Dialog - Selection

Declaration

<AMSHOWDIALOG ACTIVITY="select" MESSAGETEXT="text" RESULTVARIABLE="text" ITEMS="text (caption1),text (caption2),text (caption3)" VALUES="text (value1),text (value2),text (value3)" INDEXSELECTED="1" WINDOWTITLE="text" ONCANCEL="continue" COUNTDOWNDELAY="number" />

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Description

Displays an auto-generated multiple choice dialog based the options you specify. Choice is useful when a multiple-choice selection is needed or the user must make a decision that will affect which subsequent actions should be executed by the task. The value associated with the item that the user selects is placed into a variable where it can be evaluated and acted on.

Practical usage

Similar to the Dialog - Input activity except this action allows the user to select a value in response to a question. The text value is populated into a variable which can be used later in the task.

Parameters

General

Property Type Required Default Markup Description
Dialog Title Text No (Empty) WINDOWTITLE="the_title" The text that should appear on the title bar of this dialog.
Populate variable with result Text Yes (Empty) RESULTVARIABLE="varname" Specifies the name of an already created variable that should be populated with the value parameter of the item selected. If the user has selected multiple items the values are returned as a comma-delimited list.
Message to display Text No (Empty) MESSAGETEXT="The message" The text to be displayed in the selection dialog. Usually this is a question that the user should select the answer to.
List Type Text (options) Yes Dropdown LISTTYPE="checkbox" Specifies the manner by which the list will be displayed on the auto-generated form at runtime. This selection is relevant not only for aesthetics but will also affect the ability of the user to make a multiple choice selection (see below). The available options are:
  • Dropdown - The items in the list will be placed into a drop-down box (this option does not allow multiple selections).
  • Checkbox - The items in the list will be represented as a collection of checkboxes (this option allows multiple selections).
  • Option - The items in the list will be represented as a collection of option buttons - also known as radio buttons. (this option does not allow multiple selections).
  • List - The items in the list will be represented as a list box (this option allows multiple selections).
Item Source Text (options) No List ITEMS="item1, item2" Specifies where the list items should derive from. Different parameters appear depending on which option is selected. The available options are:
  • List - Allows the option to manually enter a list by clicking the Add button.
  • Dataset - Allows the list to derive from an existing Automate Desktop dataset.
  • Array - Allows the list to derive from an existing array.
Caption Text Yes if items derive from a list (Empty) ITEMS="FTP,HTTP,Backup" Specifies a comma-delimited list of items that appear at runtime during execution of this action. There must be an equivalent number of captions to value items. Each caption must have a corresponding item in the Value parameter. This parameter is valid only if List is selected from the Item Source parameter.
Value Text Yes if items derive from a list (Empty) VALUES="FTP Upload,HTTP Put,Backup Files" Specifies a comma-delimited list of values. They represent values that will be returned by the item if selected at runtime by the user. There must be an equivalent number of values to caption items. Each value must have a corresponding item in the Caption parameter. This parameter is valid only if List is selected from the Item Source  parameter.
Selected Number Yes if items derive from a list (Empty) SELECTED="3" Specifies the index number of the items that should be checked or selected by default. Depending on the option selected under the List Type parameter, the requirements for this parameter differ. In the case of a Dropdown or Options list type, one item must be selected. In the case of a List or Checkbox list type, no items or multiple items may be specified. To specify multiple options the numbers should be comma-delimited. This parameter is valid only if List is selected from the Item Source parameter.
Dataset Text Yes if list items are gathered from a dataset (Empty) DATASET="theDataset" The name of the dataset that the list items should be gathered from. This parameter is valid only if Dataset is selected from the Item Source  parameter.
Caption Column Text Yes if list items are gathered from a dataset (Empty) COLUMN="Drive" Specifies the dataset column that should be used as the caption (list of items that appear at runtime during execution of this action). This parameter is valid only if Dataset is selected from the Use items from parameter.
Index selected Number Yes if list items are gathered from a dataset or array (Empty) INDEXSELECTED="3" Specifies the index numbers of the items that should be checked or selected by default. Depending on the option selected under the List Type parameter, the requirements for this parameter differ. In the case of a Dropdown or Options list type, one item must be selected. In the case of a List or Checkbox list type, no items or multiple items may be specified. To specify multiple options the numbers should be comma-delimited. This parameter is valid only if Dataset or Array is selected from the Item Source  parameter.
Use column as value Text Yes if list items are gathered from a dataset (Empty) COLUMNVALUE="Drive" If enabled, indicates that the value of a specific dataset column should be used as the value. The default option is Return index as value, which returns the index (row number) as the value.  
Array Text Yes if list items are gathered from an array (Empty) ARRAY="arrayName" The name of the array that the list items should be gathered from. This parameter is valid only if Array is selected from the Use items from parameter.
NOTE: The first column of the array will be used as the caption.
Bring message to front of all other windows Yes/No No Yes WINDOWINFRONT="NO" If selected (default value), the message window will appear in front of all other windows during execution of this step.

