WorkflowSample Lifecycle

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The official documentation is at: http://docs.alfresco.com

Back to Workflow Samples

This page provides an Alfresco Workflow Definition sample.

Table of Contents

• 1 Description


• 2 Author


• 3 Implementation Notes


• 4 Download


• 5 Deployment Configuration


• 6 Process Definition (jPDL)


• 7 Task Model


• 8 Resource Bundles


• 9 Web Client Configuration


• 10 Auto-versioning (3.2)

Description

This samples demonstrates how workflow and a very simple document lifecycle can be integrated.

Author

Mike Farman (Alfresco)

Implementation Notes

The workflow uses a Lifecycle aspect to define the document lifecycle.  On start of the workflow, the aspect is applied to each document in the workflow package.  As the workflow progresses, the lifecycle status (a property of the aspect) is adjusted to reflect the new lifecyce state.  This is all implemented using Alfresco Javascript within the workflow process definition (jPDL).

Download

TODO: provide .acp archive of all source

Deployment Configuration

Filename: config/alfresco/extension/lifecycle-workflow-context.xml

 <beans>
 
    <bean id='lifecycle.workflowBootstrap' parent='workflowDeployer'>
  <property name='workflowDefinitions'>
   <list>
    <props>
     <prop key='engineId'>jbpm</prop>
     <prop key='location'>alfresco/extension/lifecycle_processdefinition.xml</prop>
     <prop key='mimetype'>text/xml</prop>
     <prop key='redeploy'>false</prop>
    </props>
   </list>
  </property>
  <property name='models'>
   <list>
                <value>alfresco/extension/lifecycleModel.xml</value>
   </list>
  </property>
  <property name='labels'>
   <list>
                <value>alfresco/extension/lifecycle-messages</value>
   </list>
  </property>
 </bean>
 
 </beans>

Process Definition (jPDL)

Filename: config/alfresco/extension/lifecycle_processdefinition.xml

<process-definition xmlns='urn:jbpm.org:jpdl-3.1' name='wfl:lifecycleapproval'>

   <swimlane name='initiator' />

   <start-state name='start'>
       <task name='wf:submitReviewTask' swimlane='initiator' />

       <event type='node-leave'>
           <action class='org.alfresco.repo.workflow.jbpm.AlfrescoJavaScript'>
               <script>
                   for (var i = 0; i &lt; bpm_package.children.length; i++)
                   {
                      if (!bpm_package.children[i].hasAspect('wfl:status'))
                      {
                         bpm_package.children[i].addAspect('wfl:status');
                      }
                   }
               </script>
           </action>
       </event>

       <transition name='' to='review' />
   </start-state>

   <swimlane name='reviewer'>
      <assignment class='org.alfresco.repo.workflow.jbpm.AlfrescoAssignment'>
         <actor>#{bpm_assignee}</actor>
      </assignment>
   </swimlane>

   <task-node name='review'>
       <event type='node-enter'>
           <action class='org.alfresco.repo.workflow.jbpm.AlfrescoJavaScript'>
               <script>
                   for (var i = 0; i &lt; bpm_package.children.length; i++)
                   {
                      bpm_package.children[i].properties['wfl:status'] = 'In Review';
                      bpm_package.children[i].save();
                   }
               </script>
           </action>
       </event>

       <task name='wf:reviewTask' swimlane='reviewer'>
           <event type='task-create'>
               <script>
                   if (bpm_workflowDueDate != void) taskInstance.dueDate = bpm_workflowDueDate;
                   if (bpm_workflowPriority != void) taskInstance.priority = bpm_workflowPriority;
               </script>
           </event>
       </task>
        
       <transition name='reject' to='rejected' />
       <transition name='approve' to='approved' />
   </task-node>

   <task-node name='rejected'>
       <event type='node-enter'>
           <action class='org.alfresco.repo.workflow.jbpm.AlfrescoJavaScript'>
               <script>
                   for (var i = 0; i &lt; bpm_package.children.length; i++)
                   {
                      bpm_package.children[i].properties['wfl:status'] = 'Draft';
                      bpm_package.children[i].save();
                   }
               </script>
           </action>
       </event>

