This documentation supports the 19.08 version of Remedy Action Request System.

To view an earlier version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Creating guides

The procedures in this section describe how to create an active link or filter guide. For both types of guides, you define the basic guide settings, and then add the existing active links, filters, and guide labels that will make up the workflow of the guide.

The following figure shows an example active link guide in the editor area.

Creating an active link guide
(Click the image to expand it.)


A guide is a workflow program consisting of a series of active links or filters that can be used for a variety of tasks. When creating guides, it is helpful to plan them out first. Use the following steps before you begin creating active link guide objects.

  1. Plan the guide.
    • What will the guide be used for? To lead users through a form? To invoke a dialog box? To create a computational subroutine? To specify an entry point guide in the Application List field used on a home page form?
    • What class of user will it guide? Advanced users? Or will you have to guide novice users step-by-step through a form?
    • What will the guide form look like? Will you have to create a simple form for novice users?
    • Will the guide be shared among multiple forms?
    • Will your guide function as an access point for applications?
  2. Design the guide.
    • How many steps or dialog boxes will the guide require?
    • What will be the order of workflow in the guide and are there points where the guide should take different actions, depending on conditions?
    • If you are using dialog boxes, plan the layout of forms, fields, and buttons.
    • Will you require data validation?
    • What will your prompts say if it is a navigational or training guide?
  3. Create the active links or filters that you want to use within the guide.
    • Use only one active link or filter for each step.
    • Identify what guide actions you will need to use to control the order of workflow. Actions specific to guides are Call Guide, Exit Guide, Goto Guide Label, and Wait. For information about these actions, see Using buttons and menu bar items to execute active links.
    • Identify where you will need to enter Guide labels and keep track of any Goto Guide Label targets used.

      Note

      If you reuse or copy active links or filters for your guide that were designed for other applications, make sure they do not have any Execute On conditions and that the actions, associated forms, and other specifications are appropriate for use in the guide.

  4. Create the guide.
    1. Set the appropriate specifications for the guide as described in Creating guides.
    2. Add the appropriate active links or filters to the guide as described in Adding workflow to the guide.
    3. If you are using the Go to Guide Label active link action, add the labels needed for Go To targets.
    4. Specify the appropriate guide permissions.
    5. Specify the appropriate guide change history.
    6. Create or modify the help text for a guide.
      For more information about permissions, building and using change history, and creating help text, see Working with existing objects.
  5. Debug your guide before sending it to your users.
    • Use active link logging to generate a list of active links that are executed and the order in which they are executed.
    • You can create a log file of active link activity that includes all of the active links in a guide. This option logs information about active link activity for each operation, including which active links executed and whether active link execution was successful.
    • Use filter logging to generate a list of filters that are executed and the order in which they are executed.
    • Provide visual cues as the guide executes, so users knows what actions to expect.
    • Make sure the entry point guide appears on the Application List field on your home page form and that the link starts the guide.
    • Create Message active link actions as temporary placeholders to understand how your guide works.

For more information, see:

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