Managing Triggers

Triggers are logical conditions that can be set to evaluate system and transaction information against a set of criteria.

Whether a trigger evaluates as true or false can determine if certain options are available on the submission form, if a calculation is processed a certain way, if specific data is included in an email or generated document, or a variety of other options.

Triggers can be nested together, creating detailed logical structures to suit any need.

Note: These instructions are for the Triggers management section within the Workflow Containers. For details on the legacy version of the feature, please refer to the documentation for version 2.5.112 or earlier.

  1. Open the appropriate Workflow Container. For instructions on finding and opening a container, see the section on Managing Workflow Containers.
  2. In the Workflow Container Menu widget, open the Rules group and select Triggers. The Triggers page opens with a list of all available triggers within the current container and any shared containers.
  3. Some columns have been hidden.

    Tip: By default, only Active triggers are displayed.  Clear the filter in the Status column to view all triggers.

    If there are a large number of available triggers, see the Using Grids section for help on finding the appropriate triggers.

  4. Select an action.
    • Click a link in the Name column to view an existing trigger.
    • Click Create to add a new trigger.
    • Check the boxes for one or more triggers and click Deactivate to disable the selected triggers. A trigger can also be deactivated from the Trigger Management page. Inactive triggers will still be functional in existing configurations, but cannot be selected for new configurations.
  5. On viewing or creating a trigger, the Trigger Management page opens.
  6. The panels and fields are described below.  Fields marked with a red asterisk * are required.
  7. Trigger Name

    Enter the name of the trigger.  This is the configuration name, used to select this trigger when connecting it to other elements of the workflow.  This name does not appear in the workflow itself.

    Code

    This is an internal reference name which is generated by the system when the trigger is saved.

    Description

    A description can be provided for the trigger. This information is only displayed here and in the Triggers list.

    Defining Trigger Conditions

    Each trigger can have multiple conditions, where each condition compares one field or one trigger to a set value.  Conjunctions (And/Or) are used to define groups of rules.

    1. Click in the field marked Please click here to add new row.
    2. Select the field, trigger, or other option to be checked for this condition.
    3. Fields

      Provides a selection of system fields, plus custom fields included in the current workflow or any shared workflows.

       

      In order for a workflow field to be available in this list, the field must be set as Available for Triggers. See the section on Managing Fields for more information.

      Triggers

      Triggers within the same workflow container or any shared containers can be selected.  Since only one type of Conjunction can be used within a single trigger, having triggers within triggers allows for detailed and/or logic structures.

      Other Options

      These are additional choices that allow the trigger to check other information within the system.

      • Current Screen

      This option obtains the Code of the current screen in the workflow.  This can be compared to known screen codes, identified on the Screen Management page.

       

      Note: Each screen configured within a Tabbed Workflow has a unique screen code. If using the Current Screen placeholder in a Trigger configured within a Tabbed Workflow, and the desired behavior should persist across all screens, each screen code must be identified within the Trigger.

      • Is Out of Sequence

      This option identifies whether the transaction is Out of Sequence (OOS).

    4. The Function field is optional, and provides advanced features related to tables, dates, and compliance checks.  The result of the function is used to check the condition.
    5. Min

      Used for fields within a table, this uses the lowest value in the table.

      Max

      Used for fields within a table, this uses the highest value in the table.

      Sum

      Used for fields within a table, this adds together all instances of the chosen field within a table.

      All

      Used for fields within a table, this checks each record against the selected criteria.  All records must evaluate as true for the condition to be true.

      Any

      Used for fields within a table, this checks each record against the selected criteria.  If one or more records evaluate as true, the condition is true.  This can also be used on a field where multiple options can be selected, determining if one of the selected options matches the criteria.

      Count

      Used for fields within a table, this counts the number of records in the table.  The contents of the records have no effect.

      Days From Current

      This function compares the selected date field against the current system date, and returns the number of days difference.

      Months From Current

      This function compares the selected date field against the current system date, and returns the number of months difference.

      Years From Current

      This function compares the selected date field against the current system date, and returns the number of years difference.

