Request to Reintroduce and Enhance Resource Sharing Functionality
I'm reaching out to express concerns and seek clarification regarding a recent UI update, specifically the removal of dropdown/search functionality in the flow builder when adding flow-steps. This option has been replaced with the option to "create from scratch" or "clone an existing flow-step." There is no option to utilize an existing resource. The ability to utilize shared resources across multiple flows is something we've used extensively to create and maintain our integrations efficiently.
Could you please clarify if the elimination of shared resource functionality was an intentional aspect of the UI update? If this change was unintentional, I strongly advocate for the reinstatement of the UI components that enable searching and selecting from existing steps within the flow builder.
On the other hand, if the decision to remove shared resource functionality was deliberate, I urge a reconsideration. The ability to share exports, imports, and lookups between flows and integrations is crucial for avoiding redundancy and enhancing productivity. For instance, managing identical tasks across different flows without repeating resource creation is a necessity, not a luxury.
I understand the potential for shared resources to cause confusion among less experienced users. However, completely removing this functionality is not the solution. Instead, enhancing the UI to make the implications of editing shared resources more explicit could mitigate unintended consequences. Suggestions include clear warnings or confirmations when modifications to shared resources are made, alongside options to clone and modify resources for specific flows only.
The flexibility to either share a single resource across multiple flows or create unique resources for each flow should be preserved. It’s not just a feature but a foundational aspect of efficient flow management.
Thank you for considering this feedback. I hope we can see a return and improvement of these critical functionalities in the near future.
Comments
Hey James Hamilton, the ability to reuse an existing export/import is not going away ever. We just moved the decision to reuse vs clone onto the next page, after you select the connection. See pic below. Also, please see here for an overview why we made these changes, and the direction we are heading in the next 2 months, etc...
Gotcha, thanks for the swift reply.
I do believe this is a bug in my instance as I'm given only the option to select an application and then "create from scratch" or select existing steps for that application/connector type from within my account; there is no option to select an existing step. In any event, the step should follow choosing a specific application connection/creating a connection, not after. So I'll submit a ticket to investigate why my Celigo instance is behaving differently than you're describing.
Thanks,
James.
There shouldn't be any bugs (as of this morning). Here are the exact steps you should take to reuse an existing step.
Thanks, again. This did indeed capture some of the functionality but there are still some broken elements here. See GraphQL connectors as an example.
It seems to me like this update was intended for a streamlined flow builder experience that can help less experienced users, but in the example above, it takes a fairly robust understanding of the Celigo process to even access an existing GraphQL flow step (knowing to use HTTP instead of GraphQL,) and even then I'm not met with the functionality I need.
I'll eagerly await the return of the search functionality but would really like to see if there's a way to balance this new UI and "step before connection" idea with the existing "connection ---> step" hierarchy which was used before.
No GraphQL Steps available
The existing step, shown in an existing flow.
We will look into the GraphQL issues asap. Stay tuned.
I just got an update from engineering that the GraphQL search issue is fixed.
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