External Task Callback

I have created an external script for a workflow. The script runs perfect. However, there must be something wrong with my callback. When I get to the task that runs the script, the job hangs once the script is invoked, it will not automatically move onto the next task. I have a callback in place but something must be wrong. If I refresh my ToDo list in the GUI, then the next task displays without any problems. I just can't figure out why I need to refresh the screen to get to my next task. Any ideas?

I am using TeamSite 5.5.1 with Solaris 7.

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Adam Stoller

If a refresh of the GUI window shows that the task has been properly transitioned - your callback is functioning just fine. The problem is that the externaltask has no handle on the browser / GUI to issue a refresh when it performs the callback.

I don't know if there are any work-arounds for this - perhaps someone else will have some ideas...

--fish
(Interwoven, Curriculum Development)

tsuser

Thanks for replying. I guess if there is nothing we can do to change this, we will live with it. I am just afraid it may be a little confusing to our users.

Many thanks!

Adam Stoller

Having just responded to a similar query in a different forum - there is one "work-around" that I failed to mention. It's probably not exactly what you're looking for - but it might help to fill the gap.

As part of the existing externaltask, or using an additional externaltask right after - send email to the owner of the next task with the CCI URL in it for that task. Thus even though your browser window might not automtically refresh, you will receive notification of a pending task...

--fish
(Interwoven, Curriculum Development)

Migrateduser

Out of curiosity, what prevents the callback function from communicating with the GUI to force a refresh? Is there such a disconnect between the 2 processes that it's impossible?

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com

james1

> Out of curiosity, what prevents the callback function from
> communicating with the GUI to force a refresh? Is there such
> a disconnect between the 2 processes that it's impossible?

External tasks are not initiated by a GUI action. Whenever the external task activates, the server kicks it off. Therefore, there is no guarantee of any GUI to communicate with.

In the case where a GUI transitions a task, which results in an external task being kicked off, the GUI could refresh itself. But after how long? Some external tasks call back immediately. Some external tasks could take hours or days to complete. And how annoying a GUI experience would this be for end users? Essentially, external tasks are kicked off asynchronously (which is why they have to call back), but browser-based GUI's are built on a request/response (synchronous) model.

I think that if you think about, you will see that it is difficult-to-impossible to make a browser magically refresh itself as soon as an external task has called back. The GUI and the external task are fairly disjoint, and that is by design.

To address the main issue here, a CGI task could be used instead of an external task. The CGI task, upon completion, could cause the Todo list to refresh, since it will have a handle on a GUI window.

-- James

test.dcpackage

Migrateduser

Thanks for that detailed response. Very helpful. I was mainly just curious. When we train our users, we let them know that they have to refresh at certain points in their workflows, and this doesn't cause anyone much pain. Since someone else brought it up, I thought I'd see if there was any possible way around it, but I understand why there is not. Thanks again.

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com