      Scan - [List Name]

      This option checks the selected field for compliance with one of a series of sanction or watch lists.  This feature provides a number from 0 to 100, with 100 meaning an exact match against a restricted person, place, or company.  That resulting number is compared to the Value to determine if the condition is met.  A separate condition must be created for each different list to be scanned.

       

      Note: Only default sanction lists are available for scanning through this configuration. If using a Custom Compliance Scan List or the World Compliance Sanctions and Enforcements list, these resources can be accessed by using a formula in the Value field. For a list of the available default sanction lists, see the Sanction and Compliance Lists section.

      OFAC

      This option checks the selected field for compliance with the internal OFAC sanction list.  This feature provides a number from 0 to 100, with 100 meaning an exact match against a restricted person, place, or company.  That resulting number is compared to the Value to determine if the condition is met.

    6. The Operator determines how the field or function result is compared to the condition value.
    7. Equals

      The field or function result must match the condition value exactly.

      Not Equals

      The field or function result must be different from the condition value.

      Greater Than

      For numeric or date fields, the field or function result must be greater than the condition value.

      Greater Than or Equals

      For numeric or date fields, the field or function result must be greater than or equal to the condition value.

      Less Than

      For numeric or date fields, the field or function result must be less than the condition value.

      Less Than or Equals

      For numeric or date fields, the field or function result must be less than or equal to the condition value.

      Contains

      For text fields, the full text of the condition value must be included anywhere in the field.

      Does Not Contain

      For text fields, the full text of the condition value must not be included anywhere in the field.

    8. Enter the condition Value.  The field or function result is checked against this value according to the selected operator.  The type of value to use depends on the type of field being evaluated:

      • For text values, the text should be entered exactly as it should be evaluated.  Do not enclose text in quotes or other markers unless those markers are to be included in the evaluation.
      • For numerical values, the number should be entered without any commas or markups, other than decimals and minus signs (-) for negative values.
      • For triggers or single checkboxes, the value is true if the trigger evaluates as true or if the checkbox is checked.  The value is false if the trigger evaluates as false or the checkbox is unchecked.  The values are not case sensitive.
      • To evaluate any field that uses an option list (Radio Buttons, Multi-Selects, Include/Exclude Boxes, etc.) refer to the codes assigned to each item in the option list.
      • Placeholders for system or workflow fields can be used, following the standard format of the field Code enclosed in double-square brackets [[ ]].
      • Full formulas can be provided, following the standard formatting rules. This includes placeholders, functions, and conditional statements.
      • Tips: Direct evaluation of date fields is currently not supported.  To evaluate a date, please use a calculated field to perform a date comparison that returns a numerical value.  The calculated field can then be used in the trigger.

        One exception is the CurrentDate() function.  When this function is used in the Value field, it will retrieve the current system date and perform a direct comparison when evaluating the trigger.  Note that triggers using this configuration can only be used for Automatic Field Evaluations in the Automatic Processing section of the master cover.

    9. Conjunctions determine the relations between conditions. If only one condition is defined for the trigger, a conjunction is not required. If two or more conditions are defined, all but the last condition must have a conjunction.
    10. If all conditions use the And conjunction, then every condition must be met for the trigger to evaluate as true.

      If all conditions use the Or conjunction, then at least one condition must be met for the trigger to evaluate as true.

      When the conjunctions are mixed, each group of conditions joined by And are evaluated first. After each And group is evaluated to true or false, the Or conditions are evaluated. If any of the And groups or Or conditions evaluates to true, the trigger evaluates as true. If all of the And groups and Or conditions evaluate to false, the trigger evaluates as false.

      Examples: If the conditions are C1 And C2 Or C3, the trigger evaluates as true when both C1 and C2 are true, or when C3 is true.

      If C1 is true, C2 is false, and C3 is false, then the trigger evaluates to false since both C1 and C2 must be true for the trigger to evaluate as true.

      If the conditions are C1 And C2 Or C3 And C4, the trigger evaluates as true when both C1 and C2 are true, or both C3 and C4 are true.

      If C1 is false, C2 is true, C3 is true, and C4 is true, then the trigger evaluates to true since the C3 and C4 group evaluated to true.

