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Workflow Modeler in 6.7.1

pdasarat

Has anyone implemented some complex workflow using the new Workflow modeler like creating Datasource, creating custom instantiation workflow screen. I have created a moderately complex workflow using the modeler, but I really find no use of this modeler, when compared to the old version of the workflows. There is no proper documentation available from IWOV to point out even some of the basic stuff. The workflow modeler documentation is not sufficient.

Here are some of the drawback I'm facing with this new modeler.

1) Using the modeler, you cannot create different HTML form element that show up in the instantiation screen, you need to create custom instantiation DCT. That's agreeable, but once you create custom HTML form elements using the custom instantiation form, there is no way to reference this custom variable within the workflow or within the workflow modeler.

2) It's not flexible from a developer's stand point. I might be wrong but there is not a single way to dynamically change the workflow attributes like we used to do in with the help of Perl modules. Can I say that there is no API support at this point in time.

3) I'm never able to implement a custom datasource as mentioned in the documentation.

Just curious if anyone has tried their hands creating some complex workflows.

Would appericate if someone can point out their experience.

Pradeep

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pdasarat

Is there some javascript API reference like we have in PERL modules, in the 6.7.1 workflow engine. Any help?

Pradeep

yanSi

There's some useless documentation in iw-perl/html/pod.

You can run the perl equivalent of javadoc (I don't remember the command) on iw-perl/vendor/lib

pdasarat

Probably I have to re-phrase my question. The new workflow modeler uses XML+Javascript( I remember Sunil's presentation on the workflow modeler) , whereas the old workflow engine uses XML+Perl.

In the old workflow model we could refer to iw-perl/vendor/lib for all the related Perl modules that can be used within the workflow engine.

In the new workflow modeler, there is no way to write any Perl code within the modeler, bcos now javascript is the default scripting language. All we can do within the modeler's javascript is to reference other job variables created within the modeler. So is there any reference to the javascript API's so that the workflow can be modified dynamically during runtime.

A single example would be I created a custom instantiation form(FormsPublisher based), I added a select-list to the form. Now later in the workflow I want to reference this variable.

Since the workflow XML is created during runtime there is no way reference to this value nor use it.

Does this makes sense?.

I'm just totally puzzled/confused with this new engine!!!. Can someone throw some light on this. Any help is greatly appericated.

Pradeep

yanSi

I'm just starting to look at Workflow Modeler myself so I'm not an expert on this. From what I've read so far, wouldn't $IW_CV(fieldName) allow you to get the value of the fieldName from the workflow instantiation form?

Migrateduser

This is interesting info. We are just about to upgrade to 6.7.1 and are wondering what this new Workflow Modeler (WM) will do. I have always been skeptical about Interwoven's ability to create a tool to build workflows given their incredibly complex nature. It is disturbing that Javascript is now the scripting language of choice for workflows - is it really true that you can't use Perl with the WM? So if I wanted to migrate all (which is a lot) of my current workflows into WM, I have to figure out how to recode all my scipts (which is A LOT) into Javascript? Not gonna happen. I don't really know Javascript that well and I really don't have the time to recode all of my scripts. This could make WM a 42 Meg paperweight as far as I'm concerned.

Fish - do you know much about WM and if it's useful at all for those of use who build complex workflows? What's your take?

nipper

blah blah blah blah

He's Baaaack :-)

Migrateduser

He's Baaaack :-)

I wondered how long it would take you to notice. You're losing your touch. It took you 48 seconds. I was expecting under 30. Better hit the gym, Grasshopper.

Have you used this Workflow Modeler thing? Is it true there's no perl? How are you supposed to code up all the complex nonsense that gives us job security? In Javascript? Please....

msrinivas

"Clean Oyster" Smiley Wink

Migrateduser

"Clean Oyster"

I don't get it...

yanSi

If you have external tasks and cgi tasks written in PERL from before, I don't see why you should re-implement them in another language.

It looks to me like Perl is removed from the old .wft files. The Perl code that used to be in wft files typically contained logic to generate commands for external tasks and to generate the TAG_info section so those have to be redone with the new workflow modeler.

msrinivas

Clean Oysters dont have PERL

nipper

Have you used this Workflow Modeler thing? Is it true there's no perl? How are you supposed to code up all the complex nonsense that gives us job security? In Javascript? Please....

GUIs are for people with weak minds.

Migrateduser

So Nipper, are you using 6.7.1 currently? And are you creating new workflows the old fashioned way (wft)? Is there any reason to use WM at all? I'm actually being serious.

nipper

So Nipper, are you using 6.7.1 currently? And are you creating new workflows the old fashioned way (wft)? Is there any reason to use WM at all? I'm actually being serious.

Yes I have 6.7.1 loaded but still using old workflows. I have not written any new WFs yet, so I do not know if this will really help. I need to start a new one in a week or so, I can update you then.

pdasarat

I'm just starting to look at Workflow Modeler myself so I'm not an expert on this. From what I've read so far, wouldn't $IW_CV(fieldName) allow you to get the value of the fieldName from the workflow instantiation form?

There is a hick-up in this. The $IW_CV(fieldName) can be referenced but not within the modeler. Because if you have to create your own custom instantiation form, you have run iwmodeldct.bat and generate the custom_instantation.cfg. Then modify the cfg to add your own custom form fields. Once you do that, there is no way to reference it back in the modeler.

