model AX Create Vehicle to AX Add Vehicle.
6. Click GENERATE. After Appian creates the record action and supporting objects, click
CLOSE, then SAVE CHANGES.
7. Next to the record type name, click View Record List to preview the new Add Vehicle
record action.
Create the AX Maintenance Record Type

Next, you will create a second record type for the vehicle maintenance requests. Follow the
steps below to create the AX Maintenance record type.
1. In the Build view of your application, click New > Record Type.
2. In the Create Record Type dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX Maintenance.

● Plural Name: Enter AX Maintenances.
● Description: Enter The list of maintenances for vehicles
managed by the AX application.

3. Click CREATE.
4. In the Review Record Type Security dialog, configure security:

5. Click SAVE.
6. In the record type, click TELL US ABOUT YOUR DATA.
7. In the Configure Data Source dialog, ensure that Database is selected, and click
NEXT.
8. Select Build Apps Faster with Sync. Click NEXT.
9. Under Choose Database Table, find and select AS_MAINTENANCE. Click NEXT.
10. Click NEXT. You will not create source filters for this exercise.
11. Preview the fields, and click FINISH.
Configure Maintenance Record Events

Finally, you will generate the requested, in-progress, and completed events from the AX
Maintenance record type.
1. In the left menu, go to the Events page.

2. Click GENERATE EVENT RECORD TYPES.
3. In the Generate Event Record Types dialog, deselect the Created Maintenance
and Updated Maintenance checkbox.
4. In the Other Event Types input, add the following list:
● Requested Maintenance
● Started Maintenance
● Completed Maintenance
NOTE: You can use the default "Created" and "Updated" events by leaving their
checkboxes selected. In this example, we want to use "Requested" instead of "Created"
and "In-Progress" and "Completed" instead of "Updated.”
5. Keep the default record type names for Event History and Event Type Lookup.
6. Click GENERATE.
Generate the Maintenance Summary View Interface

In this section, you will create the interface to display the vehicle maintenance summary
information.
2. Click GENERATE RECORD VIEW.
3. Select Maintenance, then click NEXT.
4. Keep the View Name as Summary, then click NEXT.
5. Next to AX Rules & Constants folder, click the Edit icon. Replace this folder with AX
Interfaces.
6. Click GENERATE VIEW, then CLOSE. Click SAVE CHANGES.

In this exercise, you do not need to configure this record type further. For more practice, try
customizing the record list, adding user filters, updating the summary view, and adding a record
title.
Add Record Type Relationships

In this exercise, you will add relationships to the AX Vehicle record type. Once you build record
type relationships, you will be able to easily access data from related records without queries.
You will add four relationships to the AX Vehicle record type: Maintenance, Category, Status,
and Condition. You will use the existing Category, Status, and Condition record types from the
Acme Automobile Reference Application (AA).
The Category, Status, and Condition record types are reference, or lookup, tables that contain
the unique vehicle category, status, and condition values. A reference table contains set,
categorical data, which are often used as static dropdown values. Think of it as a “cumulative
list” that uses an identifier, or ID number, (1) to look up a value, such as vehicle category
(sedan).
Follow the steps below to add the AX Maintenance record type relationship.
1. Open the AX Vehicle record type, and click ADD RELATIONSHIP.
2. In Related Record Type, enter and select AX Maintenance. Click NEXT.
● Relationship Name: Enter toMaintenanceRecord.

● Relationship Type: Select One to Many. Use One to Many because one
vehicle record can be related to multiple maintenance records.
● Common Fields: For both the AX Vehicle and AX Maintenance fields, select
vehicleId.

4. Click ADD, then SAVE CHANGES.
Follow the steps below to add three more relationships to the AX Vehicle record type.
1. Under RELATIONSHIPS, click ADD RELATIONSHIP.
2. In Related Record Type, enter and select AA Vehicle Category. Click NEXT.
● Relationship Name: Enter toCategoryRecord.

● Relationship Type: Select Many to One. Use Many to One because many
vehicles can have the same category, like sedan.
● Common Fields: For AX Vehicle, select categoryId. For AA Vehicle
Category, select id.
4. Click ADD, then SAVE CHANGES.
5. Follow steps 1–4 to add two more relationships to the AX Vehicle record type: AA
Vehicle Status and AA Vehicle Condition. Use the following configurations:
● Relationship Type: Select Many to One for both relationships.

● Common Fields: For the AA Vehicle Status relationship, select statusId as
the AX Vehicle field. For the AA Vehicle Condition relationship, select
conditionId as the AX Vehicle field.

6. Update the user filter labels. Appian automatically creates user filters for Many to One
record type relationships based on the relationship names.
● Go to the Filters page. For each of the AA Vehicle Category, AA Vehicle Status,
and AA Condition user filters:
○ Next to the filter name, click the Edit icon.
○ Change Label to “Category”, “Status”, or “Condition” as
applicable.
○ Click OK.
8. Next to the record type name, click View Record List to view and test these filters.
TIP: Use the Out-of-the-Box User Record Type to Easily Reference User
Data
● In your applications, you might need to reference user data, like name or email. You
can use the User record type, an out-of-the-box record type containing a directory of
users in an Appian environment.
● To set this up, first ensure data sync is enabled for the User record type.
● In your business record type, add a many-to-one relationship with the User record
type.
● Then, you can reference this relationship throughout your app to display user
information—like in queries, interfaces, and reports.
Use Record Type Relationships in Custom Record Fields

Record type relationships are useful when you want to aggregate and display data from a
related record type. In this exercise, you will create two custom record fields that aggregate
maintenance-related data: the total cost of all maintenance per vehicle and the total count of all
maintenance requests per vehicle.

Follow the steps below to create two custom record fields.
1. In the Data Model page, click NEW CUSTOM RECORD FIELD.
2. Select Aggregate Related Record Fields. Click NEXT.
3. In Field, select toMaintenanceRecord.cost.
4. In Aggregation Function, select Sum of.
5. Click TEST to preview the new field, and click NEXT.
6. Leave the name costSum, and click CREATE.
7. Follow steps 1–6 to create a custom record field that displays a count of all maintenance
requests for a vehicle. Use the following configurations:
● Field: Select toMaintenanceRecord.requestId.

● Aggregation Function: Select Count of.
● Name: Enter countOfMaintenances.

Add an Expression-Based User Filter
In this exercise, you will create an expression-based user filter to filter the AX Vehicle record
type by vehicle make.
Follow the steps below to create an expression-based user filter.
1. In the AX Vehicle record type, go to the Filters page.
2. Click New User Filter.
3. Select Expression.
4. In Name, enter Make.
5. In Filter Expression, enter the expression below. This expression should be typed. If
you copy and paste it, you will need to edit the lines with recordType.
a!localVariables(
local!vehicleMakes: a!queryRecordType(
recordType: recordType!AX Vehicle,
fields: a!aggregationFields(
groupings: {
a!grouping(
field: recordType!AX Vehicle.make,
alias: "make"
)
},
measures: {
a!measure(
function: "COUNT",
alias: "count"
)
}
),
pagingInfo: a!pagingInfo(
startIndex: 1,
batchSize: 5000
)
),
a!recordFilterList(
name: "Make",
options: a!forEach(
items: local!vehicleMakes.data,
expression: a!recordFilterListOption(

id: fv!index,
name: fv!item.make,
filter: a!queryFilter(
operator: "=",
value: fv!item.make
),
dataCount: fv!item.count
)
)
)
)
First, this expression creates a local variable for the record type query, so that it can be
referenced later in the expression. In this case, a!queryRecordType() executes a
query on the AX Vehicle record type and returns the vehicle makes. Instead of manually
creating an option for each make, the a!forEach() function writes these options for
you. It takes the array of vehicle makes returned in the query and passes them to an
expression one at a time, creating the a!recordFilterListOption function for each
item in the array.
6. Click OK, and then SAVE CHANGES.
7. Next to the record type name, click VIEW RECORD LIST. At the top of the record list,
you will see the Make filter. Test that it works as expected.
TIP: Use Local Variables to Define and Store Temporary Values

● Local variables define and store temporary values within an expression. Use them
when you only need values within a particular expression. For example, if you need to
temporarily store user-inputted search terms in an interface, you can add a local
variable, such as local!search.
● A local variable temporarily holds a value until you save it. For example, in an interface
you can save a local variable using the relevant rule input.
● Use the following syntax to define a local variable:
a!localVariables(localVar1, localVarN, expression). LocalVarN
means that you can have multiple local variables.

discussions.