       <task name='wf:rejectedTask' swimlane='initiator' />
       <transition name='' to='end' />
   </task-node>

   <task-node name='approved'>
       <event type='node-enter'>
           <action class='org.alfresco.repo.workflow.jbpm.AlfrescoJavaScript'>
               <script>
                   for (var i = 0; i &lt; bpm_package.children.length; i++)
                   {
                      bpm_package.children[i].properties['wfl:status'] = 'Approved';
                      bpm_package.children[i].save();
                   }
               </script>
           </action>
       </event>

       <task name='wf:approvedTask' swimlane='initiator' />
       <transition name='' to='end' />
   </task-node>

   <end-state name='end' />

   <event type='process-end'>
       <action class='org.alfresco.repo.workflow.jbpm.AlfrescoJavaScript'>
           <script>
               if (cancelled)
               {
                   for (var i = 0; i &lt; bpm_package.children.length; i++)
                   {
                      if (bpm_package.children[0].hasAspect('wfl:status'))
                      {
                         bpm_package.children[i].properties['wfl:status'] = 'Draft';
                         bpm_package.children[i].save();
                      }
                   }
                   if (logger.isLoggingEnabled()) logger.log('Workflow cancelled, status reset to Draft');
               } 
               else                
               {
                   if (logger.isLoggingEnabled()) logger.log('Workflow completed');
               } 
           </script>
       </action>
   </event>

</process-definition>

Task Model

Filename: config/alfresco/extension/lifecycleModel.xml

<model name='wfl:workflowlifecyclemodel' xmlns='http://www.alfresco.org/model/dictionary/1.0'>

   <description>Workflow Lifecycle Model</description>
   <author></author>
   <version>1.0</version>

   <imports>
       <import uri='http://www.alfresco.org/model/dictionary/1.0' prefix='d' />
       <import uri='http://www.alfresco.org/model/content/1.0' prefix='cm' />
   </imports>

   <namespaces>
       <namespace uri='wfl.model' prefix='wfl' />
   </namespaces>

   <constraints>
       <constraint name='wfl:status' type='LIST'>
           <parameter name='allowedValues'>
               <list>
                   <value>Draft</value>
                   <value>In Review</value>
                   <value>Approved</value>
               </list>
           </parameter>
       </constraint>
   </constraints>

   <aspects>

       <aspect name='wfl:status'>
           <title>Status</title>
           <properties>
               <property name='wfl:status'>
                   <title>Status</title>
                   <type>d:text</type>
                   <default>Draft</default>
                   <constraints>
                       <constraint ref='wfl:status' />
                   </constraints>
               </property>
           </properties>
       </aspect>

   </aspects>

</model>

Resource Bundles

Filename: config/alfresco/extension/lifecycle-messages.properties

wfl_lifecycleapproval.workflow.title=Lifecycle Review & Approve
wfl_lifecycleapproval.workflow.description=Lifecycle Review & Approval workflow (Auto updates document status)
wfl_lifecycleapproval.node.review.transition.reject.title=Reject
wfl_lifecycleapproval.node.review.transition.reject.description=Reject
wfl_lifecycleapproval.node.review.transition.approve.title=Approve
wfl_lifecycleapproval.node.review.transition.approve.description=Approve

Web Client Configuration

None required, as it relies on the review & approve web client task dialogs.

Auto-versioning (3.2)

In addition to auto-versioning on content updates, Alfresco 3.2 introduces auto-versioning on property-only updates. This does mean that a piece of versionable content (ie. document that has versioning behaviour enabled) which particpates in the sample 'Lifecycle Review & Approval' workflow, may have versions auto-incremented simply by the update of the custom status property.

If this behaviour is not desired then auto-versioning for property-only updates can be disabled or the versionable aspect can be overridden to exclude this specific property (wfl:status).
Workflow
Workflow Samples