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Lesson 8 5 min

Run it and read the result

Reshape what you read with Edit Fields and an expression, test one step at a time, and save.

Try it in AWFlow

Opens this lesson's workflow in AWFlow. You review it before anything is saved.

Open the finished workflow (opens in a new tab)

Reshape it with Edit Fields

Click the + on the right of Get Selected Text and add Edit Fields. Under Fields, add a field named processed_text of type String, and paste this as its value:

Text: {{ $input.text }}
Length: {{ $input.text.length }} characters

{{ $input.text }} is an expression: the double braces read data from an earlier step, $input is the item the previous node produced, and .text is one of its fields.

The settings panel of Edit Fields: under Fields, a field named processed_text of type String whose value is “Text: {{ $input.text }}” and “Length: {{ $input.text.length }} characters”, with Drag input fields here or Add field below.The settings panel of Edit Fields: under Fields, a field named processed_text of type String whose value is “Text: {{ $input.text }}” and “Length: {{ $input.text.length }} characters”, with Drag input fields here or Add field below.
The processed_text field and its value

Run and check

Close the panel, select some text again and click Test Workflow. Edit Fields › Output › Actual now shows processed_text with your sentence and its length.

Test one step, then save

Hover a node and click Test this step to run just that node, or open it and click Test step. Running often, one node at a time, is the fastest way to find what’s wrong.

AWFlow doesn’t save automatically: click Save in the canvas header, or press CtrlS (⌘S on Mac). The header then says Saved.

The lesson’s workflow, My first workflow, on the canvas: a sticky note, then When Started, Get Selected Text and Edit Fields joined by lines. The header has the active switch and Save; Test Workflow is above the canvas on the right.The lesson’s workflow, My first workflow, on the canvas: a sticky note, then When Started, Get Selected Text and Edit Fields joined by lines. The header has the active switch and Save; Test Workflow is above the canvas on the right.
Save

Key takeaways

  1. {{ $input.text }} reads the text field from the step before.
  2. Test this step runs one node, the fastest way to find what's wrong.
  3. Save with the header button or Ctrl/⌘ + S.