Moreover if you look at the default_config.xml it references all of the workflow model in an XML schema. You cannot modify them, cannot tweak them.

I wanted to show a simple drop-down list to the user, capture that value and modify the workflow based on the value. I got the dropdown list in my wf instantation screen, but after that I cannot reference them in my model.

Can anyone from Interwoven can throw some light on this?.

More information on iwmodeldct can be found under the wfm guide.

-Pradeep

Migrateduser

Sounds more and more like good old WFTs are the way to go....

JMcNeil

There is a hick-up in this. The $IW_CV(fieldName) can be referenced but not within the modeler. Because if you have to create your own custom instantiation form, you have run iwmodeldct.bat and generate the custom_instantation.cfg. Then modify the cfg to add your own custom form fields. Once you do that, there is no way to reference it back in the modeler.

I wanted to show a simple drop-down list to the user, capture that value and modify the workflow based on the value. I got the dropdown list in my wf instantation screen, but after that I cannot reference them in my model.

Can you not have that Configurable variable set as a job variable, which then gets set during instantiation, which you can refer to at decision time later in your workflow?

pdasarat

All of the configurable variables that are setup in the modeler are rendered as "textbox" in the workflow instantiation screen. You can't exepct the users to type in the value. Do this makes sense?

-Pradeep

KB_chartlinks and tables.rptdesign

Adam Stoller

This is interesting info. We are just about to upgrade to 6.7.1 and are wondering what this new Workflow Modeler (WM) will do. I have always been skeptical about Interwoven's ability to create a tool to build workflows given their incredibly complex nature. It is disturbing that Javascript is now the scripting language of choice for workflows - is it really true that you can't use Perl with the WM? So if I wanted to migrate all (which is a lot) of my current workflows into WM, I have to figure out how to recode all my scipts (which is A LOT) into Javascript? Not gonna happen. I don't really know Javascript that well and I really don't have the time to recode all of my scripts. This could make WM a 42 Meg paperweight as far as I'm concerned.

Fish - do you know much about WM and if it's useful at all for those of use who build complex workflows? What's your take?

I haven't had sufficient time / opportunity to play with it that much beyond a little bit of the beta in which I basically did a review of the documentation.

That being said - as someone pointed out - the only loss of Perl is in the WFTs themselves - and theoretically at least - much of that can now be handled with built-in features of the WM that are (at least in some cases) I believe superior to what we were doing in WFTs for a long time (depends on what you were doing though).

Hopefully one of these days I'll get myself set up on a system where I can really start playing with it - then I'll be able to tell you what I think about it.

Migrateduser

The most significant coding I do in my WFT's is regex and hash related. I have tried to consolidate many different branches into using the same workflows, using variables to manage things like user lists and group names, which vary from branch to branch. Not being a Javascript expert, does anyone know if Javascript has decent regex support? Or hashes similar to Perl?

birt report.JPG

ISCBorisB

Not being a Javascript expert, does anyone know if Javascript has decent regex support? Or hashes similar to Perl?

Yes and yes. To be sure, it is not identical to Perl.

1. JS Regex. Check RegExp Class (new, compile, test, exec methods) and string match, replace, search, split methods.
"Lookaround assertions" are not supported.

2. JS Hash. In JavaScript, objects are also associative arrays (or hashes). Object property DevNet.Smitty can be accessed as DevNet['Smitty'].
(Objects are also regular arrays but that's another story)

JMcNeil

Back to pdarasat for a sec

If you make the configurable variables in your Model, which publishes the default_config.xml with those CVs, then run iwmodeldct to generate a DCT from that default_config.xml file. You should be able to replace the field in the DCT with a . Fill in your options/values there, and presumably you should be able to refer to them in your modeler as the ConfigurableVariable.

I'm not positive that will work, but seems to be the way it should work according to what I could gather from the documentation.

Give that a shot, and see how it flies

Presently I'm having trouble getting a custom_instantiation.cfg to be recognized when I try to start a test workflow. I generated it based on the default_config.xml, put it in the /iwadmin/main/workflowModels/WORKAREA/iw-wa/Config/test1_config/ (alongside default_config.xml... I don't think we need to deleet that do we?) directory, then submitted it to staging, but when I try to start the workflow it tells me it could not its configuration file. Any tips?

JMcNeil

Wow Sorry about the double and triple posting here...

Back to pdarasat for a sec

If you make the configurable variables in your Model, which publishes the default_config.xml with those CVs, then run iwmodeldct to generate a DCT from that default_config.xml file. You should be able to replace the text field in the DCT with a select. Fill in your options/values there, and presumably you should be able to refer to them in your modeler as the ConfigurableVariable.

I'm not positive that will work, but seems to be the way it should work according to what I could gather from the documentation.

Give that a shot, and see how it flies

Presently I'm having trouble getting a custom_instantiation.cfg to be recognized when I try to start a test workflow. I generated it based on the default_config.xml, put it in the /iwadmin/main/workflowModels/WORKAREA/iw-wa/Config/test1_config/ (alongside default_config.xml... I don't think we need to deleet that do we?) directory, then submitted it to staging, but when I try to start the workflow it tells me it could not its configuration file. Any tips?