Set conditions in your workflows. Understand how the conditions work and how to set up conditions between two actions with the help of an example. Also, know the built-in conditional operators provided by IBM webMethods Integration and how to use them.
You can set conditions between two conditions (or between a trigger and an condition) in a workflow. If the conditions are met, the workflow will proceed to the next action. If the conditions fail, the workflow will be aborted.
While defining conditions, you need to specify an Input, a Condition, and an Expected value. The input that you use in conditions is usually the output of the preceding condition/trigger.
Let’s say you have defined the following condition in your workflow:
Input: {{$a1.translated_text}}
Condition: Contains
Expected: hola
Here, {{$a1.translated_text}} is the output of the preceding condition, contains is the operator, and hola is the expected value. If you have set this condition, your workflow will proceed to next action only if the output text of the previous action contains the word hola in it.
Now that you know how conditions work, let’s try to use them in a workflow.
Let’s say, each time a new card is created in a specific list in Trello, you want to check if the card name contains the words ‘approval required’, and if it does, send the card details to a specific Slack channel.
To do this, follow the steps given below:
Configure the Trello - New Note trigger as given below:
Authorize Trello: Select/add Trello account you want to use to execute the trigger.
Board ID: Select/specify the ID of the board for which you want to set the trigger.
List ID: Select/specify the ID of the list for which you want to set the trigger.
Once you have entered all the details, click Save, Test the trigger, and click Done to return to canvas.
Add Slack connector to canvas. You will notice that it gets automatically connected to the Start icon (which now has the Trello trigger icon). Next, connect the Slack connector to the Stop icon to complete your workflow, as shown below:
Next, double-click the Slack connector icon, select Post Message to Channel from the Select Action drop down list, and select the Slack account you want to use to execute the action. Once this is done, click Next.
In the action configuration form that appears next, enter the following details:
Select Channel Type: Select the type of channel to which you want to send card details.
Channel ID or Channel Name: Select/specify the ID/name of the channel to which you want to send notifications.
Text: Since we want to send the card details, add the action object listed under Trigger Data - New Card on the left-side of the screen.
After this, click Next, Test the action, and click Done to return to canvas.
We will now add conditional logic to this workflow. To do so, click on the connecting line between the trigger and action, and select the Settings icon.
You will be redirected to the Condition screen where you can see the incoming data on the left side and the condition block on the right.
Click on the Add Condition button listed under Condition Activity. A new condition block will appear with an option to Add Filter. Click Add Filter to set a new filter condition.
Here, you can define the Input, the Condition, and the Expected value.
Input: Drag-and-drop or enter the input value on which you want to set a condition. In this example, drag-and-drop the card_name key (which contains the card title and is listed under Trigger Data - New Card ‘action’ object > action on the left side of the screen) in the Input field.
Condition: Select the condition you want to set on the specified input. In this example, select (Text) Contains.
Expected: Enter the value you want to match against the specified input and condition. In this example, enter ‘approval required’, as we want to check if the input contains the word approval required in it.
Now that we have set the condition, click Done.
This will take you back to the canvas. You can now Save the workflow. After this, whenever a new card is created in Trello in the list specified by you, IBM webMethods Integration will automatically check if the card name contains the words ‘approval required’, and if it does, it will send the card details to the specified Slack channel.
You can alternatively add multiple filter conditions in a single condition block.
When you add multiple filter conditions inside a single condition box, they work like the AND condition. This means that all filter conditions added inside a single condition block must be met for the workflow execution to proceed. Let’s understand this by modifying our previous example.
Let’s say, each time a new card is created in a specific list in Trello, you want to send its details to a specific Slack channel if:
AND
To do this, first repeat steps 1-5 from the previous example. Once this is done, your condition screen will look similar to this:
Now, click on the Add Filter button to add another condition to your condition block.
Since we want to check whether the card is created by a user named John Doe, set the second condition as given below:
Input: Add memberCreator_fullName key listed under the Trigger Data - New Card ‘action object on the left side of the screen in the input field. This key contains the name of the card creator.
Condition: Select (Text) Exactly Matches condition from the drop down list.
Expected: Enter ‘John Doe’ as an input for this field.
Once this is done, click Done, and Save the workflow.
