PowerPoint Presentation [PPT]

ARCHIBUS Users’ Conference 2008 The #1 Conference for Total Infrastructure and Facilities Management in the World

C16: Workflow Rules

Nick Stefanidakis, ARCHIBUS, Inc.

2008 International ARCHIBUS Users’ Conference

Wednesday, 16 April, 2008

The #1 Conference for Total Infrastructure and Facilities Management in the WorldARCHIBUS Users’ Conference 2008

Topics

Web Central System Integrators Learning Path

– Roles

– Skills

– Techniques

Creating Command & Control Web Views

– Introducing Panels

– The Mini-Console

– Edit Forms

– Multiple Frame Form Patterns and Tabbed Views

– Using Restriction Consoles

Enhancing Views with JavaScript

Creating and Working with Workflow Rules


System Integrator Role

System Integrator Capabilities

– Create custom Web Central forms/reports

– Add Actions or calculated fields

– Create Tabbed/Wizard forms

– Interact with Workflow Rules

– Use inline .css to customize formatting

– Use JavaScript to enhance functionality

Skills required:

– SQL, XML, JavaScript

– Simple .css (optional)


Business Logic Integrator Role

Business Logic Integrator

– Write new Workflow Rule (event) handlers

– Create Unit Tests

– Invoke handlers using XML or JavaScript

Required Skills

– SQL

– Simple Java (as a scripting language)

– Understanding of the build environment


Software Engineer Role

Embed advanced controls using JavaScript and Java

Create Ajax-enabled controls

– Timeline control (Room Reservations)

– Custom/3rd party controls/charts

– Others

Beyond the scope of this session!


Data-base

View Handling

axvw

JAVAWeb

Server

XMLResponse

XSLTransform

XMLRequest

XSLStyle-sheetWeb

ClientHTML

JS

css


What is AJAX?

“AJAX isn't a technology, or a language, and there's no recipe to implement it; it's just a combination of various components to achieve something you otherwise couldn't: asynchronous http requests…

AJAX is short for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. It uses the JavaScript XMLHttpRequest function to create a tunnel from the client's browser to the server and transmit information back and forth without having to refresh the page. The data travels in XML format because it transmits complex data types over clear text. ”

Coldfusion Developer’s Journal


Working with Workflow Rules


System Integrator vs. Business Logic Integrator

Workflow Roles: For larger projects, project teams often divide the responsibilities:

– the system integrator takes care of the forms and presentation layer and invoking the business rules

– the business logic integrator defines the workflow rules and any new event handlers that must be scripted

You may be both!


What are Workflow Rules?

Complex Business functions require database manipulation using JAVA event handlers

Instead of calling event handlers directly, a workflow rule “pointer” is created inside the database.

Since workflow rules include a security group field, users can be restricted from implementing event handlers they are not authorized to use

System Integrators only need to know the rule name

Schedule rules can also be configured to run at specified intervals, without users clicking a button


3 Ways to Call your WF Rule from an AXVW

<afmAction> - Original Style (works with all views)

<command> - C&C style (must have a panel section)

<afmAction type="messageRule" eventName="AbSolutionsWorkflow-helpDeskPlanRequest“ responseType="ab-ex-helpdesk-request-step2.axvw"> <title translatable="false">Submit</title></afmAction>

<afmAction type="messageRule" eventName="AbSolutionsWorkflow-helpDeskPlanRequest“ responseType="ab-ex-helpdesk-request-step2.axvw"> <title translatable="false">Submit</title></afmAction>

<field controlType="button"> <title translatable="true">Approve</title> <command type="workflowRule" ruleId="AbSolutionsViewExamples-approveProject"/></field>

<field controlType="button"> <title translatable="true">Approve</title> <command type="workflowRule" ruleId="AbSolutionsViewExamples-approveProject"/></field>

<afmAction id="approve"> <title translatable="true">Approve</title> <command type="workflowRule" ruleId="AbSolutionsViewExamples-approveProject"/></afmAction>

<afmAction id="approve"> <title translatable="true">Approve</title> <command type="workflowRule" ruleId="AbSolutionsViewExamples-approveProject"/></afmAction>


Define Workflow Rules

Define Rule Name

Specify Java Class and Method to call


A Word on WFR <Inputs>

Many of the new Command and Control Workflow Rule invocations do not require inputs to be supplied with the rule definition.

By default, the new commands will pass the form values to the rule without specifying.

– Forms will pass all field values

– Reports will pass the primary key(s) for the selected record(s)


Business Logic Integrator Skills

Using Java, you’ll:

– Learn how to compile small Java extensions to Web Central

– Know how to call and define Java functions, extend an existing Java class, access predefined class methods and properties.

– Work with Java data types, conditional statements, and looping statements.

You do not need to know how to:

– Code a large Java program.

– Use object-oriented design techniques.

