Lightning Flow Builder – Resources
Flow Resources are where we store information and provide potential values. There are 8 different types of resources we can use within our Flows. It is possible to create and use a Flow without using any resources, but the majority of the Flows you will create will be using resources.
Resources can be confusing for people. Some of the terms used are unfamiliar to Admins who have never had any programming or code exposure. This Lightning Flow example, we look at the different resources you can create. You’ll learn about the different data types, how resources are used, and just exactly what “variable” means.
Flow Resources Type
- Variable – Data that can change during your Flow. Can be any Available Data Type. Most common are Text, Numbers, Dates, and Records. This can be a single value or a list of values. For example, multiple Accounts or just 1 account.
- Constant – Data that does not change during your Flow. Can be Text, Number, Currency, Date, and Boolean (True/False)
- Formula – Create a Formula similar to a Custom Field Formula. Functions from Field Formulas work here. Supports Text, Number, Currency, Date, Date/Time, and Boolean.
- Text Template – Provides a nice way to combine other resources and free text to create a text block. Think Chatter post
- Choices – A single value used on a screen for custom radio buttons, checkboxes, picklsits
- Record Set Choices – A list of potential choice values based on currently existing record data. Example, list of phone numbers of Accounts that are customers
- Picklist – The values in a Picklist Field
Flow Data Types
- Text – String or Text. IDs, states, typed answers that are not just numbers, dollars, or dates
- Record – Salesforce data! Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, Custom Objects.
- Number – A valid number. Doesn’t included preceding zeros. Can have decimals
- Currency – Money!
- Boolean – True or False. Think checkbox
- Date – Just a date. For example 9/4/2019
- Date/Time – A date with a time. For example 9/4/2019 at 12:00 PM
- Picklist – Picklist Values
- Multi-Select Picklist – Values for Multi-Select picklists
- Apex-Defined – Defined by Apex Code
Video
This series of Wizard’s Apprentice will focus on a gradual review of the Lightning Flow Builder and Flow concepts to help make you be an automation wizard! Make sure you’ve watched our Lightning Flow Builder Overview episode since this expands what was already covered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MAqvl2TA2s
Check out other Wizard’s Apprentice videos:
Decision Flows:
Lightning Flow Builder: Decision Element! Wizard’s Apprentice Episode 3
Lightning Flow Builder Screen Flows Wizard’s Apprentice Episode 2
Wizard’s Apprentice Lightning Experience – Sobject Variables, Collections & Loops Revisted
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How To Edit or Delete A Resource?
There’s a tab on the left side panel called “Manager” that will list all your elements and variables. Click on the > next to the resource you want to delete and you can Edit or Delete it in that next panel update