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Tasks#

A task is a visual block that performs a specific function. In programming language terms, it can be described as a function or a method, because it has a name, input and output values and performs an action.

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  1. Task Name and Description
  2. Options
  3. Inputs
  4. Outputs

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Behavior#

The behavior of a task can vary depending on its nature, settings and input values.

Typically, upon successful execution, the Success output will emit a true value. In the event of a failure, an error object (a data structure containing error details) will be emitted on the Error output, providing a description of the error.

Info

Take advantage of the Task coloring to give a visual aid to the meaning. For instance, tasks that result in errors or failures can be represented in red, while tasks that indicate success can be represented in green.

IoT task activation occurs through the following mechanisms:

  • Event-Driven Triggering: Event handler tasks activate automatically based on predefined event or trigger rules. These triggers may include driver events, scheduled time intervals, or external API calls. Refer to the task's specific documentation for its trigger details.
  • Explicit Activation via Input Parameter: In Data Flow workflows, non-event driven tasks activate when their designated Activate input parameter is set to a true value.
  • Sequential Control Flow Action: In Control Flow workflows, a non-event driven task activates when the workflow is invoked (if it is the first task) or when the preceding task completes successfully.
  • Exceptions: Certain tasks might deviate from these standard activation methods. Consult the task's input parameter documentation to check if exceptions exist.

Using the Task settings page, you can set the name and description of the task, the color that it will show when drawn and specific settings for each Task.

Warning

Driver tasks have a pre-defined color that can be overridden.

Inputs and Outputs#

Some Tasks allow defining custom inputs or outputs. The custom entries are filled in specific tabs of the settings pages for each Task. You can find a list of configured entries on the left side of each task, where you can also add new entries or remove existing ones. On the right side you will find the list of properties defined for the custom entry. Depending on the Task, different properties may be required.

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Warning

In the Tasks that allow custom inputs or outputs, due to some limitations of the current implementation, the same names cannot be used within the same Task.

Experimental and Deprecated Tasks#

Some Tasks may be marked as experimental when the availability of the Task is not certain and is depending on the acceptance and generic use or if a new and improved solution is found.

Other Tasks may also be marked as deprecated, indicating that they will be discontinued in the next major version.

These different states will be visually signaled and color-coded within the Workflow Designer, as shown in the examples below:

State Selection tile Workflow designer
Deprecated Deprecated Task Deprecated Task - Workflow Designer
Experimental Experimental Task Experimental Task - Workflow Designer

Table: Deprecated and Experimental Tasks