If a WF updates a field on Modification will the WF loop endlessly ?

  • 8 February 2017
  • 6 replies
  • 3 views
D
Badge +9

If a WF settings is run on a modification will the WF continously run as the WF updates a field within a list.  Once the field within the list is updated via the Nintex WF wouldn't this qualify as a  "modification" which would then trigger the WF to run again.

I want the Nintex WF only to run after a user has made some type of change to the record.  Once the user has changed the record I want the Nintex WF to run once whereby part of the WF would update a status field.

Please let me know if this scenario would create a looping problem...

6 replies

rhia
Userlevel 6
Badge +15

Nope, no problem here - you're safe happy.png

If you set your WF to run on modification, it assumes modification by a non-workflow entity. Otherwise, yikes, that'd go on forever! I have some workflows myself that run "on modification", and then update themselves - ie, updating the title or ID if components changed.

Now you've made me wonder, though .. if there is a conditional start for, say, an updated Title... and another WF runs and updates the Title... it would run, right? Pretty sure it would. Hm, might need to test that, just in case...

Cheers,

Rhia

G
Userlevel 6
Badge +13

Yes it will. If a different workflow updates the item then that will start a workflow set to start on modification. This is where the coniditional start on modification comes in.

D
Badge +9

Hi Ryan that makes sense.  So I am fine then.  However, if I did not want another Workflow to kick off another Workflow then I could use the "conditional start" feature to customize ?

rhia
Userlevel 6
Badge +15

That's right! So if your current WF is updating the title, you'd want to make sure that maybe the conditional start on the other WF is something like "only start if modifier is not equal to WF service account name"

D
Badge +9

Di I accomplish a conditional start via the "Start Workflow Action" icon ?

rhia
Userlevel 6
Badge +15

If you're using Nintex on-prem, it's under Workflow Settings:

198551_pastedImage_1.png

Scroll down, and you'll see this: 

198552_pastedImage_2.png

If I select "Conditional" on either "Start when items are created" or "Start when items are modified", I can then enter this kind of logic:

198553_pastedImage_3.png

So in this situation, only items that are modified - but are also "resumes" that have a graduation year of "less than 2011" will trigger the workflow. 

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