Invoking Apex Callout From Process Builder

Process builder is GA in Spring 15 and one of the queries I came across was around how to invoke apex callouts from Process builder .

Before process builder came we had two common approaches of calling webservice 

1)We have outbound messages as one of the Actions for workflows.This works if other party implements the WSDL that is generated once Outbound messaging is defined with appropriate end point .

2)Most of times future method invoked through triggers allowed to do apex callouts and invoke external web service provided the future method is annotated with @future(callout=true).This provides lot of flexibility and one of the best approaches .

3)Flow triggers was in BETA and this was also one of the ways we could invoke callouts provided the Flow implements process plugin .To understand in detail how to implement process plugin refer to the below example

The purpose of this blogpost is to demonstrate the new possibility of invoking apex callout through Process Builder 

I tried initially to make this callout synchronous and invoke apex callout directly inside @InvocableMethod and received uncommitted pending DML issue and I have no solution for this and may be an Idea post to salesforce to allow this .

My approach included below steps 

1)Invoke apex through process builder using @InvocableMethod
2)Use Future method inside @InvocableMethod and invoke apex callout 

Creating Process Builder Flow

1)Navigate to Process Builder 

  

2)Specify the Object and when to start the process setting

                                               

3)Define Criteria for our action defined

4)Define the action ,here our action comprise of calling the Apex method annotated with @InvocableMethod

The input variable of apex method needs to map to related record ,here it maps to Account object .

Below is the code for the MakeApexCallout class ,Future class and also the JSON parser weather info class

For callout for this example I have used a sample REST API from api.wunderground.com that is available for free

The response is JSON which returns the Zipcode also and we stamp Zipcode returned from the response on the Account record .

A small video demonstrating this is as below

I am quite surprised that even though it happens in future but after the page refreshes the value is found stamped on the record (Almost given us feel to naked eye that it happened synchronously )


I hope you enjoyed this post and any queries or solution please let me know .