Creating a new event-driven flow

You can create a new event-driven flow by using a pre-built template, importing a flow definition file, or from scratch (perhaps by completing the steps in a tutorial).

Creating an event-driven flow from a template

In IBM® App Connect on IBM Cloud, a pre-built template provides a quick and easy way to create flows.

Remember: In IBM App Connect on IBM Cloud, the IBM App Connect Templates gallery contains a growing catalog of templates for event-driven flows and API flows that make use of key applications such as Salesforce, SAP, Microsoft, Watson™, Marketo, and others.

To browse the available templates, and perhaps use a template to create a flow, complete the following steps:

  1. To open the Templates gallery in your IBM App Connect on IBM Cloud instance, click the Templates icon Templates icon.
  2. To filter the templates shown you can search for application names (for example, saleforce) or other keywords like api.
  3. To browse a template, click the template tile in the gallery. In the overlay displayed, you can read information about how to use the template including prerequisite steps like getting details of application accounts.
  4. If you want to read the information separate from Designer, while working on the flow, click the link to open the github page in a new browser tab or window.
  5. To create a flow from the template, click Create flow in the overlay.
Figure 1. Browsing a template for an API flow in the IBM App Connect Templates gallery
Selecting a template in the templates gallery

(Click image to view full size)

What next?
  • Validating your flow is ready to run

    Before you can run the flow or change its configuration for your needs, you should validate the flow; for example, to ensure you are connected to the appropriate accounts and to review the details of nodes in the flow.

  • Configuring an event-driven flow

    If you want to develop the flow for your needs, you can change the flow's configuration; for example, to change the event, change or add other actions or logic nodes, or to change the mapping of data between nodes.

Importing an event-driven flow

To create a flow from a flow definition file, complete the following steps:

  1. From the Dashboard in your IBM App Connect Designer, click New > Import flow to open the "Import flow" panel.
  2. Specify a file or URL location for the .yaml file that you want to import:
    • If stored on a local or network file system directory, select the file using either of these methods. (If the file's on a network directory, you might need to first connect to the drive.)
      • Click within the Select file boxed area to open a file browser and locate the .yaml file.
      • Drag and drop the file from its location in an open file browser into the Select file area. You'll see the file name in the boxed area. Name of file to be imported
    • If stored on a server that is accessible from a URL, enter a valid fully qualified URL for the .yaml file in the Flow URL field. This must be a public URL that does not require login credentials. Only the HTTP and HTTPS transports are supported. Examples: 
      
http://www.example.com/path/Create%20an%20incident.yaml
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/<em>username</em>/myrepo/main/Create%20an%20incident.yaml
  3. Click Import.

The imported flow opens within the flow editor (for an event-driven flow) or the API Define tab (for an API flow), and inherits the flow name of the exported flow. If you already have an existing flow with an identical name on your Dashboard (for example, Create an incident), the imported flow is renamed by appending _n to its name, where n is a number starting from 1 (for example, Create an incident_1).

What next?
  • Validating your flow is ready to run Before you can run the flow or change its configuration for your needs, you should validate the flow; for example, to ensure you are connected to the appropriate accounts and to review the details of nodes in the flow.
  • Configuring an event-driven flow If you want to develop the flow for your needs, you can change the flow's configuration; for example, to change the event, change or add other actions or logic nodes, or to change the mapping of data between nodes.

Creating an event-driven flow from scratch

Watch the video:

To create a new event-driven flow take the following step:

  • From the Dashboard in your IBM App Connect Designer, click New > Event-driven flow. The flow opens within the flow editor.
What next?
  • Configuring an event-driven flow To develop the flow for your needs, you complete a number of configuration activities; for example, to configure the event, actions, and optionally logic nodes, and to configure the mapping of data between nodes.

Examples

For a general end-to-end example of creating and configuring event-driven flows, see the tutorial Creating an event-driven flow.

For more examples of creating and configuring event-driven flows, see: