Workflow

Writing the rules of your first workflow step

The workflow container

A workflow controls a container. You may have a From with fields and in addtion accounting details or a Google Drive Document.

This container has standardized groupware actions and integrated computing rules in the brand's mill service. So you do not need special programming. With the form you will add customized input for the work progress. The first step is assigned to the form and the process becomes active.

The workflow step

Your process rules are written for each work step assigned to work item containers in context of parent items. If a workflow is started, this only means that a container with a form is assigned to a unique work step. This container is either kept in the ToDo view of the user because an input is required or the process is in the process queue and is thus processed by the Workflow Engine.

If the assigned step has corresponding rules, they are executed on the container and its form fields or fields in the context. The workflow engine uses the rules to send the container to the next processor (user or next step) or terminates the process.

Automate your first operation

It's best to try it with a small form and few input fields. Assign this form to a work step and then performs operations via the set of rules. If the process starts, the process optimization already starts.

Steps are create by adding them to a work item form and addtional parent forms if needed. This will activate the needed field access.

Create a work step and give a unique step 'Status'.

bp_first

Further information is helpful for the administration.

Next select the rules to start automating by adding the rules. When finished the step is activated (save & close). Any save of the rules will directly be used in production.

The runtime debug report shows the designer about running processes which execution took place.

Writing the rules

The workflow is writen via IF, ELSE IF rules. For this you use the input masks for the rules. It is all based on JavaScript computing on fields with additional handling of the forms in context. The design is focused on performance and let's you do anything jumping from one step to another while asking for user input.

Click on "IF", "ELSE IF" and so on to record the commands nested.

IF you are not sure it helps to define an always IF : 1== 1 is always - later we will change the computing

SET select a field and change it's value (some have an info button to find out more)

JS use as Javascript box to design more complex code

ACCESS SEND TO will open an option to select the next Group of people to work on this first step.

NEXT STEP create the next step or select one

SPLIT start another Workflow form

NEXT STEP FRONTEND DECISSON definine the complete options a user may choose from

NEXT STEP FRONTEND EVAL define show field and show alert handling valid from now on

JS

JS all rules are executed as JavaScript program. Our workflow design supports the mapping of fields and their storage.

Execution is done through GraalVM -ECMAScript "ECMA-262" or "ES13" compatible with ECMAScript 2022 specification.

GraalVM is a virtual machine that enables executing various programming languages on a common platform.

The ECMAScript specification is a collection of rules and standards that determine how JavaScript code is written and executed. "ES13" or "ECMAScript 2022" is the version of the specification that was released in 2022 and includes the latest changes and improvements.

The workflow ist started when the user presses completed: The result computed shows the note.

To access possible fields

you use the right mouse button in formula editing. This shows the field selection and a list of commands. This is how you access and change fields to rule and control the transition to the next operator, to the next step.

Example: By selecting ToDo Note a work note is set on the item. The JS field is "work$wipNote" and in the dialog you may directly find the field just typing "wipnote". You will get used to the fields you work with.

In addition to form fields, you can also access fields in context or change fields in the parent contact or fields from a parent (e.g. access fields from a web request after a split to a "lead" form. In this item structure copy the question stored in the web request into the lead)

Engine

There are several predefined complex commands (which are not programmable): e.g. the assignment of employees from an organizational unit (department) or sending out an E-Mail with an attached PDF based on a prepared text module.

You discover more using a best practice workflow selected from the BPM Marketplace or checking the

additional how to documentation like how to assign a process number.

There is a view to see all unprocessed workitems

WIP: Work in Progress

"Workflow Engine \ eprocess" ... this contains all items for the Workflow Engine

Waiting for Resubmission on time

"Workflow Engine \ eprocesswait" ... this contains all items intended for resubmission to a process

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