Conditional Logic

Conditional logic in FlowRunner™ allows you to create decision points within your automation, directing the flow based on specific conditions. Think of it as a fork in the road where the flow will follow one path if the condition is met (yes) and a different path if it is not (no). For instance, your flow might take different actions depending on whether it is a weekend or a weekday.

At the heart of every condition is a question that results in a "yes" or "no" answer. Here are some examples:

• Does the order have priority shipping?
• Is this a returning customer?
• Is the current time within business hours?

Building Condition Logic

Conditions can be integrated into various areas of your flow, including triggers and the dedicated Condition block. Configuring a condition involves building a logical expression that must evaluate to either true or false.

Single Condition Check

A single condition check performs one evaluation against a specific value. For example:

• Is variable X greater than 5?
• Does a string in a result element contain the word "urgent"?

When you configure a single condition check, you need to specify the following parameters:

1. Value to Check: This is the value that will be evaluated. You use the Expression Editor to select this value. It can be any value obtained through the Expression Editor.
2. Value Data Type: This indicates the data type of the value selected in the Value to Check field. The operations available depend on the data type. For instance, if the data type is STRING, operations like STARTS WITH, CONTAINS, and ENDS WITH will be available. If the data type is INT, the operations will include GREATER THAN, LESS THAN, etc.
3. Operation: This is the function to be performed against the value specified in the Value to Check parameter. Most operations require an additional value.
4. Additional Fields: These appear dynamically based on the selected operation. For example, comparison operations include a Value field that supports the Expression Editor for dynamic values.

Consider the examples below:

1. Check if the Order Status Result element's value equals the word PROCESSED:

   

2. Check if the Products Purchased Result element's value is greater than 10:

   

Multiple Condition Checks

When you add more than one condition check, FlowRunner™ labels them as "Part A," "Part B," and so on. These parts are connected using AND and OR operators to create complex logical expressions.

Consider the example below. At the bottom of the screenshot, you will see how the parts are connected to create the final logical expression for the condition:

Clicking the AND operator changes it to OR and vice versa. FlowRunner™ uses conventional boolean logic with these operators. Each part is evaluated and results in either TRUE or FALSE. The following rules apply:

TRUE AND TRUE = TRUE
TRUE AND FALSE = FALSE
TRUE OR TRUE = TRUE
TRUE OR FALSE = TRUE
FALSE AND FALSE = FALSE
FALSE OR FALSE = FALSE

For expressions with three or more parts, you can assign precedence in the expression evaluation using parentheses. Anything in parentheses is evaluated first. Consider the following example with three parts:

The parts in the condition are organized in the following expression:

It may be ambiguous how the expression will be evaluated if any part is FALSE. To clarify, you can group parts using parentheses.

Adding Parentheses

To add a parenthesis, simply click in the space between the parts and the AND/OR operators.

Once parentheses are present, it is easier to understand how the expression will be evaluated. The following two examples produce different results depending on how individual parts are evaluated:

or

Available Operations by Data Type

The following tables show all available operations for each Value Data Type and their additional configuration requirements:

STRING Operations

Operation	Description	Additional Fields
EQUALS	Compare exact string values	Value (Expression Editor)
DOES NOT EQUAL	Compare exact string values	Value (Expression Editor)
CONTAINS	Check if string contains substring	Value (Expression Editor)
DOES NOT CONTAIN	Check if string contains substring	Value (Expression Editor)
STARTS WITH	Check string prefix	Value (Expression Editor)
DOES NOT START WITH	Check string prefix	Value (Expression Editor)
ENDS WITH	Check string suffix	Value (Expression Editor)
DOES NOT END WITH	Check string suffix	Value (Expression Editor)
IS EMPTY	Check if string has no content	None
IS NOT EMPTY	Check if string has content	None
IS NULL	Check if value doesn't exist	None
IS NOT NULL	Check if value exists	None

INT and DOUBLE Operations

Operation	Description	Additional Fields
EQUALS	Compare numeric values	Value (Expression Editor)
DOES NOT EQUAL	Compare numeric values	Value (Expression Editor)
GREATER THAN	Compare magnitude	Value (Expression Editor)
LESS THAN	Compare magnitude	Value (Expression Editor)
GREATER OR EQUAL	Compare with equality	Value (Expression Editor)
LESS OR EQUAL	Compare with equality	Value (Expression Editor)

BOOLEAN Operations

Operation	Description	Additional Fields
IS NULL	Check if value doesn't exist	None
IS NOT NULL	Check if value exists	None
IS TRUE	Check true state	None
IS NOT TRUE	Check true state	None
IS FALSE	Check false state	None
IS NOT FALSE	Check false state	None

DATETIME Operations

Operation	Description	Additional Fields
IS	Compare with specific dates	Date Type dropdown1
IS NOT	Compare with specific dates	Date Type dropdown1
BEFORE	Compare chronological order	Date Type dropdown1
AFTER	Compare chronological order	Date Type dropdown1
AT OR BEFORE	Include equality in comparison	Date Type dropdown1
AT OR AFTER	Include equality in comparison	Date Type dropdown1
WITHIN	Check if date falls within time period	Time Period dropdown2
NOT WITHIN	Check if date falls within time period	Time Period dropdown2

IMAGE Operations

Operation	Description	Additional Fields
All STRING operations	Same as STRING data type	Same as STRING
AI QUESTION	Ask AI a yes/no question about image	Yes/No Question (Expression Editor)

AI Image Analysis

The AI QUESTION operation sends the image URL and your question to AI, which automatically responds with a boolean answer to control the condition outcome.

