Can we refer to different version of same file in workflow ?

Hi ,

Using TS 6.1 Win 2k.

I have simple workflow .

1. UserTask
2. EndTask

An author attaches a file test.txt for review . The reviewer approves that file & the workflow ends .
If he rejects then also WF ends .

Now my question is :

1. Suppose the author initated the WF . Author Attached test.txt to WF .
2. A usertask for review of test.txt initiated .
3. The task is still remaining in reviewer task list .
4. Author edits the same file test.txt again
5. Author Initiates the new WF . Attaches the test.txt again to WF
6. A new task is again created in Reviewer task list .
7. Till now reviewer has not reviewed any of the test.txt

Question is : Now Reviewer finds two review task in his task list. What I found was that the VERSION of the test.txt file attached with the two WF is same .

Is there any way with that help of which the two different task should have different VERSIONs of the same file ( since the author again edited same test.dcr attached to next workflow )

Regards
Rohit Pathak

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Adam Stoller

Hi ,

Using TS 6.1 Win 2k.

I have simple workflow .

1. UserTask
2. EndTask

An author attaches a file test.txt for review . The reviewer approves that file & the workflow ends .
If he rejects then also WF ends .

Now my question is :

1. Suppose the author initated the WF . Author Attached test.txt to WF .
2. A usertask for review of test.txt initiated .
3. The task is still remaining in reviewer task list .
4. Author edits the same file test.txt again
5. Author Initiates the new WF . Attaches the test.txt again to WF
6. A new task is again created in Reviewer task list .
7. Till now reviewer has not reviewed any of the test.txt

Question is : Now Reviewer finds two review task in his task list. What I found was that the VERSION of the test.txt file attached with the two WF is same .

Is there any way with that help of which the two different task should have different VERSIONs of the same file ( since the author again edited same test.dcr attached to next workflow )

Regards
Rohit Pathak

If the workflows are launched from different workareas - yes - but there will be a merge process to go though.
If the workflows are launched from the same workarea - no.

Although we say "the file is attached to the job" it's really a case of a "reference to the file in the workarea is attached to the job" - thus two workflows initiated from the same workarea for the same file each has a reference pointing to the same file.

Migrateduser

As fish pointed out, your attached file is really just a pointer to an asset within the content store. So, editing a workflow-locked file in the workarea UI is the same as editing it through the workflow UI.

Preserving different versions of the same file through concurrent workflow processes is an enormous pain and you may want to rethink this. What I can think of is cutting an edition upon submitting this file and actually submitting the file that's in the new edition. This way, if someone comes along later, you'll have two different editions and therefore two different files although it would appear as only one.

This way has huge drawbacks -- superfluous editions which leads to wasted disk space, I would imagine some performance hit and overblown logic that probably doesn't need to be there as long as the customer's expectations are kept at bay :-)

Dave

ISCBorisB

Is there any way with that help of which the two different task should have different VERSIONs of the same file ( since the author again edited same test.dcr attached to next workflow

Not OOTB. WF/Task Objects contain only File referencies, not copies. So, if you modified the file outside of the WF, it is modified.
You can try to customize that of course by creating WF-Related copies and whatnot. The biggest problem would be conflict resolution
when you have to merge versions. Or perhaps you have to review your design, change locking/unlocking logistics, re-read on TS various
locking modes, etc...