Value content kinds

Values can be one of nine different content 'kinds' within Boomi Flow.

Every value in Boomi Flow is associated with a content type (referred to as a 'kind').

• You select a content type when you first create a value.

• The content type can be changed at any point to a different content type.

• In addition to values that you create, Boomi Flow has a set of System values.

Values can be defined as one of the following content types:

Value Type	Description
Boolean	Allows you to test for a Yes/No outcome in a flow. Use this to flag specific outcomes if a condition is met. Example usage: If you need to change the route of a flow depending on whether a person calling in is the primary policy holder of an insurance policy or a dependent, you could use 'IsPrimaryPolicyHolder' as a Boolean value, and direct the flow depending on the 'Yes/No' answer given.
Content	Allows you to store rich text and supports formatting. Use this to store formatted text content. This content type works with merge fields. Example usage: Use this for content such as 'Disclaimer Policy' documentation, or email templates for example.
Date	Allows you to store date values for use in your flows. Example usage: Use this to select a default date when creating a value.
Date/time	Allows you to store date/time values for use in your flows. Example usage: Use this to select a default date when creating a value.
Encrypted	Encrypted values allow you to store data that needs to be encrypted. Similar to the Password content type, encrypted values are not displayed – if we need to edit them, the default value is not shown. Boomi Flow uses PCI-compliant encryption, and is also compliant with the HIPAA security requirements, for storing protected health information. See Flow Security and Compliance for details. Example usage: Use this to store credit card information or medical records for example.
List	A List value is defined as a list of objects. Use this when you do not know how many of a certain type of value you will have. For example, if you need to store the details of insurance policy holders and their dependents, the number of dependents for each policy holder will vary, and we do not know how many dependents they may have. In this scenario we could use a List content type to store the details of dependents in a value. When you create a list, you need to specify the Type of the list you are building. For example, ‘List of Policy Holders’. Select from a list of available Types, or create a custom Type. Lists can have various properties associated to the data. For example, you could create a picklist to store a list of values that remain constant, and/or need to be re-used in multiple flows, such as a picklist of 'salutation' that would contain the constant values of 'Mr.', 'Mrs.', 'Ms.' and so on.
Number	A Number value allows you to store positive or negative numbers, as well as decimals. Example usage: Use this to store threshold figures in a flow. For example, if an approval process flow requires a sales director to sign off on all deals that are over $1 million. By storing the $1 million as a Number value, a Decision step can be used to auto-approve all transactions below this threshold number. Going forward, if this threshold figure needed to change, this could be done easily, without affecting the rest of the flow. For more complex mathematical operations, we recommend using Macros.
Object	Object values allow you to store complex data, as defined by an associated Type. Like List values, objects must have a Type associated with them; an Object is an instance of a Type. Example usage: An Object value can store all of the properties of a Lead, Contact, or Account for example.
Password	Password values allow you to store any UTF-8 character combination, and can be used to store passwords and sensitive content that you do not want other users to see. Passwords are automatically masked, so that the content is not displayed. If you need to edit a Password, you will need to enter your password again as the field appears blank in the Flow user interface.
String	String values allow you to store unformatted UTF-8 characters combinations. Example usage: Use String values to store copies of text messages, or email subjects for example.