      If the conditions are C1 Or C2 And C3 Or C4, the trigger evaluates as true when C1 is true, or both C2 and C3 are true, or C4 is true.

      If C1 is false, C2 is true, C3 is false, and C4 is false, the trigger evaluates as false since the individual conditions C1 and C4 were false, and the C2 and C3 group evaluated to false since they were not both true.

    11. Click outside the row to add the condition to the list. The row is marked with an added icon .
    12. Repeat the previous steps to add additional conditions.

    To edit a condition, double-click in any field within the grid. On clicking outside of the row, the row is marked with a modified icon .

    To delete a condition from the list, right-click on the condition and select Delete. The row is marked with deleted icon .

    Until the page is saved, all additions, edits, and deletions are temporary. To accept the marked changes, right-click in the grid and select Accept All Changes. To undo the marked changes, right-click in the grid and select Undo All Changes. Note that these options do not save the page.

    When the page is saved, all marked changes are automatically accepted and saved.

    The Dependencies panel becomes available once the current trigger configuration has been saved. This panel identifies how the trigger is linked to other resources in the system.

    Triggers Used by this Trigger

    Lists all triggers used in the conditions for this trigger.  Clicking a link opens a new tab or new window with the Trigger Management page for the selected trigger.

    Triggers Using this Trigger

    Lists all triggers that refer to this trigger in their conditions.  Clicking a link opens a new tab or new window with the Trigger Management page for the selected trigger.

    Usage in System

    Identifies where the trigger is used in features such as master covers and overrides.  For example, for master covers, the name of the master cover is provided, followed by the section where the trigger is used.

    Active

    Marks the trigger as active and available for use.  If unchecked, the trigger remains linked to any existing resources, but cannot be used for new resources.

    Created By

    Identifies the date and time the trigger was created, and the user who created it.

    Last Modified By

    Identifies the last date and time the trigger was changed, and the user who made the changes.

    The Status panel becomes available once the current trigger configuration has been saved.

    Active

    Marks the trigger as active and available for use.  Inactive triggers will still be functional in existing configurations, but cannot be selected for new configurations.

    Created By

    Identifies the date and time the trigger was created, and the user who created it.

    Last Modified By

    Identifies the last date and time the trigger was changed, and the user who made the changes.

  8. Select an action.
    • Click Add or Save to save the trigger but remain on the page.
    • Click Add & Close or Save & Close to save the trigger and return to the triggers list.
    • Click Check Dependencies to view how this trigger Uses and Is Used By other system components. The Workflow Dependency Tool opens in a separate window browser. See the Workflow Dependency Tool section.
    • Click Check Dependencies to view the current trigger in the Workflow Dependency Tool. For additional information, see the Workflow Dependency Tool section.
    • Click Close to return to the triggers list without saving the trigger.

Nested Trigger Design

When configuring triggers, another trigger can be selected for the Field. These are referred to as "Nested Triggers". This allows a trigger that was created for another purpose to be reused, or may make it easier to build and maintain complex trigger structures.

For example, there are four checkboxes, valued at 1, 2, 4, and 8.  A trigger is needed to determine if the combined value of the checked boxes is more than 10. The logical formula appears as follows:

(Box 8 and (Box 4 or (Box 2 and Box 1)))

If these conditions were placed in a single trigger, the And conjunctions would be evaluated first, and the formula would instead be evaluated as (Box 8 and Box 4) or (Box 2 and Box 1), which would not produce the correct results.

Instead, using nested triggers allows the order of operations to be controlled, as the system digs down to the lowest trigger, and then evaluates them as it moves up in the structure.

Since each trigger needs to be referenced in the trigger above it, begin with the third level, represented in Blue above. This trigger evaluates as true if both Checkbox 1 and Checkbox 2 are checked.

The second level, represented in Green above, can now refer to the third-level trigger. This trigger evaluates as true if either Checkbox 4 is checked, or the third-level trigger evaluates as true.

The first level, represented in Red above, can now be created to complete the structure. This trigger evaluates as true if both Checkbox 8 is checked and the second-level trigger evaluates as true.

When the first-level trigger is used anywhere in the system, the system evaluates the triggers in sequence until it has a result.