Properties widget

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This topic is shared by BAW, CP4BA. Last updated on 2025-03-13 12:15
You use the Properties widget to enable case workers to view and edit the property values for a case or a work item.

For each case type, IBM® Business Automation Workflow provides a system-generated layout that you can use for the Properties widget. This layout is automatically generated based on the schema of the properties or data field collection. In the system-generated layout, the property controls are organized vertically in the Properties widget. The properties are listed in alphabetical order. On Task Details pages, work groups are sorted at the top of the list. Attachments are not included.

Alternatively, you can design custom layouts for the Properties widget. You can design these layouts for a case type to meet the requirements of different roles, activities, or steps. By creating a custom layout, you can determine what properties are included and the order in which the properties are displayed. For example, you might want present a comprehensive set of case properties to analysts, but only a limited set to clerks. You can create one properties layout that includes all the case properties and another to include only a limited number of properties. You then create a Case Details page for analysts and another page for clerks. On each page, you edit the settings for the Properties widget to specify which layout is to be used.

You do not have to configure the properties layout for the Properties widget. Instead, you specify the properties layout that is to be used by default for a case type. This default is used on any page where you have not configured a specific properties layout for a case type.

You can add multiple instances of the Properties widget to a page. You can also add instances of the Properties widget and Form widget to a page.

In the Case Builder Step Designer, you can create workgroups for the steps (work items) in the Manage Workgroups section. You can use workgroups to assign work to one or more specific users instead of to any user in a role. In the Case Client, the workgroups are displayed at the top of the Properties widget where you can also add users to the workgroup. The system-generated layout always includes the workgroups. In a custom layout, you can include workgroups to the Properties widget by adding a workflow field to the view.

The number of decimal places (along with autorounding) can be specified. The supported number range is related to the configured number of decimal places. Because a float value can support 15 decimal places, the supported range can be computed as follows:
max = 9 * Math.pow(10, 15-places);
     min = -9 * Math.pow(10, 15-places);

The Number Text Box and Number Spinner digits automatically enforce these computed ranges.

IBM Business Automation Workflow pages that include this widget by default

The Properties widget is included by default on the following pages:
Add Case page
The Properties widget is used to set the initial property values for a new case.
Add Activity page
The Properties widget is used to set the initial values for step (work item) parameters when you are creating an activity.
Case Details page
The Properties widget is used to view and modify the property values for a case.
Custom Activity Details page
The Properties widget is used to view and modify the values for step (work item) parameters that are defined for a custom activity.
Work Details page
The Properties widget is used to view and modify the values for step (work item) parameters.

Content Platform Engine data models

A case includes the following properties:
  • Case properties, which are content data
  • Activity properties, which are workflow data
Empty property values for different data types are handled differently for content data and workflow data. The model and services layer forces the widget fields to be required if needed.
String properties and datetime properties
Both content data and workflow data support empty values for string properties and datetime properties. However, an empty value is stored as null in content data, and an empty value is stored as an empty string in workflow data. The model and services layer for the Properties widget handles these values in the same way for case properties that are displayed in the Case Details page and activity properties that are displayed in the Work Details page.
For integer and float properties, the following editors prevent entry of null values if the Zero when empty check box is selected:
  • Number text box
  • Number spinner
For Boolean properties, the Check box editor prevents entry of null values. In addition, the following editors prevent entry of null values if the False when empty check box is selected and a zero or false choice is specified:
  • Radio button set
  • Select
  • Filtering select

For workflow data, a timestamp property uses the time of the browser, which is the local time and includes daylight saving time. A time property uses the local time zone that is based on an offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). A time property does not include any adjustments for daylight saving time. If you want users to see the local time including daylight saving time, include the timestamp property on a page. If you include both of these properties on a page, the times they show might not match.

Important: For workflow data, datetime property values are not saved as null. Instead, datetime property values are saved with marker values that are equivalent to 1906-08-16 20:26:40Z.
Boolean properties
Content data supports null values for Boolean properties, but workflow data does not. To resolve this difference, the Properties widget does not support empty values for Boolean properties.
Exception: The Properties widget supports null values for Boolean properties on Case pages.
The Properties widget displays the field for a Boolean property as a check box. If the check box is selected, the Properties widget stores the value as true. If the check box is not selected, the Properties widget stores the value as false.
If your business solution requires an empty or three-state Boolean value, use a string or integer property with a choice list instead. For example, the choices might be Abstained, Yes, and No.
Numeric properties (integer and float)
Content data supports null values for numeric properties, but workflow data does not. The Properties widget always renders a numeric field as required if the field references the Activity property.
On Task Details pages, the Properties widget marks the following fields as required even if you did not define the fields as required in Case Builder:
  • Numeric fields and Boolean fields
  • Reused numeric properties that are marked as write only for a step.
  • Fields that represent a single value that might be part of a choice list in Content Platform Engine. A case property that is defined as a string property with a single value might have a choice list, and the property might be mapped to a workflow step parameter. Because content data accepts a null value, but workflow data does not, the property is marked as required.

The Properties widget marks string fields and datetime fields as required only if you define the fields as required in Case Builder. Because the check box control that is used for Boolean fields automatically enforces a value, the Properties widget does not mark Boolean fields as required.