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Email Task

System

I am writing a custom email task in Java, and following the example class MailNotificationTask.

For the content of the email, the example creates an XML document, then transforms it using XSL. Is there any particular reason for this? Is the XML used elsewhere?

We need to have custom content for the emails generated by this task. I'm wondering if, rather than create an XML document and transform it, if I can't just use a templating engine (such as Velocity or Freemarker) to generate the body of the message. Does anyone see any problems with this?

Thanks,
Dhruva

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Adam Stoller

I am writing a custom email task in Java, and following the example class MailNotificationTask.

For the content of the email, the example creates an XML document, then transforms it using XSL. Is there any particular reason for this? Is the XML used elsewhere?

We need to have custom content for the emails generated by this task. I'm wondering if, rather than create an XML document and transform it, if I can't just use a templating engine (such as Velocity or Freemarker) to generate the body of the message. Does anyone see any problems with this?

Thanks,
Dhruva

The code dumps the workflow information into XML and processes it with XSL because much of the email contents are based on workflow information. I don't know anything about Velocity or Freemarker - if they can process the XML fine. If not, you would have to write code to dump the workflow information in whatever format those programs are looking for.

Personally, I think you might be better served using the XML/XSL processing that exists and adding Velocity or Freemarker processing either as a pre- or post-process to the XSLT (but that's pure guessing since I don't know what those programs do or what you're really trying to do).

Migrateduser

Let me answer your questions:

1. We need this task for two things--(1) to notify approvers that content has been submitted and (2) to notify the content author that the content has been rejected by the approvers.

2. Velocity and Freemarker are Java templating engines that take Java objects and use them to generate content (kind of like JSP's, except they're independent of the Java Servlet API).

Here is some sample code for generating the body of the email in the task's execute() method (using a template "email.vm" through Velocity (Freemarker is similar):

Template t = Velocity.getTemplate("email.vm");
VelocityContext c = new VelocityContext();
c.put("job", task.getWorkflow());
Writer writer = new StringWriter();
t.merge(context, writer);
...
(body of email is results of writer.toString())

Here is what the template email.vm might look like:

Job $job.jobId has been submitted for your approval by $job.owner.name.

So what we've done here is:

1. Pulled up the desired template
2. Made the CSWorkflow object available to it
3. Generated the content based on the desired format, and from the
available data about the job.
4. Converted the result to a String for inclusion in the email

This strikes me as more efficient (less processing and significantly less code to write), intuitive and easier to maintain than:

1. Marshalling the job information as XML
2. Pulling up the desired XSL transform
3. Transforming the XML to the desired format
4. Converting the result to a String for inclusion in the email

Now, I'm not arguing for one approach or the other--I am just explaining my motivation.

So again, the question is,

By bypassing the provided XML/XSLT services, am I forgoing any other essential services that I may have overlooked? Is the XML created used for any purpose other than generating the body of the email?

Thanks,
Dhruva

Adam Stoller

Let me answer your questions:
...
So again, the question is,

By bypassing the provided XML/XSLT services, am I forgoing any other essential services that I may have overlooked? Is the XML created used for any purpose other than generating the body of the email?

Thanks,
Dhruva

Cool - that does look like it might be simpler/faster/easier/cleaner/whatever - and no, to the best of my knowledge, the XML output is only used for facilitating the email body.

Note in 671.* and I believe 672 (though hopefully to be fixed in an upcomming patch or service pack) the CSSDK does not provide proper handling for GroupTasks - in that it does not provide access to the shared-by list of users / groups associated with the tasks and getOwner() of a GroupTask that has not already been claimed will result in an exception.

Migrateduser

Cool--thanks for clearing that up!

mdang

Once the code transfers control to your customized EmailTask, you are free to do anything as you wish. XML->XSLT is just a common example for most people would like to use. You could, as you stated, use any technology to get from Java objects to email content and send it out using any mail library you chosen.

Regarding the Group API of the CSGroupTask, it is provided (fixed) in the upcoming TS 6.7.2 SP1 release.

--Michael

mdang

Also from a design point of view, direct Java object transformation is generally more efficient. However, the maintenance is more costly.

If later you want to change the layout of the mail, Java object transformation usually requires recompilation of your code, and XSLT usually only requires you to submit a new xsl file to your admin store.

--Michael