Workflows intro
Workflows in Customer's Canvas allow you to arrange the process of personalization of print products. This process usually includes selecting a product, choosing a product variant, editing a product design, approving the result, and finally downloading print files.
Let's see how different workflows look like.
In this workflow, customers personalize a sticker for a box. First, they select a sticker form. Then, they add an image from a gallery. Finally, they see the result on a mockup.
Another workflow allows customers to create a business card. At the first step, they select a size and orientation. Next, they edit the product design on both sides of the card. At the final step, customers can see and approve the result.
Both these workflows include a design editor, selecting some options, and the result approval. The entire sequence factions is divided into steps. Every step is displayed on a separate screen, which includes a number of containers - panels. You can embed some widgets tools in the panels: editor, galleries, options, and so on. For more details about the workflow appearance, read the What is workflow? article.
In Customer's Canvas, workflows are described in JSON files. In these workflow files, you can find the configuration of personalization steps and widget. You can create workflow files from scratch or based on existing files with a special workflow editor. To read more about workflow files, read the Creating and editing workflows article.
A workflow file has a special structure that describes the content and behavior of elements. Such a file is divided into following parts:
- Attributes describing a product.
- Variables adding shortcuts to reduce the code.
- Widgets defining the controls to perform the workflow actions.
- Steps configuring the workflow actions.
- Additional properties.
Learn more details in the Structure article.
You can consider widgets as constructor details for building the user interface: buttons, text, editors, galleries, and more. At the same time, there are non-visual widgets for auxiliary operations. You can manage widget properties and change widget styles, connect widgets with each other, and make other actions. To know more about widgets, read the Widgets articles.
Although workflows are written in JSON format, which serves for saving and sending the data, you can expand the functionality and make it dynamic. Using dynamic expressions, you apply basic operators of programming languages, embed a JavaScript function, request other widgets or assets. Read the Dynamic expressions to know more about dynamic expressions.