Create a variable

Important: Agents is currently in private beta and is not yet available to all customers.

You can create variables from:

  • The action configuration panel, when you're configuring an agent action.
  • The toolbar of the Agent Designer.
  • The start event configuration panel when you're configuring the start event.

Jump to:

Create a variable from the action configuration panel

You can create and insert agent and agent object variables into a field that accepts variables in the action configuration panel of an action.

Open the action configuration panel:

  1. Go to Agents > All agents.

  2. Open the agent designer:

    1. New agentflow: Click Create agentflow.

    2. Existing agentflow: Select the agentflow you want from the agentflows page.

  3. On the designer canvas, click the action you want to configure.

    You can also click to the right of the action and then select Configure.

  4. In a field that accepts variables, click + Insert or Add variable from the drop-down list.

    The Insert variables panel is displayed.

  5. In the Name field, type the internal name you want to call the variable when designing your agent.
    Note: 

    Variables names must adhere to the following naming conventions to support localization:

    • Must be at least 1 non-whitespace character.

    • Cannot contain newline or paragraph characters.

    • Cannot contain HTML as it contains unsupported characters like <, >, and /.

    • Cannot begin with a number.

    • Cannot contain any of the following characters: +, -, !, *, ", /, >, >=, <, <=, =, ==, !=, &, &&, |, ||, ., , (comma), [, ], (, ), and \n

  6. In the Type field, select a variable type corresponding to the type of data you want to store. See Variable data types.

  7. (Optional) If you want to provide a default value for the variable, enter the value in the Default value field.

  8. (Optional) If you want to set the default value of the variable to null, click in the Default value field and select Set value as null.

  9. (Optional) Select the Allow external configuration check box to enable changing the variable's value through the Configure agent panel.

  10. Click Create or Create & insert if you want to use it in an action.

Create a variable from the toolbar

You can create agent and start event variables you want to use for a agent using the Variables option available in the toolbar. After you create a variable, you can use it in configuration fields of actions.

  1. Go to Agents > All agents.

  2. Open the agent designer:

    1. New agentflow: Click Create agentflow.

    2. Existing agentflow: Select the agentflow you want from the agentflows page.

  1. On the toolbar of the Agent Designer, click Variables.

    The Variables panel is displayed. The agent tab is selected by default.

  2. In the Name field, type the internal name you want to call the variable when designing your agent.
    Note: 

    Variables names must adhere to the following naming conventions to support localization:

    • Must be at least 1 non-whitespace character.

    • Cannot contain newline or paragraph characters.

    • Cannot contain HTML as it contains unsupported characters like <, >, and /.

    • Cannot begin with a number.

    • Cannot contain any of the following characters: +, -, !, *, ", /, >, >=, <, <=, =, ==, !=, &, &&, |, ||, ., , (comma), [, ], (, ), and \n

  3. In the Type field, select a variable type corresponding to the type of data you want to store. See Variable data types.

  4. (Optional) If you want to provide a default value for the variable, enter the value in the Default value field.

  5. (Optional) If you want to set the default value of the variable to null, click in the Default value field and select Set value as null.

  6. (Optional) Select the Allow external configuration check box to enable changing the variable's value through the Configure agent panel.

  7. Click Create or Create & insert if you want to use it in an action.

Create a variable from the start configuration panel

The Nintex agent start event allows you to create start event variables in the Start event configuration panel. You can use these variables to capture required agent inputs (files or other data needed to start the agent).

Open the start event configuration panel:

  1. Go to Agents > All agents.

  2. Open the agent designer:

    1. New agentflow: Click Create agentflow.

    2. Existing agentflow: Select the agentflow you want from the agentflows page.

  3. Click Start event on the designer canvas. The Start event configuration panel is displayed.

  1. Click Create variable.
  2. In the Name field, type the internal name you want to call the variable when designing your agent.
    Note: 

    Variables names must adhere to the following naming conventions to support localization:

    • Must be at least 1 non-whitespace character.

    • Cannot contain newline or paragraph characters.

    • Cannot contain HTML as it contains unsupported characters like <, >, and /.

    • Cannot begin with a number.

    • Cannot contain any of the following characters: +, -, !, *, ", /, >, >=, <, <=, =, ==, !=, &, &&, |, ||, ., , (comma), [, ], (, ), and \n

  3. In the Type field, select a variable type corresponding to the type of data you want to store. See Variable data types.

  4. Click Create or Create & insert if you want to use it in an action.
Section Tab, button, or field Description

Variable type

Agent

Displays existing variables of the agent type, which you can edit or delete. You can also create new variables to use throughout your agent.

 

Start event

Displays the start event variables of the agent. You cannot edit start event variables.

The following Start event variables are provided:

  • Agent initiator (Object)
    • First name (Text)
    • Last name (Text)
    • Email (Text)

      • The agent initiator object will not be available when the Anyone with the form URL option is selected in the Give form access to section of the start event configuration panel. For more information, see Configure the start event .

  • Form variables: (Object)
    • An object variable that includes all the form variables in Nintex - Form.

 

Instance

Displays the workflow instance variables of the agent. You cannot edit workflow instance variables.

By default, the following workflow instance variables are provided:

  • Current date (type: DateTime; returns values in format YYYY-MM-DD; available for fields that accept text or date input)
  • Current date and time (type: DateTime; returns values in format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS +0000; available for fields that accept text or date input)
  • Agent instance ID (type: Text; returns the ID of the running agent instance, as displayed on the Instance details page ["Instance ID"])
  • Agent name (type: Text; returns the name of the agent, as displayed on the agents page for the agent and on the Instance details page for the instance ["Name"])

  • Agent ID (type: Text; returns the identifier of the agent, as displayed in agent URLs Endpoint for calling a workflow. used for forms and Component agents)

Agent

Name

Name of the agent variable.

Note: 

Variables names must adhere to the following naming conventions to support localization:

  • Must be at least 1 non-whitespace character.

  • Cannot contain newline or paragraph characters.

  • Cannot contain HTML as it contains unsupported characters like <, >, and /.

  • Cannot begin with a number.

  • Cannot contain any of the following characters: +, -, !, *, ", /, >, >=, <, <=, =, ==, !=, &, &&, |, ||, ., , (comma), [, ], (, ), and \n

 

Type

Data types of variables. Possible values for agent variables are:

  • Text: Text string (with optional default value).
  • Decimal: Integer numerical with a decimal point (with optional default value).
  • Integer: Integer numerical with no decimal (with optional default value).
  • Boolean: Yes or No (with optional default value).
  • DateTime: YYYY-MM-DD, HH:MM AM/PM (with optional default value).
  • Collection: A variable that groups one or more related variables of the same type into an ordered list.

    • For example, a collection variable named Company name can hold a list of names, such as Safalo, Nintex, and Drawloop.

  • File: Path to a file. Use this variable type to attach files to email messages. A file path must start with the root folder and end with the file name. Example: /Draft/Contracts/ACME.docx
  • Object: A variable that groups several related variables of any type into a hierarchical structure. Objects can contain other Objects.

    • For example, an Object variable named Company can hold a list of nested variables, such as Company name, Email, Address, and Phone number.

    Note: Objects can't be created or modified in the Variables panel.

  • Collection of objects: A variable that groups a list of Objects of the same variable structure into a list.

    • For example, a Collection of objects variable named Company details can hold a series of objects, detailing Company name, Email, Address, and Phone number for each Company name Safalo, Nintex, and Drawloop.

 

Default value

The default value to use for the variable. Available for the following variable types: Boolean, DateTime, Decimal, Integer, Text. Provided default values are:

  • Boolean: No
  • DateTime: (empty)
  • Decimal: 0.0
  • Integer: 0
  • Text: (empty)
  Allow external configuration

When selected, enables changing the variable's value through the Configure agent panel.

 

Used in

Displays the number of actions that use the specific variable.

 

Create

Saves the agent variable and makes it available for selection or insertion.

 

Insert

Only available in the Insert variable pane. Inserts the highlighted or selected variable into the action field you are editing.

 

Create & insert

Only available in the Insert variable pane. Saves the agent variable and adds it to a field from where you accessed the Insert variables pane.

 

Details

Option to edit the selected agent variable.

 

Save

Option to save the agent variable you are creating or editing.

 

(Close)

Option to discard the variable you are creating, or discard the changes to a variable you are editing.

 

Delete

Removes the selected variable. Variables in use cannot be deleted.