Introduction

Cause

There was a need to:

Exchange data between Skills Workflow and any other platforms
Automate internally tasks in the system

Technology

Automation Workflows is a technology that allows you to create actions:

Rests API calls
SFTP connection to download, upload and move files
Convert data into CSV files
Send e-mails with actions results
Logical actions
HTTP response for the automation workflow result

Configurations

An Automation Workflow is made of actions.

There are two actions that must exist and be properly configured in order to save an Automation Workflow successfully
- Start
- Result

Everytime an action is executed, it will produce a result, made available in the action's content.

It is possible to access an action result by invocating its "Content".

To invoke the action content use the following statement: {{['actionName']}}

It can be evaluated using JsonPath syntax

Please see the example below to see access to the action GetProjectFile and get the Uri:

Accessing GetProjectFile action's content to use the Uri
{   
    "actionType": "Download",  
    "name": "DownloadFile",  
    "next": "UploadFile",  
    "url": "{{['GetProjectFile']$.Content.Uri}}"  
}

Parameters

Full HttpRequest that triggered the Automation Workflow.

Full Http Request Example
{
  "Scheme": "https",
  "Host": "integrationworkflow-skills-dev-we.azurewebsites.net",
  "Path": "/api/tenants/<tenantId>/integration-workflows/<AutomationId>/execute",
  "Method": "POST",
  "Query": {
    "TenantName": [
      "playground-dev"
    ]
  },
  "Headers": {
    "Accept": [
      "application/json"
      ]
  },
  "Body": {
    "parameter": "value"
  }
}

Functions

Functions replace evaluated value with a function that runs a specific Task.

{{NewGuid}} - Returns a new Guid
{{NewDateUtc(value[Required])}} - returns a new Utc DateTime
- value:
  - {{NewDateUtc(Now)}} -returns a new Utc DateTime with current time
  - {{NewDateUtc(Today)}} - returns a new Utc DateTime with time set to MidNight (00:00:00)
  - {{NewDateUtc(Yesterday)}} - returns a new Utc DateTime with time set to Yesterday's MidNight (00:00:00)
  - {{NewDateUtc(FirstDayOfYear)}} - returns a new Utc DateTime with time set to new Years Day at MidNight (00:00:00)
  - {{NewDateUtc(LastDayOfYear)}} - returns a new Utc DateTime with time set to last day of the current Year at MidNight (00:00:00)

Pipe Functions

Pipe Functions enable transformations on evaluated values using '|' modifier after the value and a specific Pipe Function. Pipe Functions support arguments between parentheses

Converters

ToBase64 - {{['CreateCsv']$ | ToBase64}}
FromBase64 - {{['CreateCsv']$ | ToBase64}}
UrlEncode - {{['GetProjectFile']$.Content.Url | UrlEncode}}
ToJsonString - {{['GetProjectFile']$.Content | ToJsonString}}
ToDateUtc - {{['GetProjectFile']$.Content.CreatedOn | ToDateUtc}}
ToJson - {{['CreateCsv']$ | ToJson}}
ToJsonString - {{['CreateCsv']$ | ToJsonString}}
FromUnixTimeSeconds - {{['CreateCsv']$ | FromUnixTimeSeconds}}
FromUnixTimeMilliSeconds - {{['CreateCsv']$ | FromUnixTimeMilliSeconds}}

Boolean Operators

IsNullOrEmpty - {{['CreateCsv']$ | IsNullOrEmpty}}
Contains - {{['MyText'] | Contains('Text to check if exists')}}
Join - {{['MyText'] | Join('Text to append')}}

Arithmetic Operators

AddDecimal(value) - {{['MyIntValue'] | AddDecimal(2)}}
Sum - {{['ArrayOfValues']$ | Sum}}
Min - {{['ArrayOfValues']$ | Min}}
Max - {{['ArrayOfValues']$ | Max}}
Avg - {{['ArrayOfValues']$ | Avg}}

Date Operators

AddMonths(value) - {{['StartDate'] | AddMonths(2)}}
AddDays(value) - {{['StartDate'] | AddDays(-1)}}
AddHours(value) - {{['StartDate'] | AddHours(12)}}
AddMinutes(value) - {{['StartDate'] | AddMinutes(2)}}

String Formatting

RemoveLeading('value') - {{['MyText'] | RemoveLeading('Text To Remove from start')}}
RemoveTrailing('value') - {{['MyText'] | RemoveTrailing('Text To Remove from End')}}
Trim - {{['MyText'] | Trim}}

Preprocessors

Preprocessors are used to apply transformations on part of a expression.

#eval(< expression >) - Pre-evaluates an expression and replaces the tag with it's value.

Can be used in any part of the expression.

Examples
{
  "example1": "{{['#eval(['MapCustomDatabaseForm'].Name)'].Content}}",
  "example2": "{{['RecordsList'].Content..#eval(['MapCustomDatabaseForm'].Id)}}",
  "example3": "{{['RecordsList'].Content..#eval(['MapCustomDatabaseForm'].name).#eval(['MapCustomDatabaseForm'].Id)}}"
}

Templates

Some common used code snipets

SubWorkflow Template
{
   "name":"CreateProjectIfNotExistsSubWorkflow",
   "actions":[
      {
          "actionType": "Start",
          "name": "Start",
          "next": "Exit"
      },
      {
          "actionType": "Result",
          "name": "Exit",
          "httpResponse": {
              "statusCode": 200,
              "headers": {
                  "content-type": "application/json"
              },
              "body": ""
          }
      }
   ]
 }

JSONPath expressions

JSONPath expressions always refer to a JSON structure and can apply transformations and filtering.

JSONPath expressions can use the dot–notation $.store.book[0].title or the bracket–notation $['store']['book'][0]['title'] for input path's. Internal or output path's will always be converted to the more general bracket–notation.

JSONPath allows the wildcard symbol * for member names and array indices. It borrows the descendant operator .. from E4X and the array slice syntax proposal [start : end : step] from ECMASCRIPT 4. Expressions of the underlying scripting language (<expr>) can be used as an alternative to explicit names or indices as in $.store.book[(@.length-1)].title using the symbol @ for the current object. Filter expressions are supported via the syntax ?(<boolean expr>) as in $.store.book[?(@.price < 10)].title .

Here is a complete overview:

Syntax	Description
$	the root object/element
@	the current object/element
. or [ ]	child operator
..	recursive descent. JSONPath borrows this syntax from E4X.
*	wildcard. All objects/elements regardless their names.
[ ]	subscript operator. In JSON it is the native array operator.
[ , ]	Union operator. JSONPath allows alternate names or array indices as a set.
[start : end : step]	array slice operator borrowed from ES4.
?()	applies a filter (script) expression.
()	script expression, using the underlying script engine.

Json Example
{
  "documents": {
    "client": [
      {
        "Id": "38ed55ac-cb45-4cbb-b89e-2f3cf480cb11",
        "Name": "Allbirds",
        "Code": "ABD",
        "HasContracts": false,
        "CommercialPaymentConditionId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
        "FullTimeEmployeeTime": 1800.0,
        "FileSystemRootId": "7ba972ac-afaa-4c86-bb0c-9b564276a109"
      },
      {
        "Id": "3f826c2c-96c1-4d75-82d9-c29b4e50d4ef",
        "Name": "Amazon",
        "Code": "AMZ",
        "HasContracts": false,
        "CommercialPaymentConditionId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
        "FullTimeEmployeeTime": 0.0,
        "FileSystemRootId": "1160f5d7-062a-4f78-a66b-e678a08052bb"
      },
      {
        "Id": "682823e1-0651-4e8d-a655-ab3f8bcc8f6f",
        "Name": "Americanas",
        "Code": "",
        "HasContracts": false,
        "CommercialPaymentConditionId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
        "FullTimeEmployeeTime": 0.0,
        "FileSystemRootId": "e56023d9-56db-49c9-97fd-96635e7cb251"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Expression Cheat Sheet:

Syntax	Result
$.documents.client[*].Name	the names of all clients in the documents
$..name	all names
$.documents.*	all things in documents, which are some clients.
$.documents..code	the code of everything in the documents.
$..client[2]	the third client
$..client[(@.length-1)] or $..client[-1:]	the last client in order.
$..client[0,1] or $..client[:2]	the first two client
$..client[?(@.code)]	filter all clients with code Name
$..client[?(@.FullTimeEmployeeTime>1800)]	filter all clients with FullTimeEmployeeTime greater than 10
$..client[?(@.Name=='Americanas')]	filter all clients with name "Americanas"
$..client[?(@.Name=='Amazon' && @.code ='AMZ')]	filter all clients with name "Amazon" and Code "AMZ"
$..client[?(@.Name=='Amazon' \|\| @.code ='AMZ')]	filter all clients with name "Amazon" or Code "AMZ"
$..*	All members of JSON structure

note: #eval() sintax can be included in in JsonPath Expressions ex:
$..client[?(@.code=='#eval(#eval(NewDateUtc(Today) | AddDays(-1)))')

Cause​

Technology​

Configurations​

Parameters​

{{['#HttpRequest']}}​

Functions​

Pipe Functions​

Converters​

Boolean Operators​

Arithmetic Operators​

Date Operators​

String Formatting​

Preprocessors​

Templates​

JSONPath expressions​

Here is a complete overview:​

Expression Cheat Sheet:​