Setting value of an apex defined variable present in a flow from an aura component

Question

I am trying to launch a flow from an aura component. In the flow, I have an apex variable of type "Apex-Defined Collection variable". How to set the value of this variable from the aura component? I have two other string variables in the flow, I am able to set them, but when I set the value in the apex defined var, the flow fails to launch. Below is the relevant code from the aura component:

const flow = component.find("flowData");
const inputVariables = [
            {
            name: "varCaseId",
            type: "String",
            value: component.get("v.recordId")
        },
        {
            name: "varAccountNumber",
            type: "String",
            value: response.accountNumber
        },
        {
            name: "varIntents",
            type: "Intent",
            value: response.intents
        }
];
flow.startFlow(response.flowAPIName, inputVariables);

If I remove the third element from the inputVariables array, then the flow launches correctly, otherwise not. Any idea what am I doing wrong here?

Answer 1

If the flow launches correctly when you remove the third element, varIntents, then I'd suggest you check the flow variables to ensure 'varIntents' is configured in the same manner as varCaseId and varAccountNumber. The varIntents variable may not be configured as an input variable within your flow.

Answer 2

For anyone else who comes across this thread, it is possible to pass apex-defined data types from Aura JS down to the Flow you're starting. Schema:

{
 name: 'inputVariableName', //name of your input variable
 type: 'Apex', //exactly this value, 'Apex' with capital A
 value: {} //object matching schema of your apex-defined data type
}

You have to build/get the 'value' object in JS somehow. I figured this out when I was trying to capture apex-defined outputVariables from one flow in my aura component and pass them to identical apex-defined inputVariables in another flow in my aura component. FWIW, outputVariables and inputVariables do not have the same properties, nor does their "data type" enum share the same values. Transforming an output into an input is simple enough, though:

transformOutputVariableToInputParameter: function(outputVariable){
        return {
            name: outputVariable.name,
            type: this.outputInputDataTypeMap[outputVariable.dataType],
            value: outputVariable.value
        };
    },
    outputInputDataTypeMap: {
        STRING: 'String',
        NUMBER: 'Number',
        APEX: 'Apex'
        /* todo: identify specific names of other data types (boolean, sobject, etc.) */
}