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Determine if an attached file is already in workflow using WFM models

brizrobbo

I am going through a process of looking at what's involved in migrating our current Perl-based .wft workflows into Workflow Modeler models. This question is a concept / best-practice question!

With our existing workflows, there is an initial check (using a Perl system call to the iwgetfilejobs CLT) to see if the attached files are already in workflow. If they are, then a warning message is displayed and the workflow is canceled.

I am trying to mimic this behavior using Workflow Modeler models, but I am struggling with some concepts. Under this new paradigm, it seems that the instantiation form reflects the fields for the variables as defined in the submit task. If I then define (in a WFM model) a CGI task prior to the submit task (in order to perform my test in that CGI task), the CGI task actually runs after the Instantiation form where you need to enter all the Job details (comments, info, etc.) as defined by that Submit task. This is not the functionality I was after, as I wanted to perform this test (and if required, cancel) before even asking to enter variable details.

My question is: how would you approach the problem of determining whether an attached file is already in workflow using Workflow Modeler models? The desired functionality would be to test for this situation before entering variable details.

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Comments

kshitiz

I don't think it will be possible to do that check before the instantiation of the workflow. Remember, the workflow is instantiated after the instantiation form. So you can include an external task as your start task to do the necessary check and cancel the workflow if conditions are not satisfied.

How were you able to do it through .wft workflows?

brizrobbo

How were you able to do it through .wft workflows?

Essentially at the beginning of the .wft file we include this check (among others!):

my $file_vpath = $current_workarea_vpath.$file;
my $file_jobs = `$iwhome/bin/iwgetfilejobs $file_vpath`;
if ($file_jobs =~ m/job=/) { # file is already attached to another workflow job
  $existing_wf_files .= "\t<li>$file</li>\n";
}

and further along:

if ($existing_wf_files) {
    $error_message .= "<p>The following files have already been submitted and are <strong style='color: #C00;'>attached to another workflow</strong>.<br>
                            Please deselect these files and try again.</p>
                        <ul>\n$existing_wf_files</ul>\n";
}

and further along we dynamically generate the START task based upon the existence of

$error_message

. E.G.:

if ($error_message) {

    $error_message .= "<p><strong>This workflow has been cancelled.</strong></p>\n";
    my $message = TeamSite::CGI_lite::escape_html_data($error_message); # encode entities so we can use this as XML attribute value
    $start_task_code = << "END CODE";
<!-- ============================================================ -->
<!-- ============= 1. Give error message to author ============== -->

    <cgitask owner="$author"
             name="workflow_warning"
             start="t"
             description="Notify author of problem with selected files."
             immediate="t">
        <areavpath v="$current_workarea_vpath"/>
        <successors>
            <successorset description="End Workflow">
                <succ v="end"/>
            </successorset>
        </successors>
        <command v="wf_user_notification.ipl"/>
        <variables>
            <variable key="message" value="$message"/>
            <variable key="message_title" value="Workflow Warning"/>
            <variable key="comment" value="User given warning about selected files."/>
        </variables>
    </cgitask>
END CODE

} else {

    $wf_variables_code = << "END VAR CODE";
    <variables>
        <variable key="approver_info" value="$approver_info"/>
        <variable key="workflow_type" value="$workflow_type"/>
        <variable key="iw_branch" value="$current_branch_vpath"/>
    </variables>
END VAR CODE

    $start_task_code = << "END CODE";
<!-- ============================================================ -->
<!-- ==================== 1. Reassure author ==================== -->

    <cgitask owner="$author"
             name="reassure_author"
             start="t"
             description="Let author know their files have been successfully submitted."
             immediate="t">
        <areavpath v="$current_workarea_vpath"/>
        <successors>
            <successorset description="Done">
                <succ v="lock_wf_files"/>
            </successorset>
        </successors>
        <command v="wf_user_notification.ipl"/>
        <files>
$wf_files
        </files>
        <variables>
            <variable key="message" value="$reassure_message"/>
            <variable key="message_title" value="Files successfully submitted"/>
            <variable key="comment" value="Author reassured that workflow has started."/>
        </variables>
    </cgitask>
END CODE

}

kshitiz

Essentially, in this case also, the user will get the message only after the workflow has started after the instantiation form. Now in wfm you can't write the PERL code as you had done in wft, so you can't dynamically add or remove tasks from wf definition. You can have your start cgi task to check your required condition and if it is not satisfied display the message otherwise proceed to next task.

May be somebody else will be able to provide a better solution.

Adam Stoller

The WFM instantiation form is, in most respects, the same as a FormsPublisher DCT - as such - you can use callServer() to invoke a Perl program on the server-side to perform your check and to then hide/expose set/unset fields within the instantiation form.

Read the WFM manual regarding how to create a customized instantiation form.
Read the FormAPI manual regarding the rest.

The only "tricky" part I can think of is how the callServer() script accesses the list of files associated with the current job (I haven't tried to do this yet, so I'm not sure what contortions might be necessary to do it)

Migrateduser

Hi,

If I am understanding your question correctly, I believe you can use "preprocessor command". Please reference the WFM manual on page 83 for more information. I hope this helps Smiley Happy

.

Thanks,
James

nipper

I think the basic rub is that you *may* need to run a callserver (which is asyncronous) to do this, which would not be able to stop a WF from starting, like you can in a WFT. So it *seems* you are stuck with an external task (CGI) in the beginning that checks and stops a WF