Document Approval Chain Example

Use Case

The ABC Corporation regularly receives RFQs (Request for Quotation) for custom work from prospective clients. A sales person is assigned to analyse the client's requirements and prepare a quotation document: before the tender document is submitted it requires a chain of approvals at various levels within the company. The following groups or persons are required to approve the document, in order:

Peer reviewers
The Vice President of Sales
The Director of Communications
The Chief Executive Officer

Each approver can either reject or approve the document, citing a reason. They each have three working days in which to approve the document – if they have not done so by then, the workflow system automatically routes the document to the next approver. If the document is rejected, the workflow system re-routes it to the previous person in the chain.

Whenever such a Proposal Document is created, the electronic document management system automatically initiates a workflow process, passing the HTTP URL of the new document and the user ID of the creator. The participants of the document approval process use the corporate standard office software to view and edit the document via WEBDAV. The workflow management system has been configured with a tool agent to launch the office software. The web browser is used to record the reviewer's decision.

Interfaces

Applications

Approval Form: updateProcessAttributes(INOUT STRING attr)
Web browser: browser(IN STRING url)
Document launcher: obe.viewDocument(IN STRING docUri), obe.editDocument(IN STRING docUri)

Hints

The uploading of a new document to WebDAV should trigger a new instance of this workflow.
Model the peer review stage by assigning the activity to a group of individuals named Sales. This will create a work item (an assigned activity instance) for each member of the group. Assume the peer review activity will automatically complete once all the work items are complete (or the activity times out or is manually marked complete).
The obe.viewDocument and obe.editDocument tool agents rely upon the browser's content handler plugins or host operating system's built-in shell file associations to launch the appropriate application for the document type in question.
Capture each participant's approval or otherwise using the obe.updateProcessAttributes application.
Use a synchronous <xpdl:Deadline> to implement the three-day timeout periods.
Check out OBE's pluggable work item assignment strategy, activity completion strategy, and business calendar facilities.

Questions

What happens if the timeout period spans a weekend or holiday?

Solution

Process Model Description

The workflow is triggered by the DocumentCreated event (defined in $OBE_HOME/examples/config/BasicApplicationEvent.xml). Notice the <xpdl:ExtendedAttribute name="obe.Event"> element attached to the <WorkflowProcess> below: see how it fetches the docUri process attribute from the event by specifying it as an OUT parameter.
Alternatively the workflow can be explicitly instantiated using the Web Worklist, in which case it will be necessary to supply the docUri process attribute value (necessary, because it is specified as a <FormalParameter> of the workflow).
The workflow consists of an initial Edit Document activity (edit-doc: auto-start, manual-finish) which uses the web browser to download the document and launch an appropriate application to edit it.
Once the document is complete the submittor marks his or her work item complete, thereby initiating the sequence of four consecutive review steps (peer-rev, vp-sales-rev, dc-rev, ceo-rev: auto-start, manual-finish).
In each step the reviewer executes the work item; this launches two application-type tools: one window displays the document and another captures their accept/reject decision and review comments.

Acceptance moves the process forward to the next step; rejection reverts it to the previous step.

If a review work item has not been completed within three days a timeout exception closes the work item and moves the process forward via (~ timeout) activities (a6, a7, a8: auto-start, auto-finish), which invoke the OBE procedure obe.assignProcessInstanceAttribute to record the string '(timed out)' in the appropriate comments variable. The Chief Executive's review activity is not subject to timeout; when it is complete, the workflow completes.