Create a User Experience with Sites and Portals

4 Expressions
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101
11 Reports
12 Task Report

Exercise 6: Sites 3
Create the Site 4
Add Pages to the Acme Auto Exercise Site 4
Notice of Rights

Exercise 6: Sites
In this exercise, you will start building a site for Acme Automobile business users—supervisors,
registrars, and mechanics—where they will access fleet-related information. This site will include
pages for:
● The AX Vehicle record list

● Adding vehicles to the fleet
● The fleet report
● Tasks for supervisors

Create the Site
1. In the Build view of your application, click New > Site.
2. In the Create Site dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name and Display Name: Enter Acme Auto Exercise Site.

● Description: Enter Site for Acme Automobile employees.
3. Click CREATE.
4. In the Review Site Security dialog:

Add Pages to the Acme Auto Exercise Site

In this exercise, you will add the first two pages: a page for the AX Vehicle record list and a
page for adding vehicles to the fleet. You will add more pages in later exercises.
1. Add the AX Vehicle record type. Click ADD PAGE, and configure the following
properties:
● Title: Enter Vehicles.

● Icon: In the dropdown, select an appropriate icon.
● Type: Select Record List.
● Content: Select the AX Vehicle record type.
● Click OK.
2. Add the Add Vehicle to Fleet action page. Click ADD PAGE, and configure the following
properties:
● Title: Enter Add Vehicle to Fleet.

● Icon: In the dropdown, select an appropriate icon.
● Type: Keep Action.
● Content: Select the AX Add Vehicle process model.
● Click OK.
4. View your new site. Under Web Address, click the URL. You can also click Navigation
> Acme Auto Exercise Site.

discussions.


Query Your Data

4 Expressions
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101
11 Reports
12 Task Report

Exercise 7: Query Your Data 3
Create a Query 3
Notice of Rights

Exercise 7: Query Your Data

Create a Query
In this exercise, you will create an expression that returns information about a vehicle in the
fleet given its ID. You will use this query in a later exercise to populate an interface with test
data.
1. In the Build view of your application, click New > Expression Rule.
2. In the Create Expression Rule dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX_QR_GetVehicleById.

● Description: Enter Return a vehicle by its vehicleId.
● Save In: Select AX Expressions.
3. Click CREATE.
4. Click Launch the Query Editor.
5. Under Select Data Source, select Record Type.
6. In Record Type, enter AX Vehicle. Click CONTINUE.
7. In the top right corner, click RULE INPUTS.
8. Click Add New Rule Input. Configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter vehicleId.

● Description: Enter vehicleId for a given vehicle.
● Type: Select Number (Integer).
● Click OK.

9. On the left, check the boxes for the toCategoryRecord, toConditionRecord, and
toStatusRecord relationships to include these fields in the query.
10. Click FILTER. Click Add Filter, and configure the following properties:
● Field: Select vehicleId.

● Value: Change 123 to Input/Variable. In the new dropdown, select
ri!vehicleId.
11. Click SORT AND LIMIT. In the Data Limit field, enter 50.
12. Click GENERATE QUERY, then SAVE CHANGES.
13. To test this query, under Test Inputs, in Value, enter any vehicle ID. For example,
enter 1, and click TEST RULE. You will see the entire data subset in the Test Output.
discussions.


Interfaces 101

4 Expressions
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101
11 Reports
12 Task Report

Exercise 8: Interfaces 3
Update the Summary View Interface 3
Add a Vehicle Image 6
Add a Read-Only Grid 8
Edit the Add Vehicle Form 9
Update Fields and Labels 10
Add a File Upload Component 11
Add Dropdown Components 11
TIP: Use the Visibility Setting to Conditionally Show Interface Components 12
Configure the Submit Button 12
Create the Supervisor Approval Form 13
Create a Reusable Interface 16
Notice of Rights

Exercise 8: Interfaces
In this exercise, you will modify or create the following interfaces:
1. AX_VehicleSummary
2. AX_AddVehicle
3. AX_SupervisorForm
AX_VehicleSummary is used in the Summary View to display read-only vehicle information.
AX_AddVehicle is used to start the AX Add Vehicle process model to add a new vehicle to the
fleet.
AX_SupervisorForm is used by supervisors in the Add Vehicle process model to review a new
vehicle.
To create efficient, intuitive, and attractive interfaces, it is important to follow UX design best
practices and recommendations. Visit the SAIL Design System in Appian Documentation to learn
more.
Update the Summary View Interface

When you generated the vehicle summary view in an earlier exercise, the AX_VehicleSummary
interface was created for you. In this section, you will update this interface to better display the
vehicle summary information.
Follow the steps below to update this interface.
1. In your application, open AX_VehicleSummary.
2. In the Rule Inputs pane, click record.
3. In the Edit Rule Inputs dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Change the name to vehicle.

● Description: Enter Accepts a single vehicle of the AX Vehicle
record data type.
● Click OK.
4. Click SAVE CHANGES to check for dependencies. One object requires a manual update.
● In a new tab, open the AX Vehicle record type.

● Go to Views.
● Next to the Summary view name, click Edit.
● Update the underlined record to vehicle.
● Click OK, then SAVE CHANGES.
Next, you will edit the interface components.
1. Return to AX_VehicleSummary.
2. Double-click the Section Layout title, and delete the Vehicle text.
3. In the Component Configuration pane, under Divider Line, select None.
4. In the Components tab of the Palette, find the CARD layout. Drag and drop it above
vehicle details, outside of the section layout.
5. Drag and drop the Section Layout with the vehicle details into the Card Layout.

6. Delete the empty Column Layout below and the Column Layout for Event History. To
delete a component or field, click the component or field, and select Delete from the
dropdown menu.
7. Click the Card Layout, and configure the following:
● Delete the following fields: Last Maintenance Date, Modified On, Added By,
Image, and Modified By.
● Practice rearranging components by dragging and dropping the text boxes.

Rearrange the fields to match the following layout:

● On the canvas, delete Id from the Category Id, Condition Id, and Status Id
labels. Alternatively, you can remove the label in the Component
Configuration pane by deleting the text in Label.
● Click SAVE CHANGES.
8. Update the Category field. Currently, this field displays a numeric ID. You will use the
record type relationship to replace it with the user-friendly value in the associated lookup
table.
● Click Category.
● Under Display Value, click the expression.
● In the bracket, replace the record field with:
[recordType!AX
Vehicle.relationships.toCategoryRecord.fields.value]
● Click OK.
9. Repeat this step with the Condition and Status fields. When selecting the relationship,
for Status, select toStatusRecord. For Condition, select toConditionRecord.
Add a Vehicle Image

1. Next to the second column, click + to add a third column.

2. Drag and drop an IMAGE component into the new column.
3. Click + in the Image component, and select DOCUMENT IMAGE.
4. In the Component Configuration pane, under Document, click

a!EXAMPLE_DOCUMENT_IMAGE(). Delete the expression, and enter:
ri!vehicle[recordType!AX Vehicle.fields.image]
5. Click OK.
6. Delete the Image label.
7. Configure the image’s visibility. You only want the image to display when the image field
is neither null nor empty. If there is no image to display, there will be an error.
● In the Component Configuration pane, click on Images twice to return to

the Image component.

● Under Visibility, select Only show when.
● Click Edit Condition.
● In the Expression Editor, enter the following expression:
a!isNotNullorEmpty(ri!vehicle[recordType!AX
Vehicle.fields.image])
● Click OK.
8. Click TEST to review the test data used to populate the interface.
9. The expression in the Expression Editor uses a!queryRecordType to query the vehicle
record type and return a row of vehicle data. Update the expression to use the query
rule you created in a previous exercise. Delete the expression, and enter:
rule!AX_QR_GetVehicleById(vehicleId: 1)
10. Click SET AS DEFAULTS AND TEST, then SAVE CHANGES.
Add a Read-Only Grid

In this section, you will add a read-only grid with the vehicle’s maintenance data to the
AX_VehicleSummary interface.
1. In AX_VehicleSummary, drag and drop a READ-ONLY GRID component under the

Card Layout with the vehicle details.
2. Click the Read-only Grid, and make the following changes in the Component
Configuration pane:
● For Data Source, select Record Type, and search for the AX Maintenance
record type.
● Click FILTER RECORDS. To display the maintenance requests for the selected
vehicle, filter the record based on vehicleId.
● In the Filter Records dialog, click Add Filter. For Field, select vehicleId. For
Condition, select =.
● For Value, change 123 to Expression.
● Click the null link. In the Expression Editor, enter:
ri!vehicle[recordType!AX Vehicle.fields.vehicleId]
● Click OK. You will see that the read-only grid now only displays the maintenance
requests that are associated with the vehicle record’s vehicle ID.

