Main Content

padv.Task Class

Namespace: padv

Single step in process

Description

This class requires CI/CD Automation for Simulink Check.

A padv.Task object represents a single step in a padv.ProcessModel process. For example, a padv.Task object could represent a step like checking modeling standards, running tests, generating code, or performing a custom action. padv.Task objects can accept project artifacts as inputs, perform actions, generate assessments, and return project artifacts as outputs. You can add a task to your process model by using the function addTask. You can specify task inputs by using addInputQueries. You can specify a dependency between tasks or a desired execution order by using either dependsOn or runsAfter. Use dependsOn when a task cannot start without another task finishing first. Otherwise, if you only want to specify a preferred execution order, you can use runsAfter instead. You can execute tasks as part of a pipeline. Use the runprocess function to generate and run a pipeline of tasks. For more information, see Overview of Process Model.

Creation

Description

taskObject = padv.Task(Name) represents a task, named Name, in a padv.ProcessModel process. Each task object in a process must have a unique Name.

example

taskObject = padv.Task(___,Name=Value) sets properties using one or more name-value arguments. For example, padv.Task("myTask",IterationQuery=padv.builtin.query.FindModels) creates a task object named myTask that runs once for each model.

Specify optional pairs of arguments as Name1=Value1,...,NameN=ValueN, where Name is the argument name and Value is the corresponding value. Name-value arguments must appear after other arguments, but the order of the pairs does not matter.

Input Arguments

expand all

Unique identifier for task in process, specified as a string. When you specify the Name, you specify the Name property of the task object.

Each task in the process model must have a unique Name. After you specify a Name for a padv.Task object, you cannot change the Name.

Example: padv.Task("myTask") creates a task with the Name myTask

Data Types: string

Properties

expand all

Parameterization

Unique identifier for task in process, specified as a string. When you specify the Name, you specify the Name property of the task object.

Each task in the process model must have a unique Name. After you specify a Name for a padv.Task object, you cannot change the Name.

Example: padv.Task("myTask") creates a task with the Name myTask

Data Types: string

Type of artifact, specified as one or more of the values listed in this table. To specify multiple values, use an array.

CategoryArtifact TypeDescription

MATLAB®

"m_class"MATLAB class
"m_file"MATLAB file
"m_func"MATLAB function
"m_method"MATLAB class method
"m_property"MATLAB class property

Model Advisor

"ma_config_file"Model Advisor configuration file
"ma_justification_file"Model Advisor justification file

Process Advisor

"padv_dep_artifacts"

Related artifacts that current artifact depends on

"padv_output_file"

Process Advisor output file

Project

"project"Current project file

Requirements

"mwreq_file"Requirement file (since R2024b)
"mwreq_item"Requirement (since R2024b)

"sl_req"

Requirement (for R2024a and earlier)
"sl_req_file"Requirement file (for R2024a and earlier)
"sl_req_table"Requirements Table

Stateflow®

"sf_chart"Stateflow chart
"sf_graphical_fcn"Stateflow graphical function
"sf_group"Stateflow group
"sf_state"Stateflow state
"sf_state_transition_chart"Stateflow state transition chart
"sf_truth_table"Stateflow truth table

Simulink®

"sl_block_diagram"Block diagram
"sl_data_dictionary_file"Data dictionary file
"sl_embedded_matlab_fcn"MATLAB function
"sl_block_diagram"Block diagram
"sl_library_file"Library file
"sl_model_file"Simulink model file
"sl_protected_model_file"Protected Simulink model file
"sl_subsystem"Subsystem
"sl_subsystem_file"Subsystem file

System Composer™

"zc_block_diagram"System Composer architecture
"zc_component"System Composer architecture component
"zc_file"System Composer architecture file
Tests"harness_info_file"Harness info file
"sl_harness_block_diagram"Harness block diagram
"sl_harness_file"Test harness file
"sl_test_case"Simulink Test™ case
"sl_test_case_result"Simulink Test case result
"sl_test_file"Simulink Test file
"sl_test_iteration"Simulink Test iteration
"sl_test_iteration_result"Simulink Test iteration result
"sl_test_report_file"Simulink Test result report
"sl_test_result_file"Simulink Test result file
"sl_test_resultset"Simulink Test result set
"sl_test_seq"Test Sequence
"sl_test_suite"Simulink Test suite
"sl_test_suite_result"Simulink Test suite result

Example: padv.Task("myTask",RequiredIterationArtifactType = "sl_model_file")

Data Types: string

Artifacts that task iterates over, specified as a padv.Query object or the name of a padv.Query object. By default, task objects run one time and are associated with the project. When you specify IterationQuery, the task runs one time for each artifact returned by the padv.Query. In the Process Advisor app, the artifacts returned by IterationQuery appear under task title.

