WTF are XML Workflows in the Content Server? A short overview

Here we 'll have a short overview if the XML workflows. It discusses only the basics. Stay tuned for following discussions on the modules.

Example

This is a demo of XML to illustrate the look

<?xml version="1.0”?>
<Folders>
<StdName>Pete Hegseth</StdName>
<Specialization>Clown</Specialization>
<Position>High-level</Position>
<G1>84</G1>
<G2>95</G2>
<G3>95.2</G3>
<tut1>93.4</tut1>
<G4>10</G4>
<G5>95.1</G5>
</Folder>
<Folder>
<StdName>Tulsi Gebbert</StdName>
<Specialization>Top Entertainer</Specialization>
<Position>High Level</Position>
<G1>72</G1>
<G2>94</G2>
<G3>95.2</G3>
<tut1>93.4</tut1>
<G4>0</G4>
<G5>93.2</G5>
</Folder>
</Folders>        

Some of the Workflow terminology is:

Workflow Map The Workflow Map is a template to define the route the workflow will take once initiated

Workflow Package The Work Package is the information that goes with the workflow. For example, a sample document or attributes such as a document number or a due date. The information held in the Work Package is added to every Workflow Instance.

Workflow Instance The Workflow Instance is created when a workflow is initiated from a Workflow Map.

A Workflow

When you initiate a workflow, you create a Workflow Instance. This Instance contains material created in the Workflow Map and may change as different users in the Workflow complete their work. The Work Package follows the path (or route) defined in the Workflow Map.

There are different ways of initiating a Workflow:

• Clicking the Workflow name to open the initiation page for the Workflow
• Creating Shortcuts to the Workflow so that users do not have to navigate to the original item. By clicking the Shortcut, the Workflow initiation page opens
• Selecting Initiate from the Functions menu
• Within the Workflow Designer, choosing Initiate from the Global Menu bar’s Map menu
• By sending an initiation request in an email message
• Using event scripts, custom programming or functions from other Content Server modules such as Forms, Records Management and WebReports

The XML Workflow Extensions

The XML Workflow Extensions (XML WF EX) module enhances the XML capabilities of the core Workflow by providing a rich tool set that can be used to create automatic processes.

The Extensions module provides this:

XML-Export Content Server objects (e.g., documents and their metadata, News Items, Projects etc.) can be exported in XML format. It is possible to pass this data to external systems; for example, portal applications, and content management systems. The data can also be re-imported into the same or different Content Server systems.

XML-Import XML-Data passed by external systems can be used to create extensive data structures or to integrate data from different Content Server instances.

XML-Transformation By means of transformation processes, XML data can be converted from one format to another. Extensions enable automatic transformation of external data to import it into Content Server. Conversely, data that originates from Content Server can be converted for use in external systems, for example, enterprise portals or content management systems.

Improved Timing By configuring timing steps, Workflows can be modeled within Workflow steps to start periodically, at a specific point in time or after a specific delay, for instance, to publish XML content from Content Server to a web server on a scheduled basis.

Modification Step The modification step can be used to manipulate Workflow Attributes and Forms while the Workflow is active. The data required to manipulate the Attributes and Forms may originate from objects in the workflow itself or from files in the file system.

Download Step The download step enables automatic download of folders, Projects, and documents to a defined place in the file system.

Delete Step The delete step allows Content Server objects such as folders and documents to be deleted automatically.

HTTP-Step The HTTP Step allows data to be posted to external web servers and enables data from external web servers to be received via HTTP.

Coding-Step This step decodes documents of a base64 format to the original format and vice versa. It is used to extract documents from XML export files.

Binary Replace With the Binary Replace step, text replacing can take place on the basis of the binary format of a file.

The XML Workflow Extensions module can also be combined with other extensions of the standard Workflow module (e.g., Forms Workflow module which extends the capabilities to capture, store, and manipulate form data in Workflows and the XML Workflow Interchange Step which provides an XML interface to post form data, as well as data retrieved from Attributes, to external systems and vice versa).

XML Workflow Interchange

XML Workflow Interchange lets Content Server workflows interact with other systems through the exchange of HTTP messages. This features work together to support a variety of connectivity scenarios:

Workflow Interchange step - The step can be configured to send messages when it becomes ready in an executing workflow and to accept messages while it is active.

Remote initiation - Maps can be initiated by an HTTP message sent to a special URL. Remote initiation accepts the same types of messages that Workflow Interchange steps can send, allowing workflows on one Content Server system to be used like sub-maps on another.

The messages sent and received by XML Workflow Interchange allow a source process on a source machine to start a target process on a target machine. The target process then returns results back to the source process. Either process can be a Content Server workflow.

Example