● At the bottom of the Component Configuration pane, click LAYOUT. Change
Label to Maintenance Requests.
NOTE: The Maintenance Requests grid is based on the current configuration of the AX
Maintenance record list. If you want, you can adjust the record list. Refer to Exercise 5:
Design Record Types to review configuring a record list. If you do make changes, re-add
this read-only grid to see your changes.
4. Go to the AX Vehicle record type, and next to the record type name, click View Record
List. Click on a VIN to view the updated summary view interface.
Edit the Add Vehicle Form

In this section, you will edit the generated AX_AddVehicleForm interface that starts the AX Add
Vehicle process. Your goal is to improve the overall UX design of this form and to update a few
fields so that they display the information correctly. When you are done, the interface will look
like the image below.

Follow the steps below to update the Add Vehicle form.
Update Fields and Labels

1. Open AX_AddVehicleForm.
2. In the Rule Inputs pane, click the record rule input. Configure the following
properties:
● Name: Change the name to vehicle.

● Description: Enter a simple description.
3. Click SAVE CHANGES to check for dependencies after changing the rule input name. A
manual change is required in the AX Add Vehicle process model. You will make this
change in the next exercise.
4. Change the form title to Add Vehicle.
5. Delete the following text components: Status Id, Added By, Modified By, Condition Id,
Category Id, Image, and Modified On.
6. Remove the word date from the Last Maintenance and Next Maintenance field labels.
7. Drag and drop a SIDE BY SIDE layout inside of and at the top of the first column.
Move the Year, Make, and Model fields inside of the Side By Side layout. The Side By
Side layout will keep these fields next to each other on a narrower screen. For reference,
use the image at the beginning of this section.
NOTE: On mobile devices, columns layouts are flattened into a single column. If you
need certain fields to stay together, use side by side layouts.

8. Drag and drop a SIDE BY SIDE layout into the second column. Move the Added On,
Last Maintenance, and Next Maintenance fields inside of it.
9. Next, add a validation to the Next Maintenance field so that the next maintenance date
entered must be after the last maintenance date.
● Click Next Maintenance.

● In the Component Configuration pane, find Validations. Next to
Validations, click the Edit as Expression icon.
● In the Expression Editor, enter the following expression:
if(todate(ri!vehicle[recordType!AX
Vehicle.fields.nextMaintenanceDate]) <
todate(ri!vehicle[recordType!AX
Vehicle.fields.lastMaintenanceDate]), “The next maintenance
date must be after the last maintenance date.”, null)
This expression checks whether the next maintenance date is before the last
maintenance date. If it is, the field is invalid and displays an error message.
Add a File Upload Component

Next, add the Image field as a File Upload component.
1. Drag and drop a FILE UPLOAD component into the second column. Change the Label
to Image.
2. In the Component Configuration pane, configure the following:
● Target Folder: Enter and select the constant

AX_DOCUMENTS_FOLDER_POINTER.
● Maximum Selections: Enter 1.
● Selected Files and Save Files To: Select ri!vehicle.image.
● Select the Required checkbox.
Add Dropdown Components

In this section, you will add the Category and Condition fields as Dropdown components. You
will populate these dropdowns using data stored in the lookup database tables from the Acme
Automobile Reference Application.
Follow the steps below to add dropdown components.
1. Drag and drop two DROPDOWN components into the second column. Change the
Labels to Category and Condition.

2. For the Category dropdown, in the Component Configuration pane, select Record
Type for your Data Source.
● Use AA Vehicle Category as the record type.
3. Repeat step 2 for the Condition dropdown, using AA Vehicle Condition as the record
type.
4. Check that the dropdown selections display the correct choices. Click SAVE CHANGES.
TIP: Use the Visibility Setting to Conditionally Show Interface Components

● In some cases, you might want to display a component based on a condition.
● To do this, use the Visibility setting in the Component Configuration pane. Select
Only Show When and enter an expression in the Expression Editor.
● For example, imagine that you want to display a Comments field if a vehicle’s mileage
is above 150,000 miles. You can enter the expression
tointeger(ri!vehicle[recordType!AX Vehicle.fields.mileage]) >
150000
● This expression determines whether the Comments component is displayed on the
interface. When set to false, the component is hidden and not evaluated. The default
is set to true.
Configure the Submit Button

Next, you will update the Date Added field to display the current date. Although the registrars
will not manually fill out the vehicle added date, this date still needs to be recorded and saved
to the database table. Because it will be a read-only field and not a user input field, you will
need to configure the Submit button to save a vehicle’s Added On value. You will also configure
the Submit button to save a vehicle’s Added By value.
1. Click the Added On field. In the Component Configuration pane, configure the
following properties:
● Display Value: Delete the text, and click the Edit as Expression icon. Enter
today() to return the current date.

● Select the Read-only checkbox.
2. Click the CREATE button. In the Component Configuration pane, configure the
● Label: Change the label to Add Vehicle.

● Save Value To: Click the Edit as Expression icon, and enter the expression
below. As you are typing, use the suggested fields to ensure proper formatting.
{
a!save(ri!vehicle[recordType!AX Vehicle.fields.addedOn,
today()), a!save(ri!vehicle[recordType!AX
Vehicle.fields.addedBy],loggedInUser())
}
In this expression, ri!vehicle[AX Vehicle.addedOn] is the target and today()

is the value being saved into the target. Similarly, ri!vehicle[AX
Vehicle.addedBy] is the target and loggedInUser() is the value being saved into
the target.
Create the Supervisor Approval Form

In this section, you will create an interface for the supervisor to review the new vehicles. After
the registrar submits a new vehicle, the supervisor will receive a task to approve or reject it.
Your interface will look like the image below:

Follow the steps below to create the supervisor approval form and configure the rule inputs.
1. In the Build view of your application, click New > Interface.
2. In the Create Interface dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX_SupervisorForm.

● Description: Enter Displays read-only details about a selected
vehicle for Supervisor approval.
● Save In: Select AX Interfaces.
3. Choose the Two Column Form template:
4. In the Rule Inputs pane, click the New Rule Input icon. Configure the following
properties for the new rule input:
● Name: Enter vehicle.

● Type: Select the AX Vehicle record type.
5. Click the cancel rule input, and configure the following properties:
● Name: Change the name to approvalDecision.

● Type: Keep Boolean as the type.
Next, update the layout and configure the components.

1. Rename the form Review Vehicle.
2. Delete the top Section Layout. To delete it, click this section, then click the dropdown
arrow > Delete.
3. For the bottom section layout, delete the blue Section label.
4. Drag and drop three TEXT and two INTEGER input components into the first
column.
5. For the text fields, change the labels to Make, Model, VIN. For the integer fields,
change the labels to Year and Mileage. For each of these fields, make the following
changes in the Components Configuration pane:
● Label Position: Select Adjacent.

● Display Value: Select the correct values. For example, for Make, select
ri!vehicle.make.
● Select the Read-only checkbox.
6. Drag and drop an IMAGE component into the second column. Delete the label Image,
and click + in the Image field. Select DOCUMENT IMAGE.
7. In the Component Configuration pane, underDocument, click

a!EXAMPLE_DOCUMENT_IMAGE(). In the Expression Editor, delete all text, and
enter the following expression:
ri!vehicle[recordType!AX Vehicle.fields.image]
You will see an error message. This error appears because the value for the document
cannot be null.
8. To fix this error, add test values to the interface.
● Click TEST, and enter the following expression into the vehicle row:
rule!AX_QR_GetVehicleByID(vehicleId: 1)
● Click SET AS DEFAULTS AND TEST. You will see the error disappear, and the
interface will display the sample data.
9. Click the CANCEL button, and rename it Reject.
10. In the Component Configuration pane, under Value, click the link, and change it to
false. Under Save Value To, keep ri!approvalDecision.
11. Click the SUBMIT button, and rename it Approve.
12. Configure the Approve button to save values for the following fields: Modified By,
Modified On, and Status.

