To create a timer activation definition, click on the Create a new timer activation definition link on the Site Selection page. The Action Selection page is displayed, where you identify the action to be run, the criteria that will trigger the action, and the schedule.
1. Type a name for the timer activation definition at the prompt for the Title of this Timer Activation Item. Once this item is saved, this name will be shown as the Activation Title in the table on the previous page.
2. At the next prompt, identify the site that contains the list(s) or library(ies) that will trigger the action to be run.
•Highlight the desired list(s) and/or library(ies) in the Available Lists and Libraries area and click the right arrow icon to move them to the Selected Lists and Libraries area.
•The Available Lists and Libraries area automatically shows all of the lists and libraries in the site identified on the previous page. However, you can identify a different site in the entry field above the drop-down or use the Browse button to locate the desired site, and then select a list or library. Global links are also supported.
•Any number of lists and libraries can be selected here.
3. At the prompt to Select the action to run, identify the site and library where the action to be run is located.
•If there is a library called “Actions Library” in the current site, it is selected by default.
4. All available actions in the selected library are shown in the drop-down below the Actions Library selection. Select the action that you want to be executed when the criteria for this timer activation item are met.
•Only one action can be selected here, although Chained Actions are supported
•All types of actions are supported except for the types listed below. They are not supported as they do not have the context required to run. As a result, these types of actions will not be included in the drop-down:
o Create Document
o Go to URL
o Print
•Delete List Item actions are supported, but should be selected with caution because with timer activations, there is no way to alert the user or confirm a deletion.
NOTE: Do not select an action definition that copies any properties from a selected item. These actions will fail if the Timer Activation Wizard attempts to execute them.
IMPORTANT: When selecting actions, keep in mind that these actions will be run automatically; there will be no opportunity for a user to fill out an entry form. If an action requires any information to be provided by a user, it will fail.
5. If you wish, you can define filter criteria to identify conditions that must be met for the action to be executed.
•If you do not want to define a filter, proceed to Step 10.
•Otherwise, use the Model list for filters section to select a model list or library to reference to determine the columns that should be available for a filter.
o The model list identified here does not have to be the same list that triggers the action; it is simply used as a reference to determine the columns that can be used for a filter.
6. Click the Add Filter Condition button. A pair of drop-downs is presented so you can identify the column to filter on and the expression to use.
7. Select the column to filter on from the first drop-down and then select the appropriate expression. The page is refreshed and a third entry or selection area presents the appropriate options based on the column selected in the first drop-down.
8. Select or type the desired value in the third portion of the filter.
9. Repeat Steps 5 through 8 to build as many filter conditions as are needed. To remove a filter condition, click the red X to the right of the condition.
10. Use the options in the Schedule area to define the frequency with which the timer activation item is to be executed. Radio buttons are available to define a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly schedule. The options to the right of these radio buttons vary depending on the selected frequency.
•The Timer Activation Wizard references the server time, which is not always the same for all users. To address this, as of v10.2 the Timer Activation Wizard shows the current system time when creating an activation so the builder can see how that compares to the current time in their time zone.
11. Set the appropriate start and end dates in the Date Range area.
•The default Start Date is today’s date
•There is no end date by default
12. Identify the time of day when the timer activation item should be executed using the Action start time drop-downs.
13. If the timer activation item should not be run after a certain time of day, identify that time using the Do not run after drop-downs.
14. New activation items default to being run once per day within the schedule defined above. However, if the item should be run at a different frequency, you can select the desired value from the Every drop-down.
15. When you are finished, select the Finish button. The timer activation item is saved and you are returned to the Site Selection page.
The next time an item in the selected list or library meets the timer activation item’s list, filter, and schedule criteria, the identified action will be executed automatically.