XPDL Process Model

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Package Id="document-approval" Name="Document Approval" xmlns="http://www.wfmc.org/2002/XPDL1.0" xmlns:xpdl="http://www.wfmc.org/2002/XPDL1.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.wfmc.org/2002/XPDL1.0 http://wfmc.org/standards/docs/TC-1025_schema_10_xpdl.xsd">
    <PackageHeader>
        <XPDLVersion>1.0</XPDLVersion>
        <Vendor>Open Business Engine</Vendor>
        <Created>2004-08-08 15:56:04</Created>
    </PackageHeader>
    <RedefinableHeader PublicationStatus="UNDER_TEST"/>
    <ConformanceClass GraphConformance="NON_BLOCKED"/>
    <Script Type="text/x-xpath" Version="1.0"/>
    <TypeDeclarations>
    </TypeDeclarations>
    <WorkflowProcesses>
        <WorkflowProcess AccessLevel="PUBLIC" Id="doc-appro" Name="Document Approval">
            <ProcessHeader DurationUnit="D">
                <Created>2004-08-08 15:57:34</Created>
                <Description>Drives the process of approving a document.</Description>
            </ProcessHeader>
            <RedefinableHeader PublicationStatus="UNDER_TEST">
                <Author>Adrian Price</Author>
            </RedefinableHeader>
            <FormalParameters>
                <FormalParameter Id="docUri" Mode="IN">
                    <DataType>
                        <BasicType Type="STRING"/>
                    </DataType>
                    <Description>The URI of the document under review.</Description>
                </FormalParameter>
            </FormalParameters>
            <DataFields>
                <DataField Id="peerApproved" IsArray="FALSE">
                    <DataType>
                        <BasicType Type="BOOLEAN"/>
                    </DataType>
                </DataField>
                <DataField Id="peerComments" IsArray="FALSE">
                    <DataType>
                        <BasicType Type="STRING"/>
                    </DataType>
                </DataField>
                <DataField Id="vpSalesApproved" IsArray="FALSE">
                    <DataType>
                        <BasicType Type="BOOLEAN"/>
                    </DataType>
                </DataField>
                <DataField Id="vpSalesComments" IsArray="FALSE">
                    <DataType>
                        <BasicType Type="STRING"/>
                    </DataType>
                </DataField>
                <DataField Id="dirCommsApproved" IsArray="FALSE">
                    <DataType>
                        <BasicType Type="BOOLEAN"/>
                    </DataType>
                </DataField>
                <DataField Id="dirCommsComments" IsArray="FALSE">
                    <DataType>
                        <BasicType Type="STRING"/>
                    </DataType>
                </DataField>
                <DataField Id="ceoApproved" IsArray="FALSE">
                    <DataType>
                        <BasicType Type="BOOLEAN"/>
                    </DataType>
                </DataField>
                <DataField Id="ceoComments" IsArray="FALSE">
                    <DataType>
                        <BasicType Type="STRING"/>
                    </DataType>
                </DataField>
            </DataFields>
            <Participants>
                <Participant Id="Submittor" Name="Document Submittor">
                    <ParticipantType Type="ROLE"/>
                    <Description>This role represents the person submitting the document for approval.</Description>
                </Participant>
                <Participant Id="Sales" Name="Peer reviewers in Sales Dept.">
                    <ParticipantType Type="ORGANIZATIONAL_UNIT"/>
                </Participant>
                <Participant Id="VPSales" Name="Vice President of Sales">
                    <ParticipantType Type="ROLE"/>
                </Participant>
                <Participant Id="DirCom" Name="Director of Communications">
                    <ParticipantType Type="ROLE"/>
                </Participant>
                <Participant Id="CEO" Name="Chief Executive Officer">
                    <ParticipantType Type="ROLE"/>
                </Participant>
            </Participants>
            <Applications>
                <Application Id="browser" Name="Web Browser">
                    <Description>
                        This tool agent uses the shell file associations of the
                        underlying platform to invoke the appropriate editor for
                        the document type referred to in the supplied URL. The
                        URL can be that of a web application, external web site,
                        a file in a WebDAV document repository. Basically, any
                        resource that can be accessed through a URL and for
                        which the host browser has a protocol handler registered.
                        N.B. The browser also acts as a document launcher - there
                        is no need for the separate 'start' tool referred to in
                        the original exercise description.
                    </Description>
                    <FormalParameters>
                        <FormalParameter Id="url" Mode="IN">
                            <DataType>
                                <BasicType Type="STRING"/>
                            </DataType>
                            <Description>The URL of the document or web application to open.</Description>
                        </FormalParameter>
                    </FormalParameters>
                </Application>
                <Application Id="obe.editDocument" Name="Document Editor">
<!--                    <ExternalReference location="obe.editDocument"/>-->
                    <FormalParameters>
                        <FormalParameter Id="url" Mode="IN">
                            <DataType>
                                <BasicType Type="STRING"/>
                            </DataType>
                            <Description>The URL of the document or web application to open.</Description>
                        </FormalParameter>
                    </FormalParameters>
                </Application>
                <Application Id="obe.viewDocument" Name="Document Viewer">
<!--                    <ExternalReference location="obe.viewDocument"/>-->
                    <FormalParameters>
                        <FormalParameter Id="url" Mode="IN">
                            <DataType>
                                <BasicType Type="STRING"/>
                            </DataType>
                            <Description>The URL of the document or web application to open.</Description>
                        </FormalParameter>
                    </FormalParameters>
                </Application>
                <Application Id="obe.updateProcessAttributes" Name="Update Process Attributes">
                    <Description>Displays a form to allow process variables to be updated.</Description>
                    <ExternalReference location="obe.updateProcessAttributes"/>
                </Application>
                <Application Id="obe.assignProcessAttribute">
                    <Description>This procedure sets a process instance attribute.</Description>
                    <FormalParameters>
                        <FormalParameter Id="attrName" Mode="OUT">
                            <DataType>