After this, whenever a new card is created in the list specified by you, IBM webMethods Integration will check if the card name contains the words ‘approval required’ and if the card is created by a user named ‘John Doe’. If both of these conditions are met, the workflow execution will proceed, whereas if any one of the filter conditions is not met, the workflow execution will be terminated.
IBM webMethods Integration also allows you to set multiple condition blocks. When you add multiple condition blocks, they work like the OR condition. This means that all filter conditions set for at least one condition block must be met, for the workflow execution to proceed.
Let’s understand this by modifying the first example.
Let’s say, each time a new card is created in a specific list in Trello, you want to send its details to a specific recipient via Gmail if:
OR
To do this, first repeat steps 1-5 from the first example. Once this is done, your condition screen will look similar to this:
Now, click on the Add Condition button to add second condition block and then click on the Add Filter button to set up a filter condition in it.
Since we want to check whether the card is created by a user named John Doe, set the filter condition in as given below:
Input: Add memberCreator_fullName key listed under Trigger Data - New Card ‘action’ object on the left side of the screen in the Input field. This key contains the name of the card creator.
Condition: Select (Text) Exactly Matches condition from the drop down list.
Expected: Enter ‘John Doe’ as an input for this field.
Once you have set up the second condition block, click Done, and Save the workflow.
After this, whenever a new card is created in the list specified by you, the workflow will check if the card name contains the words ‘approval required’ or if the card is created by a user named ‘John Doe’. If any of these conditions is met, the workflow execution will proceed, whereas if none of the conditions meet, the workflow execution will be terminated.
Now that you know how to set conditions, let us understand the various types of conditions that can be used in a workflow.
(Text) Matches
The input value (text) should match the text you specify in the Expected field. The match action is not case sensitive.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.translated_text}} (let’s assume the value of this is ‘Hola’)
Condition: (Text) Matches
Expected: Hola
In this example, since the input matches the expected value, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Text) Exactly Matches
The input value (text) should strictly match the text you specify in the Expected field. This action is case sensitive.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.translated_text}} (let’s assume the value of this is hola)
Condition: (Text) Exactly Matches
Expected:
In this example, since input value (hola) does not exactly match the expected value (Hola), the workflow execution will be terminated.
(Text) Does Not Match
The input value (text) should not match the text specified in the Expected field. This action is not case sensitive.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.translated_text}} (let’s assume the value of this is hola)
Condition: (Text) Does Not Match
Expected: How are you
In this example, the input value does not match the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Text) Does Not Exactly Match
The input value (text) should not exactly match the text specified in the Expected field. This action is case sensitive.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.translated_text}}
(let’s assume the value of this is ‘hola’)
Condition: (Text) Does Not Exactly Match
Expected:
In this example, the input value and the expected value don’t match exactly. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action..
(Text) Contains
The input value (text) should contain the text specified in the Expected field. This action is case sensitive.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.translated_text}} (let’s assume the value of this is Hola como estas)
Condition: (Text) Contains
Expected:
When you run the workflow, it will first check if the value of {{$a8.translated_text}} (which is Hola como estas) contains the expected value (which is Hola). If the defined condition is met, the workflow will proceed to the next action.
(Text) Does Not Contain
The input value should not contain the text specified in the Expected field. This action is case sensitive.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.translated_text}}
(let’s assume the value of this is Hola)
Condition: (Text) Does Not Contain
Expected: Workflow Test
In this example, the input value does not contain the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Text) Starts With
The input value (text) should start with text specified in the Expected field. This action is case sensitive.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.translated_text}} (let’s assume the value of this is Demo Workflow)
Condition: (Text) Starts With
Expected:
In this example, the input value starts with the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Text) Does Not Start With
The input value (text) should not start with text specified in the Expected field. This action is not case sensitive.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.translated_text}} (let’s assume the value of this is Demo Workflow)
Condition: (Text) Does Not Start With
Expected: demo
In this example, the input value starts with the expected value. Since the condition is not met, the workflow execution will be terminated.