JSON OBJECT Operations

Operation	Description	Additional Fields
IS EMPTY	Check if object has no properties	None
HAS KEY	Check if specific key exists	Key (Expression Editor)
HAS KEY WITH VALUE	Check key exists with specific value	Key, Value (both Expression Editor)
HAS SPECIFIC TYPE	Check if key contains specific data type	Key (Expression Editor), Type dropdown3

JSON ARRAY Operations

Operation	Description	Additional Fields
IS EMPTY	Check if array has no elements	None
CONTAINS VALUE	Check if array contains specific value	Value (Expression Editor)
LENGTH GREATER THAN	Compare array size	Value (Expression Editor)
LENGTH LESS THAN	Compare array size	Value (Expression Editor)
LENGTH GREATER THAN OR EQUALS	Compare with equality	Value (Expression Editor)
LENGTH LESS THAN OR EQUALS	Compare with equality	Value (Expression Editor)
LENGTH EQUALS	Check exact array size	Value (Expression Editor)
ALL ELEMENTS OF TYPE	Verify all elements match data type	Type dropdown3
ELEMENT AT INDEX EQUALS	Check specific array position value	Index, Value (both Expression Editor)
ALL ELEMENTS NOT NULL	Verify no null elements	None
ALL ELEMENTS MEET CONDITION	Check all elements against condition	Nested condition configuration4
SOME ELEMENTS MEET CONDITION	Check if any elements meet condition	Nested condition configuration4

Error Handling

Conditions can encounter various error scenarios that you should be prepared to handle:

Invalid Property References: When a property reference is invalid or missing, FlowRunner™ generates an error. For error handling purposes, the Condition block can be connected to a Handle Error block to manage these scenarios gracefully.

Data Type Mismatches: If the actual data type doesn't match the selected Value Data Type, FlowRunner™ attempts to auto-guess the type and perform data conversion. This automatic conversion helps maintain flow continuity but may not always produce expected results.

Network Errors: Network errors are possible only with the AI operation when processing IMAGE data types. In such cases, FlowRunner™ generates an error that can be handled through standard error handling mechanisms.

Best Practices for Error Prevention: - Validate property paths before using them in conditions - Use appropriate null checks when working with optional data - Test conditions with various data scenarios during development - Implement error handling paths for critical decision points

Best Practices

Performance Optimization

• Keep complex conditions as simple as possible while maintaining accuracy
• Use specific data types rather than relying on auto-conversion
• Consider breaking very complex conditions into multiple simpler Condition blocks
• Place more likely conditions first in OR expressions to short-circuit evaluation

Condition Design Strategy

• Use descriptive property names and clear comparison values
• Group related logical parts using parentheses for clarity
• Document complex condition logic with descriptive block names
• Test edge cases and boundary conditions thoroughly

Debugging Complex Conditions

• Test individual condition checks before combining them into parts
• Use simple test data to verify condition logic
• Add temporary logging or outputs to track condition evaluation
• Break complex conditions into smaller, testable components

Condition Block

The Condition block allows you to set up a logical expression and then branches the flow into two paths: Yes and No. If the expression evaluates to true, the flow follows the Yes branch. Otherwise, it follows the No branch.

Example Flow

Consider a scenario where you want the flow to behave differently based on whether it is a weekend or a weekday. You can set up a condition that checks the current day of the week:

The Condition block in this example uses the following logic:

This logic checks if the Week Day Number value is either Saturday (value 6) or Sunday (value 7). Based on this check, the flow can take different actions.

• On Weekends - when Week Day Number is greater or equal 6: You might want the flow to send an alert to the team informing them of weekend activity, or perhaps delay certain non-urgent processes until Monday.
• On Weekdays - for all other values stored in Week Day Number: The flow could continue with regular processing, such as sending orders to the shipping department or performing routine updates.

The Condition block is highly versatile, enabling you to create complex logical expressions. These expressions can include multiple parts combined using AND and OR operators. Additionally, the Condition block can handle various data types, making it a powerful tool for building sophisticated decision-making processes within your flows.

For a detailed overview of the Condition block's capabilities, refer to the Condition Block chapter in the Block Reference section of this guide.

Conditions with Triggers

All built-in FlowRunner™ triggers can be enhanced with a condition that acts as a "filter". These conditions follow the same rules described above for configuring logical expressions. When a trigger has an associated condition, it will only be activated if the condition evaluates to TRUE. This ensures that your flows only proceed under the specific circumstances you define, adding an extra layer of precision and control to your automation processes.

By organizing your conditions effectively, you can create complex and precise logical flows that ensure your automation behaves exactly as intended.

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1. Date Type Options: SPECIFIC DATE, SPECIFIC DATE/TIME, SPECIFIC YEAR/MONTH, SPECIFIC YEAR, TODAY, TOMORROW, YESTERDAY ↩↩↩↩↩↩

2. Time Period Options: THE PAST WEEK, THE PAST MONTH, THE PAST YEAR, THE NEXT WEEK, THE NEXT MONTH, THE NEXT YEAR, THE NEXT DAYS (with day count field), THE PAST DAYS (with day count field) ↩↩

3. Type Options: String, Int, Double, Boolean, Datetime, Image, JSON Object, JSON Array ↩↩

4. Nested Condition: Includes Value Data Type dropdown and Operation selection with additional fields based on selected type and operation ↩↩