'Branch on Condition' step doesn't run after a 'Return Values' Step

[JoeMcFadden]

Hello - still learning my way around AppSheet so apologies if I'm missing something obvious, but I have Branch on Condition step in an automation that should runs after a 'return values step, and never does. 
The automation is successfully triggered in the app when a record is added from a form view.

Here's the expression for the return values step:

The branch condition I was trying to use is a simple inequality match on a text field called Template
[Template] <> 'None'. When that didn't work, I also tried for testing purposes just 'true' as the expression, so it should always return yes:



When testing the automation in the app, I can see in 'monitor' that the automation is started and all preceding steps, up to and including the return values step directly before the 'Branch on Condition', all complete without errors.

The Details output of the 'Return Values' step is also correct - the value of message_as_sent is as expected based on the value of Template, which is set by a drop-down in a form view.  But the 'Branch on Condition' step simply never runs, and no errors are reported in 'monitor' window. The process just stops after the 'Return Values' step returns its output.

To troubleshoot this issue further, I then tried duplicating the automation and removing the 'return values step' (and changed the step 'Set Message Text to message_as_sent' to use a hard coded value). The branch condition step now runs. 

So I can now work around the problem by not using the Return Values step, and just using more branch on conditions instead. But would still like to know where I was going wrong, or if this is a known issue. I found one older thread that seemed relevant: 

https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/AppSheet-Q-A/How-to-use-return-values-in-Processes/m-p/36820...

Which confirms that return values can be passed to a branch on condition step, or to 'run a process', but not to other kinds of steps. I couldn't find anything more recent in the forum or release notes that related to the issue I'm seeing. 

Thanks!
Joe

[dbaum · Accepted solution]

It's unclear whether you're using a Return values step within the same process as the Branch on a condition step or within a separate process that is first invoked via a Call a process step. AFAIK, only the latter is supported. I find this functionality somewhat confusing and insufficiently documented; FWIW, here's my attempt to clarify a prototypical use case.

Maybe you don't even need a Return values step? Perhaps you could just incorporate your SWITCH expression directly into the Branch on a condition and subsequent steps as necessary?

If you still need assistance, community members can likely advise better if you share screenshots of your entire automation as well as the columns of the relevant table(s).

[JoeMcFadden]

Thanks @dbaum for your reply. I was indeed trying to use a Return values step within the same process as the Branch on a condition, and I didn't realise this type of step was only supported when invoked via a call a process step. Thanks also for sharing your explanation of how the functionality works with an actual use case - very helpful. 

And yes, you're right I probably don't even need a Return values step here. Incorporating the SWITCH expression into Branch on a condition steps works well enough. 
Thanks again for your help!