Passing perl variable to WFT

Anyone know how to send a variable (generated by a perl script) to a WFT?
I am invoking a perl script through the command line, which invokes iwjobc. But I dont know how to pass a variable onto the WFT?!?

Thanks in advance,
Glenn

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Migrateduser

Why do you need to pass a variable into the WFT? You could always store your data in a config file and parse the config file in the WFT.

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

Dwayne

You could always store your data in a config file and parse the config file in the WFT.

Not necessarily. This could be for something for this specific instantiation of the WFT file. A config file is global.

It sounds like the request is for something like the parameter substitution facility used in OpenDeploy. Unfortunately, I don't know of any such facility. The "normal" intent is that a WFT file will be processed by the job instantiation system, which collects the required data from the user, and constructs a temporary XML document which is given to iwjobc. To the best of my knowledge (and it could be that I'm wrong) iwjobc only accepts a job specification file, not a WFT file. That means no processing.

I think to accomplish this you'd need to do something similar to what the job instantiation page does. You'll have to contruct a job specification file (not a WFT file) and put those parameters into the appropriate place in that file. A good candidate for that would be job and/or task variables. Once the job is instantiated you can delete the temp file.

--

Current project: TS 5.5.2/6.1 W2K

Edited by Dwayne on 08/19/04 11:23 AM (server time).

Migrateduser

Not necessarily. This could be for something for this specific instantiation of the WFT file. A config file is global.

I was thinking of creating the config file on the fly. That makes it dynamic and usable for each instantiation. Just have to make sure you don't execute the thing more than once at a time.

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

Migrateduser

By the way, your markups are not doing the right thing.

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

Dwayne

Just have to make sure you don't execute the thing more than once at a time.

It's rarely safe to assume that a workflow won't be executed twice approximately simultaneously.

And I don't know what you're talking about with the markup. Looks fine to me.

Current project: TS 5.5.2/6.1 W2K

nipper

I am certain it was fine. Smitty posts stuff like that so he can pad his totals. Never gonna
catch fish regardless.

Migrateduser

Well I was just offering a suggestion - it really depends on what the guy is trying to accomplish and how their process works. Could be the workflow is kicked off on a scheduled basis, and then the config file idea could work. But if it's manual and left to the users, all bets are off.

Like you said, a WFT is really only useful if you need the TAG_info part. Otherwise it's just a perl script that outputs some XML. If the guy doesn't need the TAG_info section (which could be replaced by a cgitask anyway), then he could just use his perl script to create the job spec and accomplish everything he needs to do. In a perfect world...

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

Migrateduser

That's weird...sometimes Dwayne's posts have the tags for markup embedded in the post. Maybe I'm just seeing things. Or maybe I just added another post to my totals...thanks for the opportunity.

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

Dwayne

Or maybe I edited the post after you pointed it out.

(Bumping up my post count, as well.)

--

Current project: TS 5.5.2/6.1 W2K

Adam Stoller

What version of TeamSite are you using?
If you're using 5.5.2 SP3 (I believe) or later - you can use iwwft_compile.ipl to instantiate the WFT from the command line - if you see IWHOME/bin/iwwft_compile.ipl on your TS server - try running 'perldoc' on that script for more information.

(And yes, Dwayne, a number of your posts have shown formatting in plain-text)
(And yes, Smitty, you are working on padding your post count)
(And yes, Nipper, I don't think Smitty will ever catch me ;-)

--fish
Senior Consultant, Quotient Inc.
http://www.quotient-inc.com

nipper

>Or maybe I edited the post after you pointed it out.
>
>(Bumping up my post count, as well.)

And smart enough to remove the Mark as Edited flag.

( Oh, did I just pad my stats as well. )

coschtl

You can use the perl modules TeamSite::WFworkflow and TeeamSite::WFtask for this.
Both modules have methods to create, read and modify task/workflow variables.

