Select Workflow by file type?

Is it possible to configure available templates.cfg to fire a workflow based on file type? For example if file type is .jpg, .gif, .png fire workflow "A", regardless of location.

Possible? Best way to accomplish this?

Many thanks.
-Ninerfan

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ISCBorisB

Is it possible to configure available templates.cfg to fire a workflow based on file type? For example if file type is .jpg, .gif, .png fire workflow "A", regardless of location.

Possible? Best way to accomplish this?

Many thanks.
-Ninerfan

It's often possible but not with available_templates. The simplest way is perhaps to code 'iwat' trigger script and set it up on the
event(s) you want. From there you would figure out affected Files using call parameters and/or Event Object. Given File types you'll
either do nothing or instantiate desired Workflow on the fly. Although not exactly trivial, none of that is rocket science either

kaalraa

Is it possible to configure available templates.cfg to fire a workflow based on file type? For example if file type is .jpg, .gif, .png fire workflow "A", regardless of location.

Possible? Best way to accomplish this?

Many thanks.
-Ninerfan

I suggest to differentiate your workflow to be initiated, from another small workflow using iwwft_instantiator.cgi

Adam Stoller

I suggest to differentiate your workflow to be initiated, from another small workflow using iwwft_instantiator.cgi

To express this somewhat more clearly - you would define a top-level "wrapper" workflow that could parse the list of files attached to the job and programmatically kick off 1-N "sub" workflows - each specifically designed for the kind of content to be processed.

There are several issues to consider when doing this though, such as whether all the "sub" workflows needs to be completed before the entire process is considered completed (nested) or whether they are treated independent of one another and of the initial workflow (sibling) - and then there are several different ways to initiate the "sub" workflows depending on which ideology you wish to follow (wftask, iwwft_compile.ipl, iwjobc, and I believe iwmodelc for WFM workflows).

The iwat trigger process is reasonable if there are actual events to be singled out for actually triggering the process - but I think it would not be quite as easy to design for without doing some aspect of the above (i.e. triggering off of the activation of "wrapper" - possibly no-op workflow to then extract the files, end the initial job and then initiate the new job, or something along those lines)

The more time you spend on defining and designing the process, the better chance you have of coming up with a reasonable implementation.

kaalraa

Thanks Adam, for explaining my thought so gracefully. I think, i need to take lessons on that from you definitely. :-)

To express this somewhat more clearly - you would define a top-level "wrapper" workflow that could parse the list of files attached to the job and programmatically kick off 1-N "sub" workflows - each specifically designed for the kind of content to be processed.

There are several issues to consider when doing this though, such as whether all the "sub" workflows needs to be completed before the entire process is considered completed (nested) or whether they are treated independent of one another and of the initial workflow (sibling) - and then there are several different ways to initiate the "sub" workflows depending on which ideology you wish to follow (wftask, iwwft_compile.ipl, iwjobc, and I believe iwmodelc for WFM workflows).

Ninerfan

Thanks all. This is exactly what I needed to know.