The Task Builder is used to visually construct and examine the steps that a task should carry out when it is run. Task steps are created by visually dragging-and-dropping AWE Actions from an actions palette and placing them in the sequence desired for execution. This eliminates the need to write code or create batch files. A task can be composed of a single action or hundreds of actions, depending on what it is designed to perform.
Actions are used to instruct AWE how to carry out a task in EFT's Event Rule system. Actions are the available processes that can be used to build the steps to be carried out when a task is run. These actions are assembled visually (without the use of code) via drag-and-drop in the Task Builder interface. Each action used to construct the task becomes a step. Upon execution, these steps are performed in a sequential order.
To ensure that newly created tasks are working properly before they are put into production, the Task Builder includes a variety of testing and debugging features that provide detailed, real-time information about a task, which aids a developer in monitoring and debugging tasks as they are being constructed.
The Task Builder's layout includes three panes along with a ribbon that can be fully customized.
The Available Actions pane encompasses all of the actions available in AWE used to construct the steps of a task. Actions are assembled visually by dragging them from the Available Actions pane onto the Steps pane or by double-clicking the desired action. To provide an easy way to search for actions, the foot of the Available Actions pane contains a search box which provides dynamic filtering, allowing entry of part or all of an action's name and view only actions that contain matching text. The list is updated as each character is typed.
Actions are typically categorized into expandable folders arranged in a logical sequence. Alternately, they can be viewed with all actions listed individually (without the folders they normally reside in) in alphabetical order. For more information regarding how to customize the Available Actions pane, see Customizing the Available Actions Pane.
The Steps pane displays the actions selected from the Available Actions pane that will be carried out when the task is performed. When an action is dragged from the Available Actions pane into the Steps pane, the properties dialog box for the selected action opens and settings can be viewed, set or modified for the task step. The action and its properties are then displayed in the Steps pane. When the task runs (either automatically with the use of a trigger or manually run by the user), the steps of the task are executed in a sequential order. Many options and adjustments can be performed on any action once they are added to the steps pane. For more details, see Editing Task Steps.
Multiple tasks can be opened within the same Task Builder interface at the same time. When more than one task is open, tabs are created at the bottom of the Steps pane representing each task. Each tab is labeled with the name of the corresponding task. The steps of the desired task can be viewed by selecting the proper tab. When a task is selected, the Steps pane becomes populated with steps of that task and the Status bar and Debug pane show data for that task.
The Debug pane supplies a wealth of information about a task as it executes. Its purpose is to assist a developer during task construction to properly monitor and examine a running task and more importantly, to diagnose a task that generates an error or is generally not running properly. This is an excellent way to test newly created tasks before they are put into production.
The Debug pane contains eight views which are separated by tabs. Various options are available and vary depending on which Debug view (tab) is currently focused.