Stephan

Adam Stoller

TeamSite::WFworkflow and TeamSite::WFtask are greate for externaltask and cgitask scripts that are run after a workflow has already been instantiated - however, the original question seemed to be related to passing in values for variables (of some sort) to be used *during* the instantiation - and in that case, neither of these modules will be of much assistance.

--fish
Senior Consultant, Quotient Inc.
http://www.quotient-inc.com

hitc

I never used iwjobc but I use iwwft_instantiator.cgi,that works great.If I want for example to pass filepath as variable I do:

/iwenv/iw-home/iw-perl/bin/iwperl /iwenv/iw-home/httpd/iw-bin/iwwft_instantiator.cgi iw_user=$user iw_author=$author iw_first_time=true iw_desc=\"automatic review workflow\" filePath=\"$filepath\" iw_use_defaults=false iw_home=$iw_home iw_branch=$fut_branch iw_workarea=$fut_area iw_template_file=/iwenv/iw-home/local/config/wft/eurocontrol/review_workflow/review_workflow.wft;

and simply get the values passed to the review_workflow.wft this way:
my $filePath=__VALUE__("filePath");

hope that help,not sure it is what you wanted

Adam Stoller

A long time ago, I wrote a script called iwjobcpp.ipl (see this post for a description) - that allowed you to pass in values for variable substitution into a job description file - but if you're dealing with a WFT - then I believe iwwft_compile.ipl is the best way to do it from the command line (similar to iwwft_instantiator.cgi but intended for use from the command line rather than a CGI).

--fish
Senior Consultant, Quotient Inc.
http://www.quotient-inc.com

summergs

Thanks for all the input. The application that I am attempting to write requires the workflow to generate branches based on new projects. (There may be 100's of new projects input into a database). My perl code iterates through the new projects in the database, creates branches, adds local groups, then individually sends out casual contrib emails to an administrator who then assigns contributors and approvers (specific to each project). After the assignment, a casual contrib email get sent out to the contributors and approvers letting them know they have been assigned. I am trying to send the project ID (generated in the perl code) along with the WFT so that I know which branch to link the DCT's. Needless to say, a very complex workflow that is driving me crazy.

Adam Stoller

Let's jump back to the beginning here - what version of TeamSite are you using - including SPs?

--fish
Senior Consultant, Quotient Inc.
http://www.quotient-inc.com

summergs

TeamSite 5.521 (not sure how to check sevice pack level..I am told it is SP3). Running on Windows2000, Oracle9i.

Adam Stoller

Okay - if you look in IWHOME\bin - do you see a file called iwwft_compile.ipl?
If so - run perldoc on it - like:

DOS> perldoc IWHOME\bin\iwwft_compile.ipl

If you don't have perldoc on your PATH - then do this:

DOS> IWHOME\iw-perl\bin\perldoc IWHOME\bin\iwwft_compile.ipl

(Replace IWHOME with the path to your TeamSite installation directory - e.g. c:\iw-home or c:\Interwoven\TeamSite, etc.)

--fish
Senior Consultant, Quotient Inc.
http://www.quotient-inc.com

summergs

I do not see iwwft_compile.ipl on my server. ?!?

Adam Stoller

Bummer - it means you're not up to whichever SP introduced that script - and I'm not entirely sure whether you can just get a copy of it from a later version and have it work (I think there were other support pieces that were added/modified to enable it to function).

You might want to look back at hitc's post - about using iwwft_instantiator.cgi (located in IWHOME\httpd\iw-bin) - I believe this *can* be used from the command line, but I seem to recall it being a bit tricky to do so - perhaps hitc or someone else can comment further?

The only other approach I can think of is to use the TeamSite::WFtemplate and/or TeamSite::WFsystem modules - which *do* provide the ability for instantiating a wft and passing information along to the wft for instantiation - but it's a bit obscure and wasn't really intended to be used this way.

--fish
Senior Consultant, Quotient Inc.
http://www.quotient-inc.com