For example, if the IterationQuery for a task finds three models, Model_A, Model_B, and Model_C, the build system creates three task iterations under the title of the task in the Tasks column.

For more information, see Overview of Process Model and Find Artifacts with Queries.

Example: padv.Task("myTask",IterationQuery = padv.builtin.query.FindModels)

Data Types: string

Artifact dependencies for task inputs, specified as a padv.Query object or the name of a padv.Query object.

The build system runs the query specified by InputDependencyQuery to find the dependencies for the task inputs, since those dependencies can impact if task results are up-to-date. Typically, you specify InputDependencyQuery as padv.builtin.query.GetDependentArtifacts to get the dependent artifacts for each task input. For example, if you specify a model as an input to a task and you specify InputDependencyQuery as padv.builtin.query.GetDependentArtifacts, the build system can find artifacts, such as data dictionaries, that the model uses.

For more information, see Overview of Process Model and Find Artifacts with Queries.

Example: InputDependencyQuery = padv.builtin.query.GetDependentArtifacts

Inputs to the task, specified as:

  • a padv.Query object

  • the name of padv.Query object

  • an array of padv.Query objects

  • an array of names of padv.Query objects

By default, padv.Task does not have inputs. When you specify InputQueries, the task uses the artifacts returned by the specified query or queries as inputs. Suppose a task runs once for each model in the project and you want to provide the models as inputs to the task. If you specify InputQueries as the built-in query padv.builtin.query.GetIterationArtifact, the query returns each artifact that the tasks iterates over, which in this example is each of the models in the project.

To add an input query to an existing task object, you can use addInputQueries.

For more information, see Overview of Process Model and Find Artifacts with Queries.

Example: padv.Task("myTask",InputQueries = padv.builtin.query.GetIterationArtifact)

Location for standard outputs that the task produces, specified as a string.

Built-in tasks automatically specify OutputDirectory. If you do not specify OutputDirectory for a custom task, the build system stores task outputs in the DefaultOutputDirectory specified by padv.ProcessModel.

Data Types: string

Location for additional cache files that the task generates, specified as a string. The cache directory can contain temporary files that do not need to be either saved in the task results or archived by a CI system.

Data Types: string

Type of task, specified as either:

  • padv.TaskType.Automated — Automatically performs the task action and returns a task status. For example, this image shows automated tasks that passed, failed, and generated errors.

    Process Advisor automated tasks with different task states

  • padv.TaskType.Manual — Represents an action that a user manually performs as part of the process. The task is a reminder for the user. For example, this image shows a manual task that reminds users to link their requirements to tests. You can associate tools with the task to help users complete the task activity. The task does not have a status and you cannot run the task by using the build system. In Process Advisor, in the Tasks column, the manual task appears with a hand icon . For more information on task tools, see padv.TaskTool.

    Process Advisor manual task with task tools for opening Test Manager and Requirements Editor

  • padv.TaskType.User — Represents an action that a user performs and marks as complete by checking a checkbox. For example, this image shows user tasks that are not complete, drafted, blocked, and marked complete. For more information, see Create User Tasks.

    Process Advisor user tasks with different task states

These values belong to the enumeration class padv.TaskType.

Tasks column in Process Advisor showing an Automated Task, Manual Task, and User Task

Example: padv.TaskType.User

Behavior

Function that task can run, specified as the function handle.

If the task is defined in a function, the build system runs the function specified by Action. If the task is defined in a class, the build system ignores the Action and runs the run method for the class instead. The built-in tasks are defined in classes, so the build system calls the run method for those tasks.

Example: padv.Task("myTask",Action = @myFunction)

Data Types: function_handle

Function that task can use during dry-run, specified as the function handle.

If the task is defined in a function, the build system dry-runs by calling the function specified by DryRunAction. If the task is defined in a class, the build system ignores the DryRunAction and dry-runs by calling the dryRun method for the class instead. The built-in tasks are defined in classes, so the build system calls the dryRun method for those tasks.

Example: padv.Task("myTask",DryRunAction = @myFunction)

Data Types: function_handle

Dry-runs check out product licenses associated with tasks in process, returned as a numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false).

To perform a dry-run, you can specify the runprocess argument DryRun as true.

Example: true

Data Types: logical

Controls if the padv.Task is enabled in the process model, specified as a numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false).

For an example, see Disable Task in Process Model.

Example: padv.Task("myTask",Enabled = false)

Data Types: logical

Always force task to run, even if the task results are already up to date, specified as a numeric or logical 0 (false) or 1 (true).

Example: padv.Task("myTask",AlwaysRun = true)

Data Types: logical

Track changes to output files, specified as a numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false).

By default, the build system tracks changes to outputs files from tasks unless the files are outside the project. If you make a change to an output file, the task status are results are marked as outdated. If you specify TrackOutputs as false, changes that you make to the task output files do not make the task status and results outdated.

For more information, see Turn Off Change Tracking for Task Outputs and Exclude Files from Change Tracking in Process Advisor.

Example: false

Data Types: logical

Type of CI-compatible result files that the task itself generates when skipped, specified as either:

  • "JUnit" — JUnit-style XML report for task results.

  • "" — None. The build system generates a JUnit-style XML report for the task instead.

Type of CI-compatible result files that the task itself generates when run, specified as either:

  • "JUnit" — JUnit-style XML report for task results.

  • "" — None. The build system generates a JUnit-style XML report for the task instead.

Description

Human readable name that appears in the Tasks column of the Process Advisor app, specified as a string. By default, the Process Advisor app uses the Name property of the task as the Title.

Example: padv.Task("myTask",Title = "My Task")

Data Types: string

Task description, specified as a string.

Example: padv.Task("myTask",DescriptionText = "This is my task.")

Data Types: string

Path to task documentation, specified as a string.

Example: padv.Task("myTask",DescriptionCSH = fullfile(pwd,"taskHelpFiles","myTaskDocumentation.pdf"))

Data Types: string

List of licenses that the task requires, specified as a string array.

Example: padv.Task("myTask",Licenses = ["matlab_report_gen" "simulink_report_gen"])

Data Types: string

Instructions to help you fix issues in assessment results, specified as a string.

The string must represent a file path with one of these valid file extensions:

  • .md — Markdown file

  • .bin — Binary file

You can create and manage formal assessments of your task inputs and outputs by using padv.Assessment and padv.AssessmentResult objects.

To view the instructions for a task in Process Advisor, point to the task, point to the information icon , and click Click for Instructions. The formatted markdown content appears in a dialog box inside Process Advisor.

Mouse pointing to task information icon

Example instructions in a dialog box in Process Advisor

Example: "instructions.md"

Data Types: string

Tools

Function that launches a tool, specified as the function handle or a cell array of function_handle objects. For each action that you specify in LaunchToolAction, you must have corresponding text specified in LaunchToolText.

When the property LaunchToolAction is specified, you can point to the task in the Process Advisor app and click the ellipsis (...) and then Open Tool Name to open the tool associated with the task.

For tasks that are not built-in tasks, the task options show the ellipsis (...) and then Launch Tool.

Example: @openTool

Example: {@openToolA,@openToolB}

Data Types: cell | function_handle

Description of the action that the LaunchToolAction property performs, specified as a string. For each action that you specify in LaunchToolAction, you must have corresponding text specified in LaunchToolText.

Example: "Open Tool"

Example: ["Open Tool A","Open Tool B"]

Data Types: string

Tools to help complete activities for the task, returned as a padv.TaskTool object or an array of padv.TaskTool objects. For information on how to create task tools, see padv.TaskTool.

When you specify this property, you must also add the task tools to your process model by using addTaskTool.

Example: padv.TaskTool(ToolFunction="app1_exported",Title="My App",Type=padv.TaskToolType.TaskApp)

Example: [padv.TaskTool(ToolFunction="app1_exported",Title="My App 1",Type=padv.TaskToolType.TaskApp),padv.TaskTool(ToolFunction="app2_exported",Title="My App 2",Type=padv.TaskToolType.TaskApp)]

Assessments

Associate task with formal assessments, specified as a padv.Assessment object.

You can define and manage formal assessments of your task inputs and outputs by using a padv.Assessment object. The padv.Assessment object specifies the assessment objectives, the assessment action that the assessment performs to evaluate the task and determine the task status, and recommended actions.

You can add assessments to a task by using this property or by using the addAssessments method.

Starting in R2024a, when you point to the task status, you can see a breakdown of the individual assessments for a task, the assessment results, and the impact of those assessment results on the overall task status. The assessment information provides the specific objectives associated with the failures, warnings, and passing results that you see in the Details column.

Task status showing results from the individual task assessments. One assessment fails because not all requirements are linked to tests. One assessment has a warning because requirements must have unique names. One assessment passes because tests must have at least one requirement linked.

Example: padv.Assessment("A1",Objective="Each requirement has at least one test.",Action=@assessRequirementsTraceability)

Conditions that cause task to fail based on assessment results, specified as either:

  • padv.TaskAssessmentFailure.Never — Assessments do not cause the task to fail

  • padv.TaskAssessmentFailure.AnyWarning — Warnings and non-compliant assessments cause the task to fail

  • padv.TaskAssessmentFailure.AnyNonCompliant — Non-compliant assessments cause the task to fail

These values belong to the enumeration class padv.TaskAssessmentFailure.

When you run a task, the assess method runs each task assessment on the relevant artifacts and can use the assessment results to update the task status in the task results.

Starting in R2024a, when you point to the task status, you can see a breakdown of the individual assessments for a task, the assessment results, and the impact of those assessment results on the overall task status.

Task status showing assessment results and a statement that those assessments do not cause the task to fail

Example: padv.TaskAssessmentFailure.AnyWarning

Methods

expand all

Examples

collapse all

You can use padv.Task to create task objects and then use the addTask function to add the task objects to the padv.ProcessModel object.

Open the Process Advisor example project.

processAdvisorExampleStart

The model AHRS_Voter opens with the Process Advisor pane to the left of the Simulink canvas.

In the Process Advisor pane, click the Edit process model button to open the processmodel.m file for the project.

Replace the contents of the processmodel.m file with this code

function processmodel(pm)
    arguments
        pm padv.ProcessModel
    end

    taskA = padv.Task("taskA");
    taskB = padv.Task("taskB");

    runsAfter(taskB,taskA);

    addTask(pm,taskA);
    addTask(pm,taskB);
    
end

This code uses padv.Task to create two task objects: taskA and taskB.

The object function runsAfter specifies that taskB should run after taskA.

The function addTask adds the task objects to the padv.ProcessModel object.

Add a checklist of user actions to your process by adding user tasks to your process model. Users can select the checkbox next to a user task to quickly mark the task as complete. You can specify other task statuses and task outputs by using the Edit Task State dialog box for the task.

Open a project. For this example, you can open the Process Advisor example project.

processAdvisorExampleStart

Create a task for users to review a spreadsheet by editing the process model to use the following process model instead. The process model specifies that the task is a user task by setting the TaskType to padv.TaskType.User.

function processmodel(pm)
    % Defines the project's processmodel

    arguments
        pm padv.ProcessModel
    end

    tReview = pm.addTask("ReviewSpreadsheetTask", ...
      TaskType=padv.TaskType.User, ...
      Title="Review Spreadsheet");

end

In Process Advisor, click Refresh Tasks. In the Tasks list, the task appears next to a checkbox. You can mark the task as complete by selecting the checkbox. To clean the task and clear the task status, you can clear the checkbox.

Mouse pointing to checkbox for the example task "Review Spreadsheet"

You can add files as task outputs and specify other task statuses by using the Edit Task State dialog box. To open the dialog box, point to the task and click the edit user task button .

Mouse pointing to the edit user task button for the example "Review Spreadsheet" task

In the Edit Task State dialog box, you can modify:

  • Task Outputs

    • Add file as task output — You can add a file as a task output by clicking the plus button on the right side of the Output files section. The build system tracks changes to these files and if you modify a file, the build system marks the task results as outdated.