● In the Component Configuration pane, for Save Value To, click the Edit as
Expression icon.
● Enter the following expression:
{
a!save(ri!vehicle[recordType!AX
Vehicle.fields.modifiedBy], loggedInUser()),
a!save(ri!vehicle[recordType!AX
Vehicle.fields.modifiedOn], today()),
a!save(ri!vehicle[recordType!{AX
Vehicle.fields.statusId], 1),
a!save(ri!approvalDecision, true())
● This expression saves:
○ The logged in user as the value for the Modified By field,

○ The current date as the value for the Modified On field,
○ The active vehicle status (which has a value of 1 in the
AA_VEHICLE_STATUS table) as the value for the Status Id field, and
○ True() as the value for the Approval Decision rule input.
Create a Reusable Interface

Keep in mind that interfaces can be built as reusable blocks. You can create an interface and
then call it from other interfaces in your application. Try it out by creating a reusable interface
from the Supervisor Review form.
1. Click EXPRESSION to switch to Expression Mode.
2. In line 4, use the arrow to collapse the section layout:

3. Highlight the section layout:
4. Click Save Selected Expression As in the toolbar:
5. In the Save Expression As dialog, configure the following properties:
● Save As: Select Interface.

● Name: Enter AX_VehicleDetailsView.
● Description: Enter Read only interface to display vehicle
details.
● Click SAVE. The new interface will open.
6. In AX_VehicleDetailsView, in the top right corner, click the Gear icon > Properties.
7. Select the Include in the design library checkbox. Name the interface
AX_VehicleDetailsView.
8. Click OK, then SAVE CHANGES. Close the AX_VehiclesDetailsView tab.
9. Go to the AX_SupervisorForm. You will notice the reusable interface has been added in
place of the section layout and mapped to the appropriate rule input. Later, you will be
able to reference this reusable interface anytime you want to display read-only vehicle
details.
TIP: Creating reusable interfaces is useful for reporting interfaces. You can create each
chart or grid as its own interface, and then combine them into different larger reporting
interfaces for your business users.

discussions.


Process Modeling 101: Automate Your Business Processes

4 Expressions
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101
11 Reports
12 Task Report

Process Modeling 101: Automate Your Business Processes

4 Expressions
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101

11 Reports
12 Task Report

Exercise 10: Process Modeling 101, Part 2 3
Create the Request Maintenance Form 3
Add the Reusable Interface 4
Add User Input Maintenance Details 5
Create the Request Maintenance Process Model 6
Create the Process Model 6
Configure Process Properties 6
Test the Process 7
Configure the Cancel? XOR Gateway 8
Configure the Script Task 9
Configure Write Records 10
Test the Process 10
Create a Related Action 11
Create the Change Maintenance Status Process Model 13
Create Change Maintenance Status Related Actions 14
Notice of Rights

Exercise 10: Process Modeling 101, Part 2

In this exercise, you will create a process model for requesting vehicle maintenance and its
related interfaces. You will ensure that these objects function correctly and meet the following
application requirements:
● The process allows supervisors, registrars, and mechanics to fill out the Request
Maintenance form.
● The process writes all vehicle details to the database.
Create the Request Maintenance Form

Before you build the process model, you will create the interfaces. In this section, you will
create the AX_RequestMaintenance form that the employees will use to request maintenance on
a vehicle. This interface will contain a section with read-only vehicle details and an editable
section for employees to enter the maintenance-related details. For the read-only vehicle
details, you will use the reusable interface you created in a previous exercise. Your interface will
look like the image below.

Follow the steps below to create the request maintenance form.
Add the Reusable Interface

1. In the Build view of your application, click New > Interface. In the Create Interface
dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX_MaintenanceRequest.

2. Select the One-Column Form template, and update the form label to New
Maintenance Request.
3. In the Rule Inputs pane in the top right corner, click the New Rule Input icon. Add
two rule inputs:
● Name the first rule input vehicle, add a description, and select the AX Vehicle
record type as the Type.
● Name the second rule input maintenance, add a description, and select the AX
Maintenance record type as the Type.
4. On the canvas, select the first section, and change the label to Vehicle Details.
5. Next, add the read-only vehicle details. In the Palette, click the Design Library tab.
6. Drag and drop the reusable interface you created, AX_VehicleDetailsView, into the
Vehicle Details section.
7. In the Configure Inputs dialog, you will define the data that flows into the interface.
In the Expression box, enter ri!vehicle. Click OK.
8. To add testing values to this interface, click TEST.
● In the Expression field for the vehicle, enter:
rule!AX_QR_GetVehicleById(1)
● Click SET AS DEFAULTS AND TEST. The interface will be populated with
vehicle values.

Add User Input Maintenance Details
1. Select the bottom section, and rename it Maintenance Details.
2. From the Palette, drag and drop a COLUMNS layout into the Maintenance Details
section. Delete one column.
3. Drag and drop a DATE component into the first column. Configure the following
properties:
● Label: Enter Request Date.

● Display Value and Save Input To: Select ri!maintenance >createdOn.
4. Drag and drop a RADIO BUTTONS component into the first column under Request
Date. Configure the following properties:
● Label: Enter Maintenance Type.

● Choice Labels: Click the Edit as Expression icon, and enter {"Scheduled",
"Unscheduled"}.
● Choice Values: Click the Edit as Expression icon, and enter {true,
false}.
● Selected Value and Save Selection To: Select ri!maintenance >
isScheduled.
● Choice Layout: Select Compact.
5. Drag and drop a PARAGRAPH component into the second column. Configure the
● Label: Enter Issue.

● Display Value and Save Input To: Select ri!maintenance > issue.

Create the Request Maintenance Process Model

In this section, you will create a new process model that will automate the steps for requesting
vehicle maintenance at Acme Automobile. The process starts with a supervisor, registrar, or
mechanic filling out a maintenance request. Once a request is submitted, the vehicle’s
maintenance details are saved to the database.
Your process model will look like the image below.
Create the Process Model

1. In the Build view of your application, click New > Process Model. In the Create
Process Model dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX Request Maintenance.

● Description: Enter Process model for requesting maintenance for
a vehicle in the fleet.
● Save In: Select AX Process Models.
2. In the Review Process Model Security dialog:

3. In the Process Modeler, add a swimlane for the process initiators (supervisors, registrars,
or mechanics). In the toolbar, click Add Horizontal Lane. Rename it Initiator.
4. Rename the Start Node Request Maintenance.
Configure Process Properties

Now you can start configuring the process model properties, such as variables, alerts, and data
management. Follow the steps below to configure the process properties.

1. In the toolbar, click Properties .
2. Go to the Process Start Form tab. Enter and select the AX_MaintenanceRequest
interface. Click OK, then YES to automatically create process parameters.
● If a warning appears or your rule inputs don’t have values mapped, try clearing
the interface and adding it again.
3. Go to the General tab, and next to Process Display Name, click the Open the
Expression Editor icon.
● To update the display name to show the vehicle VIN for each maintenance
request, enter:
"Request Maintenance for Vehicle: " & pv!vehicle.vin
Remember to type the expression rather than copying and pasting it.
● Click SAVE AND CLOSE.
4. Go to the Alerts tab. Select the Use custom error alert settings radio button. Also,
select the Send alerts to the following users & groups checkbox, and enter AX
Administrators into the adjoining field.
5. Go to the Data Management tab. Select Archive processes, and change it to 3 days.
6. Click OK, then File > Save & Publish.
Test the Process

Now that you have added the form to the process, test your process model to check that
everything works correctly and the process completes. Because this process is a related action,
the vehicle data comes from the associated vehicle record. Therefore, before you start testing,
you need to add test values to populate the read-only vehicle details. Follow the steps below to
test the process:

1. Add a test value to the vehicle variable to see the read-only details during testing.
● Click Properties, and go to the Variables tab.

