User-attended and automated deployment methods
There are two ways that a DocGen Package A customizable package that consists of your Salesforce data, documents, and delivery configurations for documents you want to generate. can be run through the use of user-attended The process by which a user performs an explicit action to trigger a DocGen Run. or automated A DocGen Run that is starts from a user's action, implicitly started (such as changing a field), or a scheduled process. Also known as Auto Run. deployment methods. This topic guides users through the appropriate solutions to implement a DocGen Run and describes the scenarios in which a user would want to use one option over another.
User-attended deployment methods
Below are the user-attended deployment methods by which a DocGen user can directly start a DocGen Run. Use these user-attended deployment methods when a user has an immediate need to generate documents or is waiting for documents to be returned or delivered.
Note: Mass deployment methods require Auto DDPs to be purchased and be active within a customer's license.
| Types of user-attended Runs | Lightning |
Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Experience Buttons | ✔ | ✔ |
| Mass Button via List View | ✔ (Requires a Visualforce page to create a Mass button) | ✔ |
| Mass Button via a Report | ✔ (See Mass Button via Report Configuration) | ✔ |
| ProcessDdp Component | ✔ | ✔ |
| DocGen Lightning Component | ✔ | ✘ |
| Flow - Preview Component | ✔ | ✘ |
Automated deployment methods
All automated deployment methods listed below will queue a DocGen Run. The DocGen Run requests are placed into an Org-based queue to be processed one at a time via the first in first out (FIFO) method; therefore, documents are not returned immediately and are returned after they are processed.
Example: If 200 records are queued for document generation, it may result in the first document request to be returned in approximately 30 seconds, and the 200th request will run after all previous records are processed. Times vary based on the total records and composition of document package.
There are three methods that can be used to automate the generation of documents:
See Use Nintex DocGen with Process Builder and Flow Builder for more information on automated deployment methods.
Triggered from User actions
The following methods can be used to automate DocGen Packages triggered from User actions:
-
Workflow and Outbound Messages
-
Process Builder
Triggered from non-User actions
The following methods can be used to automate DocGen Packages triggered from non-User actions:
-
Workflow and Outbound Messages
-
Process Builder
-
Scheduled DocGen Packages
Triggered by Apex classes
Note: For more information about Apex actions, see Apex classes.
-
Scheduled Apex
-
Custom Apex
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Flow - RunDocGenAsync Apex Action
Apex classes
The following Apex classes can be used with Nintex DocGen:
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DocumentService – Converts files to PDF and/or merge PDF files together.
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LoopMessage – Initiates a DocGen Run for one or more provided record IDs.
When to use user-attended or automated deployment methods
The scenarios below and their corresponding tables tell you which user-attended or automated methods you can use for each scenario.
The user needs to generate and view, or deliver the document immediately.
| Desktop or Mobile | Method | Lightning |
Classic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Classic Experience Buttons | ✔ | ✔ |
| Lightning Component | ✔ | ✘ | |
| Flow (Preview Component) | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Mobile | Lightning Component via a Button (See Nintex DocGen for mobile users) | ✔ | N/A |
The user needs to generate and deliver a set of documents based off a list view.
| Desktop or Mobile | Method | Lightning |
Classic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Mass Button via List View | ✔ (Requires a Visualforce page to create a Mass button) | ✔ |
The user needs to generate and deliver a set of documents based off a set of record IDs in a Salesforce report.
| Desktop or Mobile | Method | Lightning |
Classic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Mass Button via a Report | ✔ (See Mass Button via Report Configuration) | ✔ |
The user needs to generate and view or deliver a document immediately in a custom experience.
| Desktop or Mobile | Method | Lightning |
Classic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | ProcessDDP component | ✔ | ✔ |
The user or system queues a document generation from Salesforce workflow by creating or editing a Salesforce record.
| Desktop or Mobile | Method | Lightning |
Classic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Workflow and Outbound Message | ✔ | ✔ |
| Desktop | Process Builder | ✔ | ✔ |
| Desktop | Custom Apex | ✔ | ✔ |
The user or system queues a document generation, for 1 or more records in Salesforce, and is initiated by a user in a Flow.
Example: A Flow initiates a workflow and during that workflow, a DocGen Run is triggered.
| Desktop or Mobile | Method | Lightning |
Classic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Flow – RunDocGenAsync Apex Action | ✔ | ✘ |
The system queues a document generation for one or more records based on a recurring need.
| Desktop or Mobile | Method |
|---|---|
| Desktop | Scheduled Document Packages |
| Desktop | Scheduled Apex |
The user needs to generate and view or deliver the document immediately in a Salesforce Lightning Community.
| Desktop or Mobile | Method |
|---|---|
| Desktop | Flow Component |
| Desktop | ProcessDDP component |
| Desktop | Classic Experience Buttons page |
| Desktop | Lightning Component |