Buttons

Property Type Required Default Markup Description
On Cancel Text (options) No Stop VALUEONCANCEL="cancelled" Specifies the value that should be returned into the variable if the user presses the Cancel button. The available options are:
  • Continue - The task will continue  if the Cancel button is pressed by the user.
  • Stop (default) - The task will stop  if the Cancel button is pressed by the user.
  • Fail - The step will fail if the Cancel button is pressed by the user.
  • Start Task - The specified task will start if the Cancel button is pressed by the user.
  • Set Variable - The selected variable will be set to the specified value  if the Cancel button is pressed by the user.
Automatically press the OK button after Number No Disabled
  • COUNTDOWNDELAY="1"
  • MEASURE="minutes"
 The delay time for this activity.
Measure Text (options) No Disabled MEASURE="hour" The numeric measure to use when

Advanced

Property Type Required Default Markup Description
Force selection Yes/No No Yes FORCESELECT="NO" Specifies that the user must make a valid selection before continuing. This option is only valid if the List Type parameter is set to Checkbox or List. Other list types automatically force selection.
Allow multiple selections Yes/No No No MULTIPLE="YES" Specifies that multiple selections are allowed. This option is only valid if the List Type parameter is set to Checkbox or List as only those controls support multiple-selection.
Automatically press the OK button after Number/Options No Disabled
  • COUNTDOWNDELAY="1"
  • MEASURE="minutes"
 If enabled, indicates that the OK button will be automatically pressed after the elapsed time specified. If this option is disabled, the choice dialog is displayed indefinitely. Measures include:
  • Milliseconds
  • Seconds (default)
  • Minutes
  • Hours

Description

Error Causes

On Error

Examples

NOTE:
  • Copy and paste the sample AML code below directly into the Task Builder Steps Panel.
  • To successfully run the sample code, update parameters containing user credentials, files, file paths, or other information specific to the task to match your environment.

Example 1

This sample task shows how to use the Selection activity action and make decisions based on the answer.

Copy 
<AMVARIABLE NAME="FoodofChoice" VALUE="" />
<AMSHOWDIALOG ACTIVITY="select" MESSAGETEXT="What would you like to eat?" RESULTVARIABLE="FoodofChoice" LISTTYPE="option" ITEMS="Hamburger,Pizza,Chicken" VALUES="1,2,3" INDEXSELECTED="2" WINDOWTITLE="What's for lunch?" />
<AMIF EXPRESSION="%FoodofChoice% = &quot;1&quot;"><AMSHOWDIALOG MESSAGE="You chose hamburger." /></AMIF>
<AMSHOWDIALOG MESSAGE="You chose hamburger." />
<AMIF ACTIVITY="end" />
<AMIF EXPRESSION="%FoodofChoice% = &quot;2&quot;"><AMSHOWDIALOG MESSAGE="You chose pizza." /></AMIF>
<AMSHOWDIALOG MESSAGE="You chose pizza." />
<AMIF ACTIVITY="end" />
<AMIF EXPRESSION="%FoodofChoice% = &quot;3&quot;"><AMSHOWDIALOG MESSAGE="You chose chicken." /></AMIF>
<AMSHOWDIALOG MESSAGE="You chose chicken." />
<AMIF ACTIVITY="end" />

Example 2

This sample task displays how variables can be used interactively. A selection dialog appears allowing the user to select one or more list items. Thereafter, a message box displays all of the items selected.

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<AMVARIABLE NAME="var1">First Name</AMVARIABLE>
<AMVARIABLE NAME="var2">Last Name</AMVARIABLE>
<AMVARIABLE NAME="var3">Address</AMVARIABLE>
<AMVARIABLE NAME="var4">Phone Number</AMVARIABLE>
<AMVARIABLE NAME="theVars" />
<AMSHOWDIALOG ACTIVITY="select" MESSAGETEXT="Please select one or more items below." RESULTVARIABLE="theVars" LISTTYPE="checkbox" ITEMS="%var1%,%var2%,%var3%,%var4%" VALUES="First Name,Last Name,Address ,Phone" WINDOWTITLE="Sample 
Item Selection Task " ONCANCEL="stop" FORCESELECT="NO" MULTIPLE="YES" />
<AMSHOWDIALOG WINDOWTITLE="Selected Items" BUTTONS="ok_cancel" ONSECONDBUTTONCLICK="stop">You selected the following items:%theVars%</AMSHOWDIALOG>