The First Process

Any Djeeni process consists of a series of different process steps. You can think of a process step as a Lego building block - simple and easy to use. Nevertheless, the possible combinations of the steps are endless giving you the power to automate very complex processes.

Djeeni is the tool to automate your process but only after it is designed and implemented. Even if you know your process by heart it is wise to take a pen and paper to write it down so you do not forget any steps. Let's take an example:

• The process is to consolidate data from several source worksheets into a target template. Because the order of source files is important, another worksheet contains the list of files in the right order (call it: master data).
• The typical consolidation steps are:
  1. Open the target template worksheet
  2. Open the master data worksheet and go through the entries in it one by one. For each entry:
  3. Open the corresponding source worksheet
  4. Identify every separate cell or range on the target template that you can fill in a simple step using the current source worksheet. E.g.
     1. set a cell or a range to a fix value (either constant or taken from the source worksheet or calculated using other fix values);
     2. find a cell with a certain value in a range to use the value or the location (row number or column letter) of the found cell later.
     3. note this step for each such cell or range
  5. Identify a column or a row on the target template that you can fill cell-by-cell using the same formula with dynamic values.
     1. note the step for a single cell;
     2. enclose it in a row list (for a column) or column list (for a row) construct that will perform the cell-by-cell navigation
  6. Close the source worksheet
  7. Get the next entry in master data. Repeat until all entries are processed.
  8. Close the master data worksheet
  9. Save and close the target template worksheet
• This is the skeleton of the process. You can easily reach 30-40-50 steps but do not be afraid. Always think about the Lego blocks - were you ever afraid of building something from 200 blocks? Building Djeeni processes is just as easy.
• Once you have your process on paper, you are 75% ready. Good news!

When you start Djeeni there is no process in the editor. You should either create a new one or open an existing process. An empty process is already created as your 'First process'. At the start, Djeeni displays the list of processes to choose the one you want to work with (you can see 'First process' as the only element of the list); later, click on the 'Open' icon on the ribbon to open the processlist popup window. For now, select the only process available and click Open Process (or double click on the process name). Djeeni opens this empty process. You can change the name and title of the process by clicking on 'Settings' on the ribbon.

Alternatively, you can click on the 'New' icon on the ribbon; enter the name and description of the new process and create it.

Open Djeeni (you might have to activate it first). You can see a popup window - the Process Toolbar. This toolbar is used to build processes in Djeeni - block-by-block. Follow these instructions for adding a process step:

1. Read the next step from your paper
2. Decide: is this step to deal with workbooks; worksheets; ranges; communication; or the structure of the process? Look at the example process steps in Know your process:
   • the first steps are about worksheets (opening them)
   • a list (structure) is started on the master data worksheet
   • we select, calculate, copy data from ranges/cells
   • a worksheet is closed
   • the master data list goes to its next step
   • two worksheets are closed
3. Select the appropriate category at the top of the Process Toolbar.
4. Select the matching process step from the list below the categories
5. Click on the 'To End' button to add the step at the end of the process
6. Repeat until all process steps are added
7. Click on the 'Save' icon on the Excel ribbon.

Did you forget to add a step and you want to insert it? Or did you choose the wrong step and want to remove it? See below how to edit your process

If you have not entered any processes into the Process Editor yet, here is the famous 'Hello World' example to try out:

1. Check that the Process Editor is cleared so that the only step is Exit in row 4.
   1. If you want to keep your changes, save the current process in the Editor
   2. Click on 'Clear' on the Process Toolbar and confirm.
2. Select the 'Communication' category on the Process Toolbar.
3. Select the 'message' process step.
4. Click on 'To end'
5. Double-click on the process step name 'Message' in Column A.
6. Enter 'Hello World!' into the only parameter and click on OK.
7. Click on 'Execute' on the Process Toolbar (bottom-right corner)
8. Djeeni should display a popup saying 'Hello World!'

Congratulations! Your first Djeeni process is created and executed.

You have your first process in the Process Editor. Select any process step

1. on the visual editor by clicking on the process step. The selected process step becomes the current process step and gets a red colour frame
2. on the detail editor by clicking on its name in column A. The selected process step becomes the current process step having a dark background and white text colour.

You can insert a new process step before the current process step by selecting the new process step on the Process Toolbar and then clicking on the Insert button.

You can remove the current process step by clicking on the 'Remove' button. Important: Avoid clicking on 'Clear' as it removes all steps (i.e., clears the editor)!

Let's suppose that there is a process in the Process Editor. Every process step has one or more parameters in column C. You can set these parameters in two ways:

• Directly editing the parameters in the Process Editor (in column C) - suggested for advanced users
• Double-clicking on the name of the process step in column A - this brings up a pop-up letting you fill the parameter values in a more user-friendly way.

Most of the parameters are straightforward to set. Several process steps have a general 'Options' parameter. It lets you set a series of values separated by semicolons (;) altering or refining the behaviour of the process step. The exact list of allowed values in 'Options' varies by process step.

You can read further about process steps and their parameters here.

Once you entered all the parameters, Djeeni knows everything. Let Djeeni work instead and for you.

Do you have a process entered or loaded into the Process Editor? Executing it is the easiest part: click on the 'Execute' button on the Process Toolbar.

The best learning is experiencing. Take Djeeni and while you read this guide try out all features by creating and editing the processes.