– Use the J2EE libraries, write servlets, interface with EJB’s.


Workflow Rule Examples

Invoking a Rule from a Panel Button (source)

Edit axvw to call correct workflow rule!

Invoking Rules from Per-Row Buttons (source)

Invoking Rules on Multiply Selected Rows (source)

<command type="workflowRule" ruleId="AbSolutionsMyAdn-helloWorld"/>

<command type="workflowRule" ruleId="AbSolutionsMyAdn-helloWorld"/>


Enabling SQL & Workflow Rule Logging

Logging SQL Statements

– Aside from seeing when the query is invoked, the SQL logging shows the query in the final form: with all SQL dialect considerations evaluated and all macros expanded.

Logging Workflow Rule Invocations

Logging View-Analysis Query Operations


Web Central Help and Java API Reference

Event Handler Interface

– Web Central expects that each event handler that is called from a workflow rule will implement the EventHandler interface.

– Essentially, this amounts to implementing at least a single “handle()” method that Web Central knows to call.


When to Use Custom Workflow

Customized business workflow requiring complex decision logic

Complex reporting requiring multiple custom queries and invoked via AJAX

Use results of a SQL query to execute another SQL query(ies)


Components of a Workflow Rule

Workflow Rule

– A database record describing…

• Function – ‘Approve Project’

• Parameters – ‘Project ID’

• Security – Who may execute, e.g.: ‘Project Approvers’

Event Handler

– A compiled Java class file defining… Business logic

Note: Each Workflow Rule must call an Event Handler that implements the rule


Custom Workflow Rule Development Process

Create event handler Java class

Compile event handler Java class into JAR file

Create workflow rule definition in an XML file

Import the workflow rule XML definition into the database

Write event handler unit test and verify that it works

Test the workflow rule from Web Central UI


ADN Product/Activity Structure

Workflow rules and event handlers are a part of ADN product/activity structure:


Working with Web Central’s API

Web Central API provides over 100 methods

– More than double in size from 16.2

Functionality including:

– Create/retrieve/update/delete database records

– Format and localize data values

– Invoke other workflow rules

– Render views and generate reports

– Send email notifications


Moving Event Handlers to Production

Event handlers are compressed to JAR format

Product and Activity name are used as a part of the JAR file name


Rules for Handling Exceptions

Stop… Don’t do it!

All exceptions thrown from event handlers are handled by Web Central:

– The database transaction is rolled back

– An error message is displayed and logged to archibus.log file


Rules for Handling Exceptions

You may handle exceptions if…

– You use custom transaction management, or…

– To provide custom error message to the user


WebCentral as Development platform

Built in Development Platform

Activity’s root directories contain build scripts

• For example: ..\adn-products\my-product\my-activity

– compileJar.batCompiles Java classes, creates JAR file and copies it to WEB-INF/lib

– importWorkflowRules.batImports workflow rules from an XML file into database

– exportWorkflowRules.batExports workflow rules from the database into an XML file

– testEventHandler.batExecutes an event handler’s unit test and generates a report


Multiple methods in Event Handler

Event handler class can have many methods:

public class HelpDeskHandler extends EventHandlerBase { public void approve(EventHandlerContext context){ // your code here }

public void reject(EventHandlerContext context){ // your code here }

This event handler Java class implements two different workflow rules


Working with Input Parameters

All input parameters are passed to the event handler via EventHandlerContext object:

public void handle(EventHandlerContext context) {

Double cost_estimated = (Double) context.getParameter("cost_estimated");

Web Central converts HTTP request string parameters into Java objects of a correct type – numeric, date, time

String parameters are literalized to protect from SQL injection attack

If parameter is not supplied, the exception is thrown


Working with Input Parameter Groups

Use input parameter groups to handle all values submitted from the form – regardless of their number or names:

Map fieldValues = new HashMap( context.getParameters("fields"));

fieldValues.put("project.status", "Approved");

executeDbSave( context, "project", stripPrefix(fieldValues));


Returning Results from Event Handlers

Use EventHandlerContext to add any number of response parameters:

String message = localizeString(context, "Hello!");context.addResponseParameter("message", message);

All response parameters are added to the response-for-XSL document:

– String parameters as attributes of actionIn XML element;

– XML parameters as children of actionIn XML element;

Access the workflow rule response parameters in custom view XSL:

<xsl:variable name="message" select="//actionIn/result/@message"/>


Tools for Writing Your Own Handlers

Folder structure

Command Utilities

The Eclipse IDE (WebCentralEclipseGuide.doc)

Unit Tests

JS Eclipse

XML Buddy

Firefox

FireBug


Putting it all Together

Helpdesk Request Example

afm_activity_params table


Questions?

PowerPoint Presentation [PPT]

Documents

correct workflow rule

workflow rule examples

workflow rule pointer

business rules

java event handlers

wf rule

rule definition

sql logging