Multistep forms

Create sequential workflows with multistep forms.

Executes multiple jobs sequentially.
Each step can be a different type (ansible, awx).

Multistep form

- name: Create VM
  roles:                                         # reference to roles defined earlier
  - vmware
  description: Create and start a vm
  image: https://picsum.photos/64                # an image url (can be base64)
  categories:                                    # reference to categories defined earlier
  - Demo
  - Vmware
  tileClass: bg-danger                           # a bootstrap background color style (https://getbootstrap.com/)
  type: multistep                                # type is awx, ansible or multistep
  steps:
  - type: awx
    name: Create vm
    template: Create VM
    key: vmInfo
  - type: awx
    name: Start vm
    template: Start VM
    key: vmInfo
  - type: ansible
    name: Email results
    playbook: email.yaml
    always: true                                 # always run this task, even if others failed
  fieldGroupClasses:                             # give fieldgroups a custom background
    groupname1: bg-info-subtle
    groupname2: bg-success-subtle    
  fields:                                        # list of field objects      

Form-level property

Attribute Comments
steps
array
Multistep steps
<p>A multistep form is basically an array of multiple form type destinations, defined here as steps.</p>
   

Step properties

Each step is a new form destination. And steps are executed sequentially.
Use specific properties like continue, always and ifExtraVar to control the flow of a multistep form.

When a step has type: ansible, all ansible-specific form properties apply to that step (e.g. playbook, playbookSubPath, ansibleCredentials, vaultCredentials, inventory, check, diff, tags, varsFiles, approval, notifications, …).
When a step has type: awx, all awx-specific form properties apply to that step (e.g. template, awx, awxCredentials, executionEnvironment, instanceGroups, scmBranch, inventory, check, diff, tags, approval, notifications, …).

Attribute Comments
basic
name
string / required

The name of the form
alphanumeric + dash + underscore + space

The name of the step. Used for logging and visualization.

type
string

Step type

Every step can be an ansible-playbook or an awx-template

Choices:
  • ansible
  • awx

Examples:

1) Run AWX Template Helloworld

name: Create vm
type: awx
template: Create VM       

2) Run Ansible playbook

name: Delete vm
type: ansible
template: delete_vm.yaml
workflow
key
string

Extravar key
valid extravar reference

Ansible Forms can model the extravars into objects using the formfield model attribute. In a multistep form, by default, every step gets the full extravars payload. However, using this key attribute you can choose which step receives which part of the extravars.
Study the example below to understand how the key property works.

Examples:

1) Resize volume

name: Resize volume
type: multistep
steps:
- name: Create datastore
  type: awx
  template: create_datastore
  key: datastore        # to create the datastore, we only send the datastore info        
- name: Create vm
  type: awx
  template: create_vm
fields:
  - name: datastore
    type: text
    model: datastore.name
  - name: datastore_size
    type: number
    model: datastore.size
  - name: vm
    type: text
    model: vm.name
  - name: vm_size
    type: number
    model: vm.size

# the extravars of the above example will be somewhat like this :
datastore: 
    name: ds1
    size: 123
vm:        
    name: vm1
    size: 100

# Step 1 will not receive the full set of extravars, due to the 'key: datastore'  
#        it will receive only 'name' (ds1) and 'size' (123) (the contents of key 'datastore')
# Step 2 has no key set, and will receive the full extravars
# Extra : Every step can reference its own key and thus send a piece of the extravars
ifExtraVar
extravar reference

Run step if ...

In a mulitstep form, by default, Ansible Forms will try to run every step sequentially one after the other.
Using this property you choose if a step should be run or not by setting the property to a part of the extravars that resolves into a boolean (expression or checkbox). This way you can dynamically skip steps.

Examples:

1) Run step based on checkbox

name: Create something
type: multistep
steps:
- name: Create
  type: awx
  template: create
- name: Send email
  type: awx
  template: send mail
  ifExtraVar: sendmail
fields:
- name: name
  type: text
  label: What to create ?
- name: sendmail
  type: checkbox
  label: Should I send an email ?
continue
boolean

Continue on fail

In a mulitstep form, by default, if 1 step fails, the multistep is stopped. However, if you want to continue to the next step, even if the current step failed, use this attribute and set it to true and the multistep will goto the next step. If this happens the status becomes ‘partially success’.

Default:
false

Examples:

1)

name: Resize volume
type: multistep
steps:
- name: Send email
  type: awx
  template: email
  continue: true       # if email send fails, we still continue
- name: Resize volume
  type: awx
  template: volume resize
always
boolean

Always run

In a mulitstep form, by default, if 1 step fails, the multistep is stopped. However, if you always want to run a certain step, even if a step failed somewhere, use this attribute and set it to true and the specific step will always run.

Default:
false

Examples:

1)

name: Resize volume
type: multistep
steps:
- name: Load cmdb
  type: awx
  template: load cmdb
- name: Resize volume
  type: awx
  template: volume resize
- name: Send email
  type: awx
  template: email
  always: true       # whether step 1 or 2 fails, this step always runs          

Example

Multi-step forms allow you to break complex workflows into multiple sequential pages, improving user experience and organization. Each step can have its own set of fields and validation.

Two-Step Provisioning Form

name: Server Provisioning
category: Setup
steps:
  - name: Basic Configuration
    fields:
      - server_name
      - environment
      - size
  - name: Network Settings
    fields:
      - ip_address
      - subnet
      - gateway
fields:
  - name: server_name
    type: text
  - name: environment
    type: select
  - name: size
    type: select
  - name: ip_address
    type: text
  - name: subnet
    type: text
  - name: gateway
    type: text

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