● Next to vehicle, click value.
● Next to value, click the Open the Expression Editor icon and enter:
rule!AX_QR_GetVehicleById(1)
2. Click File > Save & Publish.
3. Click File > Start Process for Debugging.
4. Complete the form, and click SUBMIT. A new process instance has started on a new
tab in the Process Modeler and in the Monitor View.
5. In the toolbar, click Refresh to update the process flow. The process will advance to the
End Node:
6. In the toolbar, click Process Details, and go to the Variables tab to verify that the
data you entered into the form was captured by the process model.
7. Close the process monitoring tab, but keep the process model open.
As you continue working on your process model, test frequently to ensure that the nodes are
configured correctly, and all data is captured as expected.
Configure the Cancel? XOR Gateway

In this process, if an initiator cancels the start form, the process will end. If an initiator submits
the form, the process will continue to the next process node. Follow the steps below to
configure the Cancel? XOR gateway.
1. Drag and drop an XOR Gateway into the swimlane to the right of Request
Maintenance. Rename it Cancel?.
2. Drag and drop an End Event into the swimlane above Cancel?. Rename it End -
Cancel. Connect the Cancel? and End - Cancel nodes.
3. Double-click the Cancel? gateway, and go to the Decision tab.

4. Click New Condition, and next to the first condition, click the Open the Expression
Editor icon. In the Expression Editor, enter pv!cancel. Click SAVE AND CLOSE.
5. For the first condition, in the Result column, select End - Cancel. In the Path Label
column, enter Yes.
6. For the Else if no rules are TRUE condition, in the Result column, select End -
Node.
7. Click OK.
8. To the connector leading from Cancel? to End - Cancel, add the label Yes. To the
connector leading from Cancel? to End Node, add the label No.
Configure the Script Task

You will use a script task to store five variables for maintenance: Modified On, Created By,
Modified By, Status, and Vehicle ID. Follow the steps below to configure the Store Additional
Values script task.
1. Drag and drop a Script Task into the swimlane to the right of the Cancel? gateway.
Rename it Store Additional Values.
2. Double-click Store Additional Values, and go to the Data tab. Click the Outputs tab.
3. Click New Custom Output. You will set Modified On as the current date.
● Click the Open the Expression Editor icon, and enter the function today().
Click SAVE AND CLOSE.
● For the Target, click the inline arrow, and hold your cursor over
maintenance. Select maintenance > modifiedOn.
4. Click New Custom Output. You will set Created By as the initiator of the process
model.
● Click the Open the Expression Editor icon, and enter the function
pp!initiator. Click SAVE AND CLOSE.
● For the Target, select maintenance > createdBy.
5. Repeat step 4 for maintenance Modified By. For the Target, select maintenance >
modifiedBy.
6. Click New Custom Output. You will set the maintenance status as scheduled.
● Click the Open the Expression Editor icon, and enter “Scheduled”. Click
SAVE AND CLOSE.

● For the Target, select maintenance > status.
7. Click New Custom Output. You will create a connection between the vehicle and the
maintenance request by saving the vehicle ID associated with the maintenance request.
● Click the Open the Expression Editor icon, and enter

pv!vehicle.vehicleId. Click SAVE AND CLOSE.
● For the Target, select maintenance > vehicleId.
9. Test your process model using the steps below:
● Click File > Start Process for Debugging.

● Complete the New Maintenance Request form, and click SUBMIT.
● In the new process monitoring tab toolbar, click Refresh.
● Click Process Details, and go to the Process Variables tab to view the data
that was collected.
Configure Write Records

Now that you have a form and a script task in your process, add and configure the Write
Records smart service to write all maintenance data to the data source through the AX
Maintenance record type. Follow the steps below to complete this task.
1. Drag and drop a Write Records node into the Initiator swimlane, to the right of Store
Additional Values. Rename it Write Maintenance Record.
2. Double-click Write Maintenance Record. Go to the Setup tab, and then to the
Records Input dropdown. Choose maintenance, and confirm the AX Maintenance
Record Type will be updated.
3. In the Write Events section, leave the Always radio button selected. Confirm the
following values:
○ Event Type: Requested Maintenance

○ User: Process Initiator
○ Automation Type: None (User)
○ Timestamp: Now
Test the Process

Test this process model one more time to ensure that it works as expected. Keep in mind that
when you work on an actual project, you should test each time you add a new node. Follow the
steps below.

2. Complete the Request Maintenance form, and click SUBMIT.
3. In the process monitoring tab toolbar, click Refresh.
4. In the toolbar, click Process Details. Go to the Variables tab to verify that the data
you entered into the form was captured by the process model.
5. After you finish testing, close the monitoring tab to return to your process model.
Create a Related Action

In this section, you will create a related action that uses the AX Request Maintenance process
model. The related action will enable employees to request maintenance from the summary
view of a specific vehicle.
Follow the steps below to create a related action.

1. In the AX Vehicle record type, go to the Record Actions page.
2. Under Related Actions, click CONFIGURE NEW ACTION MANUALLY.
3. In the Create New Related Action dialog, configure the following properties:
● Display Name: Enter Request Maintenance.

● Description: Enter Request maintenance for a vehicle.
● Icon: Select an appropriate icon.
● Dialog Box Size: Select Medium.
● Process Model: Select AX Request Maintenance.
4. Configure the Context. The Context passes record information into the process model
that backs the related action. Note that the context variables have been generated
based on the process variables from AX Request Maintenance that are parameters.
In the Context expression editor:
● Leave cancel and maintenance as null.

● Next to vehicle, replace null with rv!record.
rv!record allows you to reference a record or the data within a specific record field. In
this case, because you are in the AX Vehicle record type, rv!record will pass the vehicle
information needed into the process model.
5. Click OK.
6. Add the Related Action as a shortcut:

● Go to the Views page.
● Next to Summary, click the Edit icon.
● Under Related Actions Shortcuts, select the Request Maintenance
checkbox.
7. To test this feature from the business user perspective, next to the record type name,
click View Record List. Select any vehicle. In the summary view, the Request
Maintenance related action button will be in the upper right corner.
● Click REQUEST MAINTENANCE, and test the action.

● Go to the Build view of your application. In the navigation pane, click Monitor.
● At the top, go to the Process Activity tab to view and access all process activity
in your application.
Create the Change Maintenance Status Process Model

In this section, you will create a process model to change a maintenance status and configure
the maintenance record events, in-progress and completed.
1. In the Build view of your application, click New > Process Model.
2. In the Create Process Model dialog, keep Create from scratch selected and
configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX Change Maintenance.

● Description: Enter Change maintenance status for a vehicle.
● Save In: AX processes.
3. In the Review Process Model Security dialog:


4. Click File > Properties.
5. Click Variables > Add Variable
6. In the New Process Variable dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter maintenance.

● Type: AX Maintenance (Record Type).
● Parameter: Allow the value for the variable to be provided when starting a
process.
7. Add a second process variable. In the New Process Variable dialog, configure the
● Name: Enter eventTypeId.

● Type: Number (Integer).
● Value: 0.
● Parameter: Allow the value for the variable to be provided when starting a
process.
8. In the Automation Smart Services palette, drag and drop a Write Records smart
service directly after the Start Node.
9. Double click the Write Records smart service on the process model canvas.
10. Click Setup. In the Write Records section, update the Records Input value to
maintenance.
11. In the Write Events section, keep Always selected for when to write events.
12. Continue configuring the following properties:
● Event Type: pv!eventTypeId.

● User: Process Initiator.
● Automation Type: None (User).
● Timestamp: Now.
Create Change Maintenance Status Related Actions

In this section, you will create a process model to change a maintenance status and configure
the maintenance record events, in-progress and completed.
Follow the steps below to create the first of two related actions.

1. In the AX Maintenance record type, go to the Record Actions page.
● Display Name: Enter Start Maintenance.

● Description: Enter Starts maintenance.
● Process Model: Select AX Change Maintenance.
4. Configure the Context.
In the Context Expression Editor:
● Next to eventTypeId, replace null with 2.
● Next to maintenance, replace null with:
recordType!AX Maintenance(
recordType!AX Maintenance.requestId: rv!identifier,
recordType!AX Maintenance.status: "In-Progress",
recordType!AX Maintenance.startDate: today()
)
NOTE: For this related action, instead of using rv!record, which would pass in the
existing maintenance request data, you will pass specific values into the process model
to update the maintenance request.
EventTypeId references the event type you created when configuring record events. 2 is
the primary key for the “[name]” event. Typically, you would use a constant that
contains this value.
Follow the steps below to create the second of two related actions.
1. In the AX Maintenance record type, go to the Record Actions page.
● Display Name: Enter Complete.