      As a best practice, update the process model to specify the directory in which you expect the user to save the task output. For example, specify a folder named spreadsheets within the project root.

      function processmodel(pm)
          % Defines the project's processmodel
      
          arguments
              pm padv.ProcessModel
          end
      
          tReview = pm.addTask("ReviewSpreadsheetTask", ...
              TaskType=padv.TaskType.User, ...
              Title="Review Spreadsheet", ...
              OutputDirectory = fullfile("$PROJECTROOT$","spreadsheets"));
      
      end

    • Remove file from task outputs — You can remove a task output by selecting the file in the Output files section and clicking the minus button . Removing the files as task outputs does not delete the files.

  • Task Status

    • Mark Complete — When you finish the work for a task, you can mark the task as complete by clicking the Mark Complete button. This is equivalent to a Passed task status.

    • Save as Draft — To indicate that work is in progress, click the Save as Draft button. If you added task outputs, those outputs appear in the I/O results for the task. If the task has existing task results, Save as Draft overwrites the task results. Since you did not mark the task as complete, this is equivalent to a Failed task status.

    • Set as Error — To indicate that your work on a task is blocked, expand the Advanced options and select Set as Error. You can optionally provide an error message that indicates why you cannot complete the task. Then click Mark Complete.

    • Clean Task — To clear the task status and remove the task outputs, click the Clean Task button. Removing the files as task outputs does not delete the files.

You can use task relationships to specify the order in which your tasks appear in the Tasks column and whether tasks are disabled until their predecessor task is complete.

For example, the following process model:

  • Makes TaskB appear after TaskA in the Tasks column by using the runsAfter function.

  • Makes the build system disable TaskC until TaskB is complete by using the dependsOn function.

function processmodel(pm)
    % Defines the project's processmodel

    arguments
        pm padv.ProcessModel
    end

    taskA = pm.addTask("TaskA",TaskType=padv.TaskType.User);
    taskB = pm.addTask("TaskB",TaskType=padv.TaskType.User);
    taskC = pm.addTask("TaskC",TaskType=padv.TaskType.User);
    taskC.dependsOn(taskB); % disable task C until task B complete
    taskB.runsAfter(taskA); % put task A before task B in the Tasks column

end

Process Advisor tasks column showing TaskA before TaskB and TaskC disabled because it depends on TaskB

Note

If you make a change to a task output, the user task results become outdated, but the dependencies of the user task do not become outdated.

If you want to disable a task, you can set the task property Enabled to false. To disable the task for a specific process, you can set the task property inside the process model. Note that by default the build system automatically disables a task if the required licenses are not available in the current MATLAB session.

Open a project. For this example, you can open the Process Advisor example project.

processAdvisorExampleStart

Edit the process model to use the following process model instead.

function processmodel(pm)
    % Defines the project's processmodel

    arguments
        pm padv.ProcessModel
    end

    % Add built-in task for Checking Modeling Standards
    maTask = pm.addTask(padv.builtin.task.RunModelStandards);

    % Disable task
    maTask.Enabled = false;

end
This process model specifies the task property Enabled as false.

In Process Advisor, click Refresh Tasks.

The Check Modeling Standards task appears dimmed in the process and the run button is unavailable.

If you do not want the build system to mark a task as outdated when you make changes to task outputs, you can turn off change tracking for those task outputs. For that task, you specify the task property TrackOutputs as false.

Open a project. For this example, you can open the Process Advisor example project.

processAdvisorExampleStart

Edit the process model to use the following process model instead.

function processmodel(pm)
    % Defines the project's processmodel

    arguments
        pm padv.ProcessModel
    end

    % Add built-in task for Checking Modeling Standards
    maTask = pm.addTask(padv.builtin.task.RunModelStandards);

    % Turn off change tracking for task
    maTask.TrackOutputs = false;

end
This process model specifies the task property TrackOutputs as false.

When you run the task, the Process Advisor I/O column shows the outputs as Untracked. If you make a change to an untracked file, the build system does not mark the task as outdated.

Tooltip for untracked output file

For your project, make sure to review untracked outputs to check that those untracked files to do not need to be tracked to maintain the task status and result information that you need for your project.