Workflow Studio & Flow Designer in Washington DC - Live Coding Happy Hour

[Earl Duque]

Workflow automation in ServiceNow has taken a significant leap forward with the Washington DC release, introducing an array of features designed to enhance the developer experience in Workflow Studio and Flow Designer. From the much-anticipated Undo/Redo buttons to the ability to fire events directly from flows, these updates are set to streamline the creation and management of workflows. This episode was hosted by your Senior Developer Advocate, Lauren McManamon, with guest from our MVP Community: Daniel Cordick, and Laszlo Balla. This blog post was prepared by Earl Duque.

Workflow Studio: Your New Command Center

Workflow Studio emerges as the centralized hub for all things automation, integrating processes, decision tables, and flow actions into a single, cohesive interface. Its design not only simplifies navigation but also promotes a collaborative environment by showcasing team activities and facilitating easy access to help resources and integrations.

The Power of Undo/Redo

Perhaps one of the most universally welcomed features is the introduction of Undo/Redo capabilities in Flow Designer. This addition allows developers to easily backtrack or reapply actions, making the flow creation process more forgiving and less prone to errors.

Diagramming Just Got Better

The enhancements to diagramming are a nod to those who prefer a visual representation of their workflows. The updated diagram view now mirrors the natural language used in the action details, enriched with annotations for even clearer understanding. This improvement not only aids in designing complex workflows but also in explaining them to non-developer stakeholders.

Directly Firing Events from Flows

With the new ability to fire events directly from within flows, ServiceNow developers can now trigger notifications, scripts, and other events without the need for custom actions. This feature simplifies the workflow design and expands the possibilities for automated responses within the platform.

Enhanced Error Handling with Try/Catch Blocks

Error handling in flows is more robust with the inclusion of Try/Catch blocks. This feature allows developers to specify actions to be taken in case of errors, ensuring smoother flow execution and providing an additional layer of control over the workflow's behavior.

Final Thoughts

The Washington DC release marks a significant milestone in the evolution of workflow automation in ServiceNow. By introducing features that cater to both the efficiency and flexibility of flow design, ServiceNow continues to empower developers to build more sophisticated, reliable, and user-friendly workflows.

Whether you're building complex integrations, automating business processes, or simply refining your existing workflows, the latest updates to Workflow Studio and Flow Designer offer the tools and capabilities you need to succeed. As we explore these features further, it's clear that ServiceNow is committed to enhancing the developer experience, making it easier than ever to harness the power of workflow automation.