(Text) Ends With
The input value (text) should end with the text that is specified in the Expected field. This action is case sensitive.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.translated_text}} (let’s assume the value of this is Demo Workflow)
Condition: (Text) Ends With
Expected: Workflow
In this example, the input value ends with the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Text) Does Not End With
The input value (text) should not end with the value specified in the Expected field. This action is not case sensitive.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.translated_text}} (let’s assume the value of this is Demo Workflow)
Condition: (Text) Does Not End With
Expected: Workflow
In this example, the input value ends with the expected value. Since the condition is not met, the workflow execution will be terminated.
(Text) Is Alphanumeric
The input value (text) should be an alphanumeric value. In this case, you don’t need to specify a value in the Expected field. To set it as isNotAlphanumeric, specify false in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.id}} (let’s assume the value of this is ABC1234)
Condition: (Text) Is Alphanumeric
In this example, the input value is alphanumeric. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Text) Is Empty
The input value (text) should be empty. In this case, you don’t need to specify a value in the Expected field. To set it as isNotEmpty, specify false in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a8.text}} (let’s assume the input value is empty)
Condition: (Text) Is Empty
In this example, the input value is empty. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Number) Equals
The input value (number) should be equal to the expected value (number).
Example:
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].updateSequenceNum}} (let’s assume the value of this is 1)
Condition: (Number) Equals
Expected:1
In this example, the input value is equal to the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Number) Not Equals
The input value (number) should not be equal to the expected value (number). Note that the input value should always be the output of the previous action, e.g., {{$a7.notebooks[0].updateSequenceNum}}.
Example:
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].updateSequenceNum}} (let’s assume the value of this is 1)
Condition: (Number) Equals
Expected: 2
In this example, the input value is not equal to expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Number) Greater Than
The input value (number) should be greater than the expected value.
Example:
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].updateSequenceNum}} (let’s assume the value of this is 10)
Condition: (Number) Greater Than
Expected:
In this example, the input value is greater than the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Number) Greater Than Equals
The input value (number) should either be greater than or equal to the expected value.
Example:
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].updateSequenceNum}} (let’s assume the value of this is 10)
Condition: (Number) Greater Than Equals
Expected: 10
In this example, the input value is equal to the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Number) Less Than
The input value (number) should be less than the expected value.
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].updateSequenceNum}}
(let’s assume the value of this is 10)
Condition: (Number) Less Than
Expected:
In this example, the input value is less than the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Number) Less Than Equals
The input value (number) should be less than or equal to the expected value.
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].updateSequenceNum}} (let’s assume the value of this is 10)
Condition: (Number) Less Than Equals
Expected: 10
In this example, the input value is equal to the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Number) Is Negative
The input value should be negative. In this case, you need not specify any value in Expected.
Example:
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].updateSequenceNum}} (let’s assume the value of this is ‘-10’)
Condition: (Number) Is Negative
In this example, the input value is negative. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Number) Is Positive
The input value should be positive. In this case, you need not specify any value in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].updateSequenceNum}} (let’s assume the value of this is ‘10’)
Condition: (Number) Is Positive
In this example, the input value positive. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Date/Time) Equals
If the input value (date/time) should be the same as the date/time specified in the Expected field. The date/time that you specify in the Expected field should be in MM-DD-YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD format.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].date}} (let’s assume the value of this is 2016-06-02)
Condition: (Date/Time) Equals
Expected: 2016-06-02
In this example, the input value is matches the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Date/Time) Less Than
The input value (date/time) should be a date/time before the value specified in Expected. The date/time that you specify in the Expected field should be in MM-DD-YY or YYYY-MM-DD format.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].date}} (let’s assume the value of this is 2016-06-02)
Condition: (Date/Time) Less Than
Expected: 2016-06-03
In this example, the date/time in the Input field is before the date/time in the Expected field. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Date/Time) Less Than Equals
The input value (date/time) should be a date/time before or the same as the value specified in Expected. The date/time that you specify in the Expected field should be in MM-DD-YY or YYYY-MM-DD format.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].date}}
(let’s assume the value of this is 2016-06-02)
Condition: (Date/Time) Less Than Equals
Expected: 2016-06-02
In this example, the date in the Input field is equal to the date in the Expected. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Date/Time) Greater Than
The input value (date/time) should be a date/time after the value specified in ‘Expected’. The date/time that you specify in the Expected field should be in MM-DD-YY or YYYY-MM-DD format.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].date}} (let’s assume the value of this is 2016-06-02)
Condition: (Date/Time) Greater Than
Expected: 2016-06-01
In this example, the input date is greater than the expected date. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Date/Time) Greater Than Equals
The input value (date/time) should be a date/time after or the same as the value specified in Expected. The date/time that you specify in the Expected field should be in MM-DD-YY or YYYY-MM-DD format.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].date}} (let’s assume the value of this is 2016-06-02)
Condition: (Date/Time) Greater Than Equals
Expected: 2016-06-01
In this example, the input date is greater than the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Array) Length Equals
The length or size of the input value (array) should be equal to the length specified in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a23.output}} (let’s assume the value of this is [1,2,3,4])
Condition: (Array) Length Equals
Expected: 4
In this example, the length of the input array is equal to the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Array) Length Does Not Equals
The length or size of the input value (array) should not be equal to the length specified in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a23.output}} (let’s assume the value of this is [1,2,3,4])
Condition: (Array) Length Does Not Equals
Expected: 5
In this example, the length of the input array is not equal to the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Array) Length Less Than
The length or size of the input value (array) should be less than the length specified in the Expected field.
