Workflow Stumps Me

[lgwannabe]

This should be easy, but I don't see how to do it. I have an AllInBound space that parses the filename and moves the word documents to a specific space in a user home called Drafts. With the Word add-in, I need the user to update the document and save the changes.On saving, I need the document to be converted to PDF and copied to the users Approved space, while moving the original document from Drafts to an AllOutBound space higher in the tree.

Inbound, Update, and Outbound rules seem to fire whenever they feel like it and I cannot get this to work after weeks of trying and tons of documentation read.

Any help appreciated!

[rdanner]

This should be easy, but I don't see how to do it. I have an AllInBound space that parses the filename and moves the word documents to a specific space in a user home called Drafts. With the Word add-in, I need the user to update the document and save the changes.On saving, I need the document to be converted to PDF and copied to the users Approved space, while moving the original document from Drafts to an AllOutBound space higher in the tree.

Inbound, Update, and Outbound rules seem to fire whenever they feel like it and I cannot get this to work after weeks of trying and tons of documentation read.

Any help appreciated!

I've always found the rules to execute as expected.  Can you tell us what version you are on and what rules you are applying and executing.

From the sound of it – it doesn't sound as though you would require an outbound rule.

[lgwannabe]

This should be easy, but I don't see how to do it. I have an AllInBound space that parses the filename and moves the word documents to a specific space in a user home called Drafts. With the Word add-in, I need the user to update the document and save the changes.On saving, I need the document to be converted to PDF and copied to the users Approved space, while moving the original document from Drafts to an AllOutBound space higher in the tree.

Inbound, Update, and Outbound rules seem to fire whenever they feel like it and I cannot get this to work after weeks of trying and tons of documentation read.

Any help appreciated!

I've always found the rules to execute as expected.  Can you tell us what version you are on and what rules you are applying and executing.

From the sound of it – it doesn't sound as though you would require an outbound rule.

Sure, sorry. 2.1 Community Version of Alfresco. The 'AllInBound' space has an Inbound rule that parses the filename for a four-letter code and routes to the appropriate user's 'Drafts' space. I have tried both an Inbound and Update rule on the Drafts space to perform the 'copy and transform' and move, but either way it fires immediately when the file arrives from 'AllInBound'. So the user never gets the chance to see/edit the file. I know I am missing something; perhaps I need to script a Review workflow (but I was trying to avoid that at this initial stage).

Alan

[rdanner]

This should be easy, but I don't see how to do it. I have an AllInBound space that parses the filename and moves the word documents to a specific space in a user home called Drafts. With the Word add-in, I need the user to update the document and save the changes.On saving, I need the document to be converted to PDF and copied to the users Approved space, while moving the original document from Drafts to an AllOutBound space higher in the tree.

Inbound, Update, and Outbound rules seem to fire whenever they feel like it and I cannot get this to work after weeks of trying and tons of documentation read.

Any help appreciated!

I've always found the rules to execute as expected.  Can you tell us what version you are on and what rules you are applying and executing.

From the sound of it – it doesn't sound as though you would require an outbound rule.

Sure, sorry. 2.1 Community Version of Alfresco. The 'AllInBound' space has an Inbound rule that parses the filename for a four-letter code and routes to the appropriate user's 'Drafts' space. I have tried both an Inbound and Update rule on the Drafts space to perform the 'copy and transform' and move, but either way it fires immediately when the file arrives from 'AllInBound'. So the user never gets the chance to see/edit the file. I know I am missing something; perhaps I need to script a Review workflow (but I was trying to avoid that at this initial stage).

Alan

it sounds as though your workflow is very simple – and alfresco has a very simple solution for very simple workflow.  In your folder on inbound add a workflow to the object (not a move) the action wizard will walk you through the steps of adding options for the user – move on approve etc.

When the document arrives it will get the workflow associated with it but it wont go anywhere….  the user can edit it etc.. and still it will not move.  When they are ready to approve it the can use the action menu for the item to advance it in the appropriate way within the workflow which will then cause it to move.

This workflow is ofcourse very simple.. for more complex tasks use the JBPM workflow.  In fact you may consider always using it – it depends on how fast you need to turn something around and just how simple the need is.

[lgwannabe]

So what I did was left the Inbound rule intact for AllInBound, which moves the document to the appropriate Drafts folder. Set an Inbound rule in Drafts that runs a script to start the Review process and assigns it to user. This then shows up in the 'My Tasks' panel of the Word Add-in. The user can open, edit/save if necessary, then 'Approve' the document.

All of the above works.

What I cannot figure out is how to have the document move to an 'Approved' folder once it is approved from the Word add-in. I do not want to have to manually move the file. I was thinking maybe a rule to check if the document had been approved, but have not figured out how to check this. I especially do not want to have the 'Review' user be forced to interact with the Web Client … only the Word add-in.

Looking forward to some advice or point me in the direction of some existing documentation … Is this the way to go?

Alan