Advanced Workflow for Alfresco Web Content Management

Advanced Workflow for WCMMarch 19, 2009

Brian R. Robinson

Agenda

● Why “Advanced Workflow”?

● WCM Workflow Overview

● Workflow Content Models

● Group Assignment

● XML Forms & Workflow

● Configuration

● Extension points

● Q&A

Why Advanced Workflow?

● Introduce a review process● By individuals● By groups

● Different content to be reviewed by different people or groups● By content type● By path pattern● By file pattern

WCM Workflow Overview

● Based on JBoss jBPM

● There are 3 levels of "workflow" in Alfresco:

1. Workflow Definition

2. Workflow Association

3. Workflow Instance

WCM Workflow Overview

● Change Sets

● Workflow Sandbox

Workflow Content Models

● Metadata for tasks

● Task names == type names

Workflow Content Models

Workflow Content Models

Workflow Content Models

Workflow Content Models

XML Forms & Workflow

● A workflow can be associated with a Web Form

● Association can be done via the Data Dictionary● Applies to all Web Projects that use the Web Form

● Once associated, the workflow’s default parameters can be overridden per Web Project

● Workflow parameters are defined when a Web Form is associated with a Web Project

● Auto-submission to workflow upon web form submission

Configuration

● An advanced workflow consists of:

● Also needed: Spring configuration file● groupsubmit-workflow-context.xml shared/classes/alfresco/extension/

Process definition groupsubmit_processdefinition.xml shared/classes/alfresco/extension/workflow/group

Task model groupsubmit-content-model.xml shared/classes/alfresco/extension/workflow/group

Resource bundle groupsubmit-messages.properties shared/classes/alfresco/extension/workflow/group

Web client configuration web-client-config-custom.xmlOrweb-client-config-wcm.xml

shared/classes/alfresco/extensionOr/WEB-INF/classes/alfresco

Extending Workflow

● Javascript

● Java actions

● Workflow Service API/SPI

● Custom types

● jBPM API

Q&A

Resources

● Group Submit Workflow and Expedited Workflow for WCM: ● https://issues.alfresco.com/jira/browse/ALFCOM-206

● Configurable E-Mail jBPM action:● https://issues.alfresco.com/jira/browse/ALFCOM-2555

● Tech Talk Live – Episode 19 is on advanced workflow:● http://wiki.alfresco.com/wiki/Live