Input: {{$a23.output}} (let’s assume the value of this is [1,2,3,4])
Condition: (Array) Length Less Than
Expected: 5
In this example, the length of the input array is less than the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Array) Length Less Than Equals
The length or size of the input value (array) should be less than or same as the length specified in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a23.output}} (let’s assume the value of this is [1,2,3,4])
Condition: (Array) Length Less Than Equals
Expected: 4
In this example, the length of the input array is equal to the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Array) Length Greater Than
The length or size of the input value (array) should be greater than the length specified in the Expected field. Note that the input value should always be the output of the previous action, e.g., {{$a23.output}}.
Example:
Input: {{$a23.output}}
(let’s assume the value of this is ‘[1,2,3,4]‘)
Condition: (Array) Length Greater Than
Expected: 3
When you run the workflow, it will first check if the length of {{$a23.output}} (which is
[1,2,3,4]) is greater than the expected value (which is 3). If the defined condition is met, the workflow will proceed to the next action.
(Array) Length Greater than Equals
The length or size of the input value (array) should be greater than or equal to the length specified in the Expected field.
Input: {{$a23.output}} (let’s assume the value of this is ‘[1,2,3,4]‘)
Condition: (Array) Length Greater Than Equals
Expected: 4
In this example, the length of the input array is equal to the expected value. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Array) Is Empty
The input value should be an array that is empty. In this case, you need not specify a value in the Expected field. To set it as isNotEmpty, specify false in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a23.output}} (let’s assume the value of this is [1,2,3,4])
Condition: (Array) Is Empty
In this example, the input array is not empty. Since the condition is not met, the workflow execution will be terminated.
(Array) Contains All Object
The input value (array) should contain all object values. In this case, you need not specify a value in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects}}
(let’s assume the value of this is an array that contains all objects)
Condition: (Array) Contains All Object
In this example, the input array contains all objects. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Array) Contains All String
The input value (array) should contain all string values. In this case, you need not specify a value in the Expected field .
Example:
Input: {{$a9.parents}} (let’s assume the value of this is an array that contains all strings)
Condition: (Array) Contains All String
In this example, the input array contains strings only. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Array) Contains All Number
The input value (array) should contain all numbers. In this case, you need not specify a value in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a23.output}} (let’s assume the value of this is an array that contains all numbers)
Condition: (Array) Contains All Number
In this example, the input array contains numbers only. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Array) Contains All Object And Has This Property
The input field should contain all objects and should contain the property (key) that you specify in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects}} (let’s assume the value of this is an array)
Condition: (Array) Contains All Object And Has This Property
Expected: active
In this example, the input array contains objects as well as strings. Since the condition is not met, the workflow execution will be terminated.
(Object) Has Property
The input value (object) should contain the property (key) that you specify in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a14.labels}} (let’s assume the value of this is an object)
Condition: (Object) Has Property
Expected: hidden
In this example, the input object contains the property specified in the Expected field. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Object) Does Not Have Property
The input value (object) should not contain the property (key) that you specify in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a14.labels}} (let’s assume the value of this is an object)
Condition: (Object) Does Not Have Property
Expected: name
In this example, the input object contains the property specified in the Expected field. Since the condition is not met, the workflow execution will be terminated.
