Effective Date of Action From A User Action Node

I have used javascript to create a new variable and define it using the substring command.  

 

vEffectiveDate                 = substring(vArr[2],6,10) + substring(vArr[2],0,2) +  substring(vArr[2],3,5) ;

 

Note:  I didn't take the time to format this for your needs, only presenting it as an example.

 

Same as Todd, I would use javascript.  I have an IPA process that I do that same thing.  They add the date to a message and it pulls the message.

Then, using a substring function it pulls the date into a few different formats

 

The users are instructed to enter the date in format MM/DD/YYYY

 

substring(qMsgDtl_Message,6,10) + substring(qMsgDtl_Message,0,2) + substring(qMsgDtl_Message,3,5) 

 

You may already have this in place but I will give one warning - the users will mess up with the date.  They will enter M/D/YY and other format.  Since it is free text they will enter just about anything... So I have format checking in place and if the format is incorrect it sends the user an email and loops the process back into their inbox and in the email it tells them the format is incorrect and clarifies the format needed.  

Users get mad and send emails saying "I keep entering the same thing and it keeps telling me it is wrong - it will not take the date I am entering" BUT it saves PA52 errors later in the process and the users get it eventually.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Todd and Dave for the suggestion! I was looking online for hours for a solution like that. I put that logic into my flow, but now I am getting an output like this:

Activity started: Assign2980 (Run Id: 25)
ReturnDateVar = <_messages>


Evaluating JavaScript expression ReturnDateFinal = ReturnDateVar.substring(6,10); to value ages
Variables in Process:
ReturnDateVar = <_messages>



Is the flow supposed to return messages with that format? If so I believe I would have to count the spaces until I get to the actual date, correct?

Dave,

Do you use the "moment" javascript function to validate the format of the date?

I have to use a Landmark transaction to pull the message.

The transaction pulls the message using the following transaction string

 

_dataArea="<!--appProdline-->" & _module="pfi" & _objectName="PfiMessage" & _actionName="Find" & _actionOperator="NONE" & _actionType="MultipleRecordQuery" & _runAsUser="" & _authenticatedUser="" & _pageSize="30" & _relationName="" & _setName="SymbolicKey" & _asOfDate="" & _effectiveDate="" & PfiWorkunit="<!--WorkUnit-->" & PfiMessage & Message & PfiWorkunit

 

Following the transaction node I have an assign node that "collects" the message 

 NodeName_Message

My Landmark transaction node name is qMsgDtl

So the Variable Value I have to pull the date and format it is

substring(qMsgDtl_Message,6,10) + substring(qMsgDtl_Message,0,2) + substring(qMsgDtl_Message,3,5)

 

 

 

To validate the date, I use an expression using pattern test

javascript below;

 

var dte = qMsgDtl_Message;
var pat =  /^[0-9]{2}\/?[0-9]{2}\/?[0-9]{4}$/;
var at = pat.test(dte);

if(at === true)
 {intRej = 0;
 }
else  {intRej = 1;
}

 

 

This tests the output of the message variable and if it matches MM/DD/YYYY the output is 0 otherwise the output is 1.  I then use a Branch node and if the output is 1 it loops back around and sends an email and places the action back in the users inbox.

Thank you Dave and Todd for the assist! I have that piece of the flow up and running, and it is doing exactly what I wanted.