                                <BasicType Type="STRING"/>
                            </DataType>
                            <Description>The name of the process instance attribute.</Description>
                        </FormalParameter>
                        <FormalParameter Id="attrValue" Mode="IN">
                            <DataType>
                                <BasicType Type="STRING"/>
                            </DataType>
                            <Description>The value to assign attribute.</Description>
                        </FormalParameter>
                    </FormalParameters>
                </Application>
            </Applications>
            <Activities>
                <Activity Id="a10" Name="Route">
                    <Description>This route activity is present because XPDL does not permit a loopback to the start activity.</Description>
                    <Route/>
                    <StartMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </StartMode>
                    <FinishMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </FinishMode>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="ParticipantID" Value="Submittor"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="XOffset" Value="150"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="YOffset" Value="40"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Activity>
                <Activity Id="edit-doc" Name="Edit Document">
                    <Implementation>
                        <Tool Id="obe.editDocument" Type="APPLICATION">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>$docUri</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                    </Implementation>
                    <Performer>Submittor</Performer>
                    <StartMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </StartMode>
                    <FinishMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </FinishMode>
                    <TransitionRestrictions>
                        <TransitionRestriction>
                            <Join Type="XOR"/>
                        </TransitionRestriction>
                    </TransitionRestrictions>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="ParticipantID" Value="Submittor"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="XOffset" Value="270"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="YOffset" Value="40"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Activity>
                <Activity Id="peer-rev" Name="Peer Review">
                    <Limit>3D</Limit>
                    <Implementation>
                        <Tool Id="obe.viewDocument" Type="APPLICATION">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>$docUri</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                        <Tool Id="obe.updateProcessAttributes" Type="APPLICATION">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>peerApproved</ActualParameter>
                                <ActualParameter>peerComments</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                    </Implementation>
                    <Performer>Sales</Performer>
                    <StartMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </StartMode>
                    <FinishMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </FinishMode>
                    <Deadline Execution="SYNCHR">
                        <DeadlineCondition>3D</DeadlineCondition>
                        <ExceptionName>timeout</ExceptionName>
                    </Deadline>
                    <TransitionRestrictions>
                        <TransitionRestriction>
                            <Join Type="XOR"/>
                            <Split Type="XOR">
                                <TransitionRefs>
                                    <TransitionRef Id="peer-rej"/>
                                    <TransitionRef Id="peer-app"/>
                                    <TransitionRef Id="peer-tmo"/>
                                </TransitionRefs>
                            </Split>
                        </TransitionRestriction>
                    </TransitionRestrictions>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="ParticipantID" Value="Sales"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="XOffset" Value="380"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="YOffset" Value="50"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="obe.ToolMode" Value="PARALLEL"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Activity>
                <Activity Id="a6" Name="(peer timeout)">
                    <Implementation>
                        <Tool Id="obe.assignProcessAttribute" Type="PROCEDURE">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>peerComments</ActualParameter>
                                <ActualParameter>'(timed out)'</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                    </Implementation>
                    <StartMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </StartMode>
                    <FinishMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </FinishMode>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="ParticipantID" Value="Sales"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="XOffset" Value="490"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="YOffset" Value="50"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Activity>
                <Activity Id="vp-sales-rev" Name="VP Sales Review">
                    <Limit>3D</Limit>
                    <Implementation>
                        <Tool Id="obe.viewDocument" Type="APPLICATION">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>$docUri</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                        <Tool Id="obe.updateProcessAttributes" Type="APPLICATION">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>vpSalesApproved</ActualParameter>
                                <ActualParameter>vpSalesComments</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                    </Implementation>
                    <Performer>VPSales</Performer>
                    <StartMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </StartMode>
                    <FinishMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </FinishMode>
                    <Deadline Execution="SYNCHR">
                        <DeadlineCondition>3D</DeadlineCondition>
                        <ExceptionName>timeout</ExceptionName>
                    </Deadline>
                    <TransitionRestrictions>
                        <TransitionRestriction>
                            <Join Type="XOR"/>
                            <Split Type="XOR">
                                <TransitionRefs>
                                    <TransitionRef Id="vp-sales-rej"/>
                                    <TransitionRef Id="vp-sales-app"/>
                                    <TransitionRef Id="vp-sales-tmo"/>
                                </TransitionRefs>
                            </Split>
                        </TransitionRestriction>
                    </TransitionRestrictions>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="ParticipantID" Value="VPSales"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="XOffset" Value="490"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="YOffset" Value="50"