● Description: Enter Completes maintenance.
● Process Model: Select AX Change Maintenance.
4. Configure the Context. In the Context Expression Editor:
● Next to eventTypeId, replace null with 3.
● Next to maintenance, replace null with:
recordType!AX Maintenance(
recordType!AX Maintenance.requestId: rv!identifier,
recordType!AX Maintenance.status: "Completed",
recordType!AX Maintenance.endDate: today()
)
7. Add the Related Actions as a shortcut:
● Go to the Views page.

● Next to Summary, click the Edit icon.
● Under Related Actions Shortcuts, select the Start Maintenance and
Completed checkboxes.
8. Open the Summary view and test both related actions.
NOTE: while you are not configuring security in this exercise for views or actions, it is
important to consider them. For example, in this scenario you would not want both
related actions to show at the same time. You would only want the Completed related
action button to show if a maintenance request is in process.
discussions.


Exercise 9: Process Modeling 101, Part 1 3
Edit the Add Vehicle Process Model 3
Configure Process Properties 4
Configure the Cancel XOR Gateway 6
Configure Write Records 7
Test the Process 9
Configure the User Input Task 11
Test the Process 12
Configure the Approved? XOR Gateway 13
Add an Exception Flow 14
Test the Process 15
Add Flow Labels 16
Notice of Rights
Exercise 9: Process Modeling 101, Part 1

In this exercise, you will update the process model for adding new vehicles. This object was
created for you, along with other objects, when you generated the Add Vehicle record action.
You will ensure that it functions correctly and meets the following application requirements:
● The process allows registrars to fill out the Add Vehicle form.
● The process allows supervisors to approve or reject the vehicle.
● If the vehicle is approved, the process writes all vehicle data to the database.
Edit the Add Vehicle Process Model

In this exercise, you will update the generated AX Add Vehicle process model to include the
steps for supervisors reviewing the vehicle addition. Because this process model was generated,
security is already set. In other instances, you will need to secure each new process model
individually.
At the end of this exercise, your process model will look like the image below.

Configure Process Properties
Start by configuring the process model properties, such as variables, alerts, and data
management. Because this process model was generated, some of the properties are already
configured. Follow the steps below to review and edit process properties.
1. Open the AX Add Vehicle process model.
2. If you are in Analyst View, click DESIGNER VIEW in the upper right corner to go to
Designer View.
3. In the toolbar, click Properties.
4. Go to the Variables tab.
5. Click the record variable, and change Name to vehicle. Click OK.
6. You need to add a new process variable, approvalDecision, that you will use to configure
the Approved? XOR node later. Click Add Variable, and change Name to
approvalDecision. In the Type field, enter and select Boolean. Click OK.
7. Go to the General tab. Change Description to Process model for adding a

new vehicle to the fleet.

8. Next to Process Display Name, click the Open the Expression Editor icon. Update
the display name to show the added vehicle’s VIN:
● Change “Create Vehicle” to “New Vehicle”.

● Replace pv!record[AX Vehicle.make] with pv!vehicle[AX Vehicle.vin].
9. Go to the Process Start Form tab to review the interface that starts the process.
Ensure the rule inputs and values for this interface are vehicle and cancel. If not,
update it.
10. Go to the Alerts tab to review the alert settings. Ensure that the AX Administrators
group is selected to receive alert notifications. If not, update the group.
11. Go to the Data Management tab to update the timeline for process archiving. The
system default is to delete processes 7 days after completion. Change this setting to
Archive processes 3 days after completion or cancellation to improve utilization
of server resources. This setting will archive process history, metrics, and variables from
memory after three days.

Configure the Cancel XOR Gateway
Use gateways in a process model when you need to branch the workflow. In this process, if the
registrar cancels the start form, the process will end. If the registrar submits the form, the
process will continue to the next node.
Follow the steps below to configure the Cancel? XOR Gateway.
1. In the first swim lane, click System in the first swim lane. Rename it to Registrars.
2. Add a swimlane for Supervisors. In the toolbar, click Add Horizontal Lane .
Rename the new swimlane to Supervisors.
3. Rename the Start Node to Add New Vehicle.
4. In the palette, use the folders or search bar to find the End Event node. Drag and drop
it above the Cancel? XOR gateway in the Registrars swimlane. Rename it to End -
Cancel.
5. Delete the line connecting the Cancel? XOR gateway and the End Node.
6. Connect the Cancel? XOR gateway and End - Cancel nodes. To toggle your pointer
to the connector tool, hold down SHIFT on your keyboard. Then, click from one node to
another. You can also click Connect in the toolbar.
7. Double-click Cancel?, and go to the Decision tab.

8. For pv!cancel, select End - Cancel in the Result column.
9. For the Else if none are TRUE condition, leave Write Records in the Result column.
Configure Write Records

Next, configure the Write Records smart service to ensure that all vehicle data associated with
the AX Vehicle record type is written to the database table. Follow the steps below to configure
this node.
1. Rename the Write Records node to Write Vehicle Record.

2. Move the Write Vehicle Record and End Node nodes to the Supervisors lane.
3. Double-click Write Vehicle Record. Go to the Setup tab, and then to the Records
Input dropdown. Check to see that vehicle is selected, and confirm that the AX
Vehicle record type will be updated.
4. In the Write Events section, leave the Always radio button selected. Update or
confirm the remaining values:
○ Event Type: Created Vehicle

○ User: Process Initiator
○ Automation Type: None (User)
○ Timestamp: Now
5. Click OK.
6. Remove activity-chaining. Notice that Appian enabled activity-chaining in the generated

process model. You can activity-chain tasks together if the completion of a task requires
the same user to complete a subsequent task. For this process model, activity-chaining
is not recommended because the process will have an approval task. However, for
processes without approval tasks, activity-chaining is a best practice.

● Double-click the flow connectors that have activity-chaining enabled.
● For Enable activity chaining, select No. Click OK.
7. Click File > Save and Publish.
Test the Process

You should test your process model each time you add a new functionality. Test frequently to
ensure your process model works as expected. Follow the steps below to test the process
model.
2. Complete the Add Vehicle form, and click ADD VEHICLE. Because these are test
values, you can make up vehicle details to enter into the form.
3. When you submit, a new process instance starts on a new tab in the Process Modeler
and in the Monitor View of your application.
4. In the toolbar, click Refresh to update the process flow. The process will advance
to the End Node node:
5. In the toolbar, click Process Details . Go to the Variables tab to

verify that the data you entered into the form was captured by the process model.
6. Close the process monitoring tab to return to your process model. Keep the process
model open.

Configure the User Input Task
Next, configure the Review Vehicle node. You will use this node to add the supervisor approval
form to this process. Complete the steps below to add and configure a user input task.
1. Drag a new User Input Task node to the Supervisor swimlane, to the left of Write
Vehicle Record. Rename it Review Vehicle.
2. Double-click Cancel?, and go to the Decision tab. For the Else if no rules are TRUE
condition, ensure that Review Vehicle is now selected in the Result column. Click OK.

3. Double-click Review Vehicle. Edit the Task Display Name to make it dynamic:
● Click the Expression Editor icon, delete all text, and enter the expression
below. You can also use the Data tab to select the process variables.
"Review Vehicle: " & pv!vehicle.vin

4. Go to the Forms tab, and use the Directory to select the AX_SupervisorForm.
In the dialog, click YES to allow the process model to automatically create node inputs
to match your interface's inputs.
5. Go to the Assignment tab. For Assign to the following, enter and select AX
Supervisors.
6. Go to the Data tab. You will configure the inputs to ensure that all existing vehicle data
flows into the form, and the new data, entered by the supervisor, is also captured.
● Select the vehicle node input.
○ Next to Value, click the dropdown menu, and select vehicle. This will
pass vehicle data from the process into the form.
○ Next to Save into, click the dropdown menu, and select vehicle. This
will pass vehicle information captured on the form back into the process.
● Select the approvalDecision node input.
○ Next to Save into, click the dropdown menu, and select the
approvalDecision process variable. If the supervisor clicks Reject on the
form, this will save the approvalDecision value as false in the process.
Test the Process

2. Complete the Add Vehicle form, and click ADD VEHICLE.
3. In the toolbar, click Refresh to update the process flow. The process will advance
to the Review Vehicle node.

