Creating business/form rules without the use of a mouse

Applies to version: 2022.1.3 and above; author: Konrad Wojtycza

Introduction

Configuration of processes in WEBCON BPS indispensably involves the creation of rules, be it a business rule or a form rule. To optimize the work, it is a good idea to use the keyboard shortcuts available in WEBCON BPS and the keys provided by the operating system. This article describes how to use the keyboard when creating rules.

Using the keyboard when creating rules

The following describes an example of using the keyboard when creating a rule – a form rule in this case. The recommended method involves the hybrid application of the keyboard and mouse, so that you can use them interchangeably, depending on which is more advantageous at the time.

• After entering the Form rules tab and adding a new rule, click in the rule editor window.
• Type the first letters of the item or function desired in the context of the rule being created. According to the figure below (Fig. 1), the IF THEN conditional function will be used, which appeared in the tooltip after typing the phrase “if” in the edit box. Select the desired item using the up and down arrow keys, and then confirm your selection by pressing Enter.

Fig. 1. Creating a new form rule

The cursor will be automatically moved to the condition of the conditional function. As when entering a rule, typing the first characters of the searched item will display a dialog box with matching items that can be used in the rule (Fig. 2). The dialog box list includes, among others, form fields (groups and tab panels), global and process constants, companies, workflows, and form types. The given item can be selected by navigating with the up/down arrows and confirming the selection with the Enter key.

Fig. 2. The dialog box list after inserting a few characters

Some information in the SQL database is stored as ID#Name. This format is used for some complex items, such as choice fields, person fields, form types. If the field you have selected is stored in that format, you can choose which part of the name is of your interest in the context of the rule being created. To open a context menu with options to choose from, use the Ctrl + Space key combination when the field selection is active, i.e. it is in a black border (or use the right mouse button) (Fig. 3). Then select the appropriate value format using the arrow keys and Enter. It is possible to delete a fragment of the rule using the Backspace or Delete system key.

Fig. 3. Context menu of the Weather form field

When creating a rule, it is possible to use the Tab key and the Shift + Tab key combination. In operating systems, the Tab key is generally used for navigation, but in the context of creating rules in WEBCON BPS, it serves to navigate through the rule being created, allowing you to move from left to right (down) to the next editable elements of the rule. The Shift + Tab key combination works similarly to the Tab key, but navigation is from right to left (up).

The arrow keys á, â, ß, à can also be used to navigate through the business rule editor window. The down arrow narrows the selection of a rule segment down, and the up arrow moves the cursor to a higher rule level. The left and right arrows allow you to move through the rule window according to the selected level of the rule.

Accordingly, the fastest method of navigating the rule editor window is to use the arrows to get to the desired rule segment, and then use the Tab / Tab + Shift keys to select an individual field for editing.

Fig. 4. Editor window after pressing Enter

The Enter key can also be used to add another fragment of the rule in the currently edited window (Fig. 4).

After pressing Tab several times, the cursor will be moved to the conditional function command window.

Fig. 5. Using Tab will move the cursor to the next windows of the rule

The full rule is shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 6. Completed form rule

For functions that have configuration windows (three dots next to the function name) (Fig. 7), it is possible to enter the configuration name after pointing to the “three dots” or pressing Enter (Fig. 8).

Fig. 7. Get attachments rule with the editor window

Fig. 8. Open editor window of the Get attachments rule

Summary

The list of keys used when creating rules in WEBCON BPS, together with their functions, is presented in the table below.

Tab. 1 Overview of the functions of keyboard keys in the context of creating business/form rules