(Object) Is Empty
The input value (object) should be an object that is empty. In this case, you need not specify a value in Expected. To set it as isNotEmpty, specify false in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].restrictions}} (let’s assume the value of this object is empty)
Condition: (Object) Is Empty
In this example, the input is an empty object. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Regex) Match Pattern
The input value should match the regular expressions (regex) pattern specified in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a9.ownerNames}} (let’s assume the value of this is ABC abc XYZ xyz)
Condition: (Regex) Match Pattern
Expected: /abc/i
This action will search for ‘abc’ value in the input, irrespective of the casing, as the modifier ‘i’ denotes case-insensitive. Let’s understand the usage of regex special characters used in this example.
// - Finds any characters specified between the slashes
abc - Denotes the name of the owner (in this example)
Modifier ‘i’ - ‘i’ is a modifier that makes the search case-insensitive
When you run the workflow, it will check if the {{$a9.ownerNames}} contains ‘abc’ (without considering case sensitivity). If it does, the workflow will proceed to the next action.
(Boolean) Is Value True
The input value (Boolean) should be true. In this case, you need not specify a value in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].active}} (let’s assume the value of this is true)
Condition: (Boolean) Is Value True
In this example, the input value is true. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Boolean) Is Value False
The input value (Boolean) should be false. In this case, you need not specify a value in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].confirmed}} (let’s assume the value of this is false)
Condition: (Boolean) Is Value False
In this example, the input value is false. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Input) Exists
The input should have a valid value.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].customer}} (let’s assume the value of this is 164)
Condition: (Input) Exists
In this example, the input value is valid. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Input) Does Not Exist
The input does not exist if there are no fields or properties as value.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.meta.next}} (let’s assume the value has no value)
Condition: (Input) Exist
In this example, the input value is invalid. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Input) Is Null
The input value should be null. In this case, you need not specify a value in the Expected field. To set it as isNotNull, specify false in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].sharedNotebooks}} (let’s assume the value returns null)
Condition: (Input) Is Null
In this example, the input value returns null. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Input) Is String
The input value should be of String data type. In this case, you need not specify a value in Expected field. To set it as isNotString, specify false in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].customer}} (let’s assume the value of this is a string)
Condition: (Input) Is String
In this example, the input value is a string. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Input) Is Number
The input value should be of Number data type. In this case, you need not specify a value in the Expected field. To set it as isNotNumber, specify false in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].serviceUpdated}} (let’s assume the value of this is a number)
Condition: (Input) Is Number
In this example, the input value is a number. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Input) Is Date
The input value should be a date in YYYY-MM-DD format. In this case, you need not specify a value in the Expected field. To set it as isNotDate, specify false in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].updated_date}} (let’s assume the value of this is a date)
Condition: (Input) Is Date
In this example, the input value is a date. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Input) Is An Array
The input value should be of Array data type. In this case, you need not specify a value in the Expected field. To set it as isNotArray, specify false in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects}} (let’s assume the value of the key is [1,2,3,4])
Condition: (Input) Is An Array
In this example, the input value is an array. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Input) Is An Object
The input value should be of Object data type. In this case, you need not specify a value in Expected. To set it as isNotObject, specify false in Expected.
Example:
Input: {{$a7.notebooks[0].restrictions}} (let’s assume the value of this is an object)
Condition: (Input) Is An Object
In this example, the input value is an object. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Input) Is Boolean
The input value should of Boolean data type. In this case, you need not specify a value in the Expected field. To set it as isNotBoolean, specify false in the Expected field.
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].active}} (let’s assume the value of this is a boolean)
Condition: (Input) Is Boolean
In this example, the input value is boolean. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will proceed to the next action.
(Input) Data Type Is
The input value should be of the data type that you specify in Expected (e.g., String, Object, Array).
Example:
Input: {{$a18.objects[0].customer}} (let’s assume the value of this is 10)
Condition: (Input) Data Type Is
Expected: String
In this example, the input value is not string. Since the condition is met, the workflow execution will be terminated.