4. Right-click the Review Vehicle node, and select View Form. Click Accept to accept
the task, and then click APPROVE.
5. Click Refresh again to update the process flow. The process will advance to the
End Node node:
7. Close the process monitoring tab.
Configure the Approved? XOR Gateway

Next, you will add and configure an XOR gateway. If the supervisor rejects the vehicle on the
AX_SupervisorForm form, the process will end. If the supervisor approves the form, the process
will continue to the next node. Follow the steps below to configure the Approved? XOR node.
1. Drag and drop a XOR node to the right of Review Vehicle. Rename it Approved?.
2. Drag and drop an End Event node above Approved? Rename it End - Reject.
3. Connect the Approved? and End - Reject nodes.
4. Double-click Approved?, and go to the Decision tab.

5. Click New Condition. Next to the first condition, click the Open the Expression
Editor icon. In the Expression Editor, enter pv!approvalDecision. Alternatively, use
the Data tab to select the approvalDecision process variable. Click SAVE AND
CLOSE.
6. In the Results column, for the first condition, select Write Vehicle Record.
7. For the Else if no rules are TRUE condition, in the Results column, select End -
Reject.
Add an Exception Flow

Next, configure an exception flow to skip the Review Vehicle step if the Supervisor does not
respond within 48 hours.
1. Double click Review Vehicle, and go to the Exceptions tab.
2. Click Timer, and under Name, rename it Review Vehicle Timer.
3. Under Setup, click Configure.
4. Go to the Setup tab.

5. Enter 48 into the box, and change Minutes to Hours. Click OK, then OK.
6. Connect the Timer icon to the Write Vehicle Record node. The exception flow should
be red.
Test the Process

2. Complete the Add Vehicle form, and click ADD VEHICLE.
3. In the toolbar, click Refresh to update the process flow. The process will advance to the
Review Vehicle node.
4. Right-click the Review Vehicle node, and select View Form. Click Accept to accept
the task, and then click APPROVE.
5. Click Refresh again to update the process flow. The process will advance to the End
Node node:

7. Close the process monitoring tab.
8. Debug the process model again, but this time for the Reject flow. Verify that the
process arrives at the End - Reject node.
Add Flow Labels

Flow labels help keep your process models clear and organized. Follow the steps to add flow
labels.
1. To the connectors leading from Cancel?, add the labels Yes and No. To add labels,
right-click each connector, and select Add Label. Rename the labels to Yes and No.
2. To the connectors leading from Approved?, add the labels Yes and No. Refer to the
image above to see the labels.

discussions.


Reports: Build Basic Charts and Grids

4 Expressions
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101
11 Reports
12 Task Report

Exercise 11: Reports 3
Create a Column Chart 3
Create a Pie Chart 4
Create a Drillable Bar Chart 6
Add a Read-Only Grid 7
Create a Report Interface 8
Add the Report Interface to the Site 12
Notice of Rights

Exercise 11: Reports

In this exercise, you will create a report for supervisors and registrars. This report will contain:
● A column chart of vehicles by make and category

● A pie chart of vehicles by make
● A drillable bar chart by make
You will create each chart as a separate interface. Then, you will combine them into a single
interface and add the interface as a new page on the Acme Auto Exercise Site.
Create a Column Chart

First, create the column chart of vehicles by make and category.
1. In the Build view of your application, click New > Interface. In the Create Interface
dialog, configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX_VehicleColumnChart.

● Description: Enter An interface with the column chart of
vehicles by make and category.
2. Drag and drop a COLUMN CHART component onto the canvas. Change the Label to
Vehicles by Make and Category.
3. In the Component Configuration pane, as the Data Source, select Record Type.
In Search record types, enter and select AX Vehicle.
Once you select AX Vehicle, the primary grouping and measure properties populate. The
primary grouping should be by make.
4. Configure the Secondary Grouping property. Click Add Grouping, and under
Secondary Grouping, click the arrow for the dropdown. Select toCategoryRecord >
value.
5. Next is Measure. This field was correctly populated with the count of vehicle IDs. Keep
this value.
6. Under Stacking, select Normal.

7. Select the Show data labels checkbox.
8. Click SAVE CHANGES. Your final column chart will look like the image below.
Create a Pie Chart

Next, create a pie chart of vehicles by category.
1. In your application, create a new interface. Configure the following properties:
● Name: Enter AX_VehiclePieChart.

● Description: Enter An interface with the pie chart of vehicles
by make.
2. Drag and drop a PIE CHART component onto the canvas. Change the Label to
Vehicles by Make.
primary grouping should be by make.
4. Sort your chart from largest to smallest percentage. In the Component Configuration
pane, under Sort, click ADD SORT.
● In the Sort By dropdown, select vehicleId_count_measure1.

● Under Order, keep Descending selected.
5. Under Series, select the checkboxes for Show data labels and Show as
percentage.

6. Under Series Labels, select In legend.
7. Click SAVE CHANGES. Your final pie chart will look like the image below.

Create a Drillable Bar Chart
In this step, you’ll create a drillable bar chart of vehicles by make. If you click any of the bars in
this chart, the grid with the vehicles of the selected make will display below the chart.
Follow the steps below to create the drillable bar chart.
● Name: Enter AX_VehicleDrillableChart.

● Description: An interface with the drillable bar chart of
vehicles by make.
2. Drag and drop a BAR CHART component onto the canvas. Change the Label to
Vehicles by Make.

primary grouping should be make.
4. Under Sort, click ADD SORT. In the Sort By dropdown, select

vehicleId_count_measure1. Keep Descending selected.
5. Under Instructions, enter To view the list of vehicles by make, click

the corresponding bar. This will ensure that users know that the bar chart is
clickable.
6. Select the Show data labels checkbox.
Add a Read-Only Grid

1. Drag and drop a READ-ONLY GRID component below the bar chart.
3. Delete the label Read-only Grid.
4. Clear the checkboxes for Show refresh button and Show search box.
5. Under Records Actions, click X next to Add Vehicle to remove it.
6. Add the make rule input. You will need this rule input to add a record filter to display
the vehicles by make. In Rule Inputs, click the New Rule Input icon. Configure the
● Name: Enter make.

● Type: Select Text.
● Click CREATE.
7. In the Component Configuration pane, click FILTER RECORDS.
● In the Filter Records dialog, click Add Filter.

● In the Field column, select vehicleMake.
● In the Condition column, select equal to.
● In the Value column, click Abc > Input/Variable.
● In the new Value dropdown, select ri!make - Text.
● Click OK.

8. Configure the dynamic link that will link the bar chart to the grid. Click the Bar Chart
component on the canvas. In the Component Configuration pane, under Link, click
INSERT LINK. Then, click Dynamic Link.
● Under Value, click fv!selection. Update this expression to:
fv!selection.make_primaryGrouping
● Click OK.
● Under Save Value To, select ri!make.
make_primaryGrouping is the alias for the bar chart’s primary grouping

property. To look it up, go to Primary Grouping and click the Edit as
Expression icon.
9. Hide the grid when no make is selected. Click the Read-only Grid component. In the
Component Configuration pane, expand the Layout menu.
● Under Visibility, select Only show when.

● Click Edit Condition, and enter the following expression:
a!isNotNullOrEmpty(ri!make)
This expression will only show the grid if a vehicle make is selected.
● Click OK.
10. Click SAVE CHANGES. To test the chart, click any bar in the bar chart and see the list
of vehicles in the grid update to the selected make.
Create a Report Interface

Next, combine all three charts into a single interface.
● Name: Enter AX_VehicleReportInterface.

● Description: Enter An interface that shows the charts of
vehicles by category and make.
2. Drag and drop a SECTION layout onto the canvas. Update the section Label to Fleet
Data.
3. Next, drag and drop a COLUMNS layout into the Section layout.
4. Delete one column.

5. Click the first column. In the Component Configuration pane, next to Column
Layout, click the Edit as Expression icon.
6. In the Expression Editor, click inside of the curly brackets, and enter
rule!AX_VehiclePieChart. Click OK.
Alternatively, you could use the design library to drag and drop reusable interfaces. To
include these charts in your design library, return to the three chart interfaces you just
created. In the interface properties, select Include in the design library.

