Configuring Text User Inputs
Theme: Configure
Who Is It For? System Administrator, Automation Engineer
What Is It?
When configured, the Text User Input displays to users as a text box with validation rules when they run the Service Request.
To configure the user input, complete the following steps:
- Select the specific User Input in the User Inputs list on the Service Request definition page, or select the blue Edit button next to the desired user input.
- The Configure User Input page displays.
- Enter the User Input Caption to display when users run the Service Request. By default, the Variable name is used.
- Toggle the Required Variable switch to require the user to input a value for this field.
- Select Text in the User Input Type list.
- Select OK to confirm, or Cancel to discard changes and return to the Service Request definition page.
Result: The text user input is saved and will appear as a text box with the configured validation rules when users run the Service Request.
Specify validation rules
Use the following options to define validation rules for the text input:
- Secret: Marks this field as a password or secret, masking the user's entry. Use this when injecting a password into OpCon Events (for example, a job instance property).
- Minimum Characters: Specifies a minimum character length restriction.
- Maximum Characters: Specifies a maximum character length restriction.
- Invalid Characters: Identifies any invalid (restricted) characters.
- Regular Expression: Defines the following options:
- Regular Expression Pattern: Builds a regex matcher pattern to validate the user's entry before injection.
- Custom Error Message: Defines an error message displayed when a regex validation exception occurs. For example: "Please enter a 10-digit phone number with hyphens (e.g., 281-446-5000)."
Specify output formatting options
Use the following options to control how the value is formatted before being injected into the OpCon Event:
- Characters to Strip: Specifies which character(s) to remove from the User Input after validation.
- Padding: Specifies the padding direction (left/right), padding length, and padding character.
Configuration Options
| Setting | What It Does | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secret | Marks this field as a password or secret, masking the user's entry. | — | — |
| Minimum Characters | Specifies a minimum character length restriction. | — | — |
| Maximum Characters | Specifies a maximum character length restriction. | — | — |
| Invalid Characters | Identifies any invalid (restricted) characters. | — | — |
| Regular Expression | Validates the user's entry using a regex pattern. | — | — |
| Characters to Strip | Removes specified character(s) from the User Input after validation. | — | — |
| Padding | Specifies the padding direction (left/right), padding length, and padding character. | — | — |
FAQs
Q: What is the purpose of the Secret setting?
The Secret setting masks the user's entry so it does not appear in plain text. Use it for passwords or other sensitive values that will be injected into OpCon Events.
Q: When does the Required Variable switch apply?
When the Required Variable switch is enabled, users must provide a value in the text box before they can submit the Service Request.
Glossary
OpCon Event: A command sent to OpCon that triggers an automated action, such as adding a job to a schedule, updating a property value, sending a notification, or changing a job or schedule status.
Service Request: A Solution Manager feature that lets operators trigger predefined automation workflows using a simple form. Service Requests encapsulate schedule builds, job submissions, or events without requiring direct access to schedule definitions.
Job: The fundamental unit of work in OpCon. A job defines what to run, on which machine, when to start, and what conditions must be met. Job results are tracked and can trigger events and notifications.
OpCon: Continuous' workflow automation platform. The OpCon server includes the database, SAM and Supporting Services (SAM-SS), and graphical user interfaces. Agents installed on target platforms run jobs and report results.