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Using the Workflow Editor

The Workflow Editor is a graphical tool that allows you to create and modify workflows.

For the Workflow Editor to function properly, you must have the Java Plug-In installed. See the WorldServer client system specifications for information regarding the required Java Plug-In version.

After you have added all of the needed steps to the workflow, you connect them together using transitions. Transitions connect workflow steps and control the overall flow of the workflow.

Creating a New Workflow

When you create a new workflow, the Workflow Editor opens. It displays a workflow template which contains three pre-defined and required steps, Start, Finish, and Cancel, as shown in the following figure:

Figure 1. New Workflow

Adding Human Steps to a Workflow

  1. To insert a human step, click Insert > Insert Human Step. A dialog box appears containing the available human actions.

    Figure 2. The Insert Human Step dialog box

  2. Select the name of the human step to enter. You can optionally add Instructions. When the user clicks the name of the step in the Task List, the instructions are displayed.
  3. Select at least one assignee from the list of assignees (multiple assignees can be assigned to the same step). The list of available assignees contains workflow roles and users, because a step can be assigned to any of these items.
  4. Optionally, in the Expected Duration area, enter the amount of time it should take to complete the step.

    When a user works on a task, the expected duration is displayed.

  5. Click OK. The cursor changes to a plus sign (+). Put the cursor over the area in the Workflow Editor where you want to place the step and click to put it there. After you place a step, you can drag it to another location.

Adding Automatic Steps to a Workflow

Adding an Automatic Step to a workflow is similar to adding a Human Step.

  1. From the Workflow Editor, select Insert > Insert Automatic Step. A dialog box appears listing all the available

    automatic actions.

    Figure 3. Insert Automatic Step Dialog Box

  2. From the Automatic action list, select the automatic action to add.

    Some automatic actions have arguments that need to be configured. If so, enter a value for each argument in the Input arguments section.

  3. Add the step the same way you add a human step.

    The first time you add an automatic step to a workflow, the Auto Error step will automatically be added to the workflow as well.

Adding Parallel Review Steps to a Workflow

Adding a Parallel Review Step is similar to adding a Human Step except that you choose between two and five separate Reviewers to assign the task to.
  1. Select Insert > Insert Parallel Review Step.

    A dialog box appears that prompts you to set up this step.

    Figure 4. Insert Parallel Review Step Dialog Box

  2. Choose the number of reviewers from the list.
  3. For each reviewer, provide textual instructions for that reviewer and select at least one assignee from the list of assignees (multiple assignees can be assigned to the same step).

    The list of available assignees contains workflow roles and users, because a step can be assigned to any of these entities.

  4. Click OK.

    The cursor changes to a plus sign (+).

  5. Put the cursor over the area where you want to place the step and click. After you place a step, you can drag it to another location.

Adding Sub-Workflow Steps to a Workflow

  1. Select Insert > Insert Sub-Workflow Step.

    A dialog box appears>

    Figure 5. Insert Sub-Workflow Step Dialog Box

  2. Choose which workflow to embed into this workflow.
  3. Click OK.The cursor changes to a plus sign (+).
  4. Put the cursor over the area where you want to place the step and click. After you place a step, you can drag it to another location.

Adding Parallel Sub-Workflow Steps to a Workflow

Adding a Parallel Sub-Workflow Step is similar to adding a Sub-Workflow Step except that you choose between two and five separate branches of the workflow, each with a separate sub-workflow inside of them.

  1. Select Insert > Insert Parallel Sub-Workflow Step.

    A dialog box appears that assists you with setting up this step.

    Figure 6. Insert Parallel Sub-Workflow Step

  2. Choose the number of parallel reviewers for this step.
  3. Select the type of branching to use.
  4. For each branch, select the sub-workflow to include.
  5. Click OK.The cursor changes to a plus sign (+).
  6. Put the cursor over the area where you want to place the step and click. After you place a step, you can drag it to another location. After you have placed a step, you can click and drag it to another location if you like.

Drawing a Workflow Transition

You connect workflow steps together with transitions, to control the overall flow of the workflow.

  1. To draw a transition, select Insert > Insert Transition.

    The cursor changes to a hand shape.

  2. With the cursor in this state, move the cursor over a step to see black boxes appear at the outer edges of the step.

    These boxes indicate that you can draw a transition from this step to another one. You can start the transition at any of the black boxes in the source step and end it at any black box in the target step.

    Figure 7. Starting to Draw a Transition

  3. Drag the transition from the source step to the target step.
    You will know you’ve reached the target step when black boxes appear around its edges.

    Figure 8. Inserting a Transition

  4. Release the mouse button. The transition is drawn.

    Figure 9. Completing the Transition

    If the cursor switches back to normal when you release the mouse, it is because you did not click and drag the transition properly. Start over and try again.

If you are creating a workflow that has complex loop-back transitions, depending on where you position your steps, some transition lines might overlay each other, making it difficult to quickly determine which way the flow arrow goes. To help clarify this, the workflow editor highlights incoming and outgoing transitions of selected steps with different colors, so by selecting one step or the other, you can easily disambiguate those transitions.

Creating Transitions from Automatic Workflow Steps

When you create a transition from an automatic step, a dialog box appears with all of the possible return values for that automatic action.

Figure 10. Return Value of Transition

Select the return value that you want to create a transition for. Note that before you can save a workflow, each automatic step must have transitions for each possible return value.

Creating Transitions from Human Workflow Steps

When you create a transition from a human step, a dialog box appears, prompting you to provide a name for this transition.

Figure 11. Name of Transition

When the assignee completes a task in this step, the name of the transition is displayed. For example, if you create a transition from a Translate step to a Review step, you might label the transition as Send to Reviewer.

You can also designate the Transition order, which controls the order of the choices presented to the assignee.

Creating Transitions from Parallel Review Steps

Parallel Review steps have exactly two possible results: Approved and Rejected.

When you create a transition from a Parallel Review step, a dialog box appears asking you to choose which result the transition is based on.

Figure 12. Result Path for Transition

To save your workflow, you must have transitions defined for both the Approved and Rejected results for all parallel review steps.

Creating Transitions from Sub-Workflows

Sub-Workflow steps have exactly two possible results: Success and Failure.

When you create a transition from a Parallel Review step, a dialog box appears asking you to choose which result the transition is based on.

Figure 13. Result Path for Transition

To create a transition from a Sub-Workflow, select either the Success or Failure transition.

To save a workflow, you must create transitions for both Success and Failure for any sub-workflow you are using.

Creating Transitions from Parallel Sub-Workflow Steps

Parallel sub-workflow steps have exactly two possible results: Success and Failure.

The algorithm that is used to determine the result of a parallel sub-workflow is based on the type of the parallel sub-workflow.

To create a transition from a Parallel Sub-Workflow, select either the Success or Failure transition.