7. Click the second column, and then repeat steps 5–6 above, but use the following
expression: rule!AX_VehicleColumnChart.
8. Drag and drop another SECTION layout below the first section layout. Delete the label.
Next, add a local variable. You will need a local variable to hold the temporary make
selection that you configured in the drillable bar chart. You can add local variables in
Design or Expression Mode. For this exercise, you will add local variables in Expression
Mode.
Local variables are added to the very beginning of the interface expression,
encapsulating the entire expression within parentheses. You will use the
a!localVariables function to declare the local variable local!make.
9. Click EXPRESSION MODE.
10. Click before the curly bracket for the expression, and press Enter.
● In line 1, enter a!localVariables().

● Because all local variables must be defined first in the code, create a new line
right after a!localVariables(, and enter local!make.
● After local!make, add a comma ,. Delete the closing parenthesis.
● Scroll to the end of the entire interface expression, and add the closing
parenthesis ).

11. Because you are already in Expression Mode, add the drillable bar chart to the interface
using an expression. Locate the last section layout that you added to this interface in
Design Mode, and click inside the curly brackets for contents. Enter the following
expression:
rule!AX_VehicleDrillableChart(make: local!make)

12. Click DESIGN MODE, and click SAVE CHANGES. Your interface is now complete.
Add the Report Interface to the Site

Now that your report interface is complete, you will add it to your Acme Auto Example Site as a
new page.
1. Open Acme Auto Example Site.
2. Click ADD PAGE, and then configure the following properties:
● Title: Enter Fleet Report.

● Type: Select Interface.
● Content: Select AX_VehicleReportInterface.
● Click OK.

4. Before you close the object, view your new site. Under Web Address, click the URL.
Alternatively, click the Navigation menu, and select Acme Auto Exercise Site.
Test your new site by completing the following tasks:
● Review the list of vehicles.

● Access a summary view for a vehicle or two, and check that the Request
Maintenance button is available.
● Go to the Add Vehicle to Fleet page to see the Add Vehicle form.
● Go to the Fleet Report page, and review the charts. Test the drillable chart!
discussions.


Reports: Build Basic Charts and Grids

4 Expressions
6 Sites
7 Query Your Data
8 Interfaces 101
11 Reports
12 Task Report

Exercise 12: Task Report 3
Create a Constant for the Active Tasks Process Report 3
Create an Interface for the Task Report 4
Add the Task Report Page to the Acme Auto Exercise Site 6
Notice of Rights

Exercise 12: Task Report

In this exercise, you will learn how to use a pattern from Appian Documentation to create a task
report so supervisors can complete their vehicle approval tasks. After you create the task report,
you will add it as a page to the Acme Auto Exercise Site. Supervisors will use this page to view
tasks, filter them by status, and navigate to the task forms by clicking the hyperlinked task
name. Your final site page will look like the image below:
You will complete these steps to create the task report:
● Create a constant to point to the pre-built active tasks process report.

● Build an interface to display active tasks.
● Add the task report interface as a page to the Acme Auto Exercise Site.
Follow the steps below to build a task report.
Create a Constant for the Active Tasks Process Report

Before you create the task report interface, you need to create a constant. You will use it in the
interface in the next step.
1. From within the AX Constants folder, click New > Constant. Configure the following
properties:
● Name: Enter AX_ACTIVE_TASKS_POINTER.

● Description: Enter Points to the active_tasks process report.
Active Tasks is a pre-built system report that is available for use as a template. It
displays all active tasks assigned to the currently logged in user.
● Type: Select Document.
● Value: Enter and select active_tasks.
2. Click CREATE.
Create an Interface for the Task Report

In this section, you will use an interface pattern to display all tasks in a grid. Later, you will use
this interface to create a task report.
1. From within the AX Interfaces folder, click New > Interface. Configure the following
properties:
● Name: Enter AX_TaskReportInterface.

● Description: Enter Interface to display tasks for the currently
logged in user.
● Save In: Ensure the folder is AX Interfaces.
2. In the interface, click EXPRESSION MODE.
3. Use the Task Report Pattern found in Appian Documentation.
● Go to docs.appian.com.
● In the search bar, search for Task Report Pattern.
● Scroll down to the Pattern expression section.
● Copy and paste this pattern expression into the interface expression.
4. In line 29, after the parentheses, add a comma ,.

5. Highlight lines 11 to 29. In the toolbar, click Comment to uncomment these lines.
6. In line 11, before a!queryProcessAnalytics, enter local!taskReportData:.

7. In line 12, replace cons!TASKS_REPORT with cons!AX_ACTIVE_TASKS_POINTER.
8. Collapse line 35 (local!taskReportData). Highlight the entire line, and delete it.
9. In line 139, replace isusernametaken(fv!item) with runtimetypeof(fv!item) = 4.
10. Click TEST.
Add the Task Report Page to the Acme Auto Exercise Site
Finally, add the AX Task Report interface to the Acme Auto Exercise Site.
1. Open the Acme Auto Exercise Site, and click ADD PAGE. In the Add Page dialog,
configure the following properties:
● Title: Enter My Tasks.

● Type: Select Interface.
● Content: Select AX_TaskReportInterface.
● Visibility: Select Only show when, and enter the following expression:
a!isUserMemberOfGroup(loggedInUser(),
cons!AX_SUPERVISORS_POINTER)
● Click OK.
3. To preview the new My Tasks page, click the site URL, and go to the new My Tasks
page. From here, supervisors can access all of their tasks in a single place.
NOTE: The task report will display all tasks for the logged in user. You might see tasks
assigned to other groups because your user account is part of those groups.
Congratulations! You completed the Appian Step-by-Step Exercises!


Classic 23.4 Appian Developer Step-By-Step - All Exercises

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Appian Step-by-Step #1

The Appian Step-by-Step series consists of 12 exercises that accompany

1 Welcome to the Appian Developer Learning Path

3 Manage Users and Groups

5 Design Record Types

7 Query Your Data

9 Process Modeling 101: Part 1

10 Process Modeling 101: Part 2

© Appian Corporation, 2023

Appian Step-by-Step 23.4

What Will I Build?

How Can I Practice?

Appian Step-by-Step 23.4

Appian Step-by-Step 23.4

Exercise 1: Welcome to the Appian Developer

2. Click the LEARN tab.

3. Click the My Learning Journey icon.

4. In the My Community Edition Site card, click Get my site.

5. Choose your region, and generate your site.

Download and save these exercises as a reference.

Appian Step-by-Step 23.4

The Appian Step-by-Step series consists of 12 exercises that accompany

1 Welcome to the Appian Developer Learning Path

3 Manage Users and Groups

5 Design Record Types

7 Query Your Data

9 Process Modeling 101: Part 1

10 Process Modeling 101: Part 2

© Appian Corporation, 2023

Appian Step-by-Step 23.4

Exercise 2: Create an Application

1. Sign in to your Appian Community Edition environment.

3. In the Applications view, click +New Application.

4. In the Create New Application dialog, configure the following properties:

● Name: Enter Acme Auto Exercise Application.

1. In the navigation pane on the left, click Build.

2. In the Build view, select New > Folder.

● Type: Select Rule Folder.

6. In the same manner, create the following parent folders:

Remember to choose the correct type for each folder.

Appian Step-by-Step 23.4

● Select New > Folder.

3. Appian Documentation - Appian’s product documentation will provide you with an

Appian Step-by-Step 23.4

The Appian Step-by-Step series consists of 12 exercises that accompany

1 Welcome to the Appian Developer Learning Path

3 Manage Users and Groups

5 Design Record Types

7 Query Your Data

9 Process Modeling 101: Part 1

10 Process Modeling 101: Part 2

© Appian Corporation, 2023

Appian Step-by-Step 23.4

Exercise 3: Manage Users and Groups

Follow the steps below to create groups.

1. In the Build view of your application, click New > Group.

2. In the Create Group dialog, configure the following properties:

● Name: Enter AX Users.

Appian Step-by-Step 23.4

5. In the Build view, click AX Users to open it.

7. Add yourself to AX Administrators, AX Supervisors, AX Mechanics, and AX

Configure Group Security