Other Communication Activities

Generic Script

This activity formats a script in order to be used as string input in other activities. This is especially helpful for cases where a script has to be used as input in an activity, and formatting it in an edit box control would take a long time.

Activity Parameters

The Generic Script activity parameters can only be manually inserted:

Parameters:

Script (text box editor type) (type: string): the script that is to be formatted. In this case, a Linux script is used (ls -l command).
For easier editing, the user can use the internal editor via the ellipsis button situated on the right hand side of the edit field, or an external editor of his/her choice (customizable in the Designer Settings) via the button to the left of the edit field ().

The Read Only Output variable are the possible output values that the activity will provide:

Output (type: string): returns the Script as a string ready to be used in other activities.

The output result can be displayed by using a Log Track Data activity:

HTML Composer

This activity substitutes a visual HTML editor.

Activity Parameters

The HTML Composer activity parameters can be provided by manual inserted values or via IN arguments or variables:

Parameters:

Content (text box editor type) (type: string): the content for the HTML. The editor can be accessed by clicking the button:

IMPORTANT:

The html composer is a Windows Forms Web Browser and in order to be able to paste the selected value in the editor, that Internet Option is needed to be enabled:

The Read Only Output variable are the possible output values that the activity will provide:

Output (type: string): returns the html source of the 'Content' parameter.

Execution: the activity will return the information from the Content field as an HTML Source (this output can be used as Input to Send/Compose E-mail activities, for example):

HTTP Request

This activity sends an Http request with either POST/GET/PUT/DELETE/PATCH/HEAD/OPTIONS methods and outputs the result.

Activity Parameters

The HTML Request activity parameters can be provided by manual inserted values or via IN arguments or variables:

Parameters:

Domain (text box editor type) (type: string): the domain for authentication. This field should be used when the HTTP server doesn't accept anonymous authentication.
Password (password box editor type) (type: string): the password for the provided username. This field should be used when the HTTP server doesn't accept anonymous authentication.
Password Binding(text box editor type) (type: string): bind to a variable containing the encrypted password. (This parameter is used only when the user wants to send an encrypted password from outside the workflow, for example Flowster Portal). This field should be used when the HTTP server doesn't accept anonymous authentication.
Username(text box editor type) (type: string): the username for authentication. This field should be used when the HTTP server doesn't accept anonymous authentication.
Attributes (text box editor type) (type: string): the parameters that will be sent with the request. Request parameters are the result of submitting an HTTP request with a query string that specifies the name/value pairs, or of submitting an HTML form that specifies the name/value pairs. The name and the values are always strings.
Body (text box editor type) (type: string): the body you want to send with the request. This field takes precedence over the Dynamic Parameters field and accepts values as plain text only. An example of how a body should be written can be seen in the screenshot below:
BodyFormatted (text box editor type) (type: string): the input content to be written in the file if a binding to a variable is used ($using). If set and if the $using:variable syntax is used, this parameter will take precedence over the Input String parameter. For example, the $using:DemoString syntax will take the value stored in the DemoString variable and will use it for the Body parameter.
Dynamic Parameters(text box editor type) (type: string): the parameters you want to send with the request. The values entered override the ones inserted in the 'Attributes' parameter. Input example: 'variableName,variableValue|variableName2,variableValue2'.
Headers (collection editor) (type: string): the headers you want to send with the request. Headers sets can include a Host, Encoding, Language, Cache Control, Content Type etc.:
Method (combo box control) (type: string): the method used to send the request. Can be GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH, HEAD OR OPTIONS for example.
Timeout (text box editor type) (type: UInt32): the number of seconds to wait for the request. Default value is 120 seconds.
Url (text box editor type) (type: string): the URL where to submit the request. In our example, "https://www.jmarshall.com/images/blueribbon.gif" (a test link for HTTP Requests).

The Read Only Output variable are the possible output values that the activity will provide:

Output (type: string): outputs the server response. In case of an exception/error, the message will be returned.
Output Status Code (type: string): outputs the response status code.

NSLookup

This activity rezolves IP.

Activity Parameters

The NSLookup activity parameters can only be manually inserted:

Parameters:

Server to resolve (text box editor type) : Enter the IP Address or the Servername to be resolved.

The Read Only Output variable are the possible output values that the activity will provide:

Output DNS Name (type string) : Outputs Information about the Server.
Output IP Addresses (type IPAdress[]) : Outputs an array of Server IP Addresses.

Ping Machine

This activity pings a given machine by its IP or Name, outputting the result.

Activity Parameters

The Ping Machine activity parameters can only be manually inserted:

Parameters:

Machine (text box editor type) (type: string): the Machine Name or IP on which the ping command will be executed.

The Read Only Output variable are the possible output values that the activity will provide:

Ping Output (type: Dictionary<String,String>): returns the ping command's results as a Dictionary of Strings.
Ping Result (type: Boolean): returns True if the ping was successful, otherwise False.

Execution: the activity will ping the given machine, outputting the results:

The ping results can be extracted from the Ping Output dictionary variable by using a For Each activity.

the Iterator should be of type KeyValuePair<String,String>. Select this type when the activity is dragged into the sequence:

the Log Track Data activity can display easily the value of the Iterator:

Test Port

This activity tests Port availability.

Activity Parameters

The Test Port activity parameters can only be manually inserted:

Parameters:

Port (text box editor type) (type: string): Enter the Port to be checked on the target system.
Target System (text box editor type) (type: string): Enter the IP Address or the Name of the target system.
Timeout (text box editor type) (type: int32): Enter timeout in ms for the connection test.

The Read Only Output variable are the possible output values that the activity will provide:

Output Availability (type Boolean) : Outputs True if the port is available, False if not.

Trigger Webservice

This activity triggers the webservice specified in the URL parameter with the given arguments.

Activity Parameters

The Trigger Webservice activity parameters can be provided by manual inserted values or via IN arguments or variables.

In addition, for this activity to execute properly, a workflow with "workflowName" and "workflowParameters" should already be published as webservice.

Parameters:

Domain (text box editor type) (type: string): the domain for authentication. Should be the domain where the user that triggers the web service is a member of.
Method Arguments (text box editor type) (type: string): the method arguments/parameters entered as a series of strings in the following format: 'arg1', 'arg2'. Leave blank if no parameters are required. In our example is triggered a workflow (published as web service) that makes a sum of two integer arguments, so the values sent with the Trigger Webservice activity are in the "'1','2'" format.
Method Name (text box editor type) (type: string): the method you wish to call, in this case the name of the workflow published as web service (SimpleSum).
Password (password box editor type) (type: string): the password for the provided username.
Password Binding (text box editor type) (type: string): bind to a variable containing the encrypted password. (This parameter is used only when the user wants to send an encripted password from outside the workflow, for example Flowster Portal).
URL (text box editor type) (type: string): the URL of the web service. This URL can be copied from Flowster Administrator → Web Services page (if the web service was published within Flowster Studio) or from IIS.
User (text box editor type) (type: string): the username for authentication.

The Read Only Output variable are the possible output values that the activity will provide:

Output (type: XmlElement): outputs an XmlElement objects containing outputs from webservice.
Output String (type: string):outputs a string containing outputs in xml from webservice.
Output String Values(type: string):outputs a string containing outputs values from xml from webservice.

Execution: the activity will check for the web service at the given URL and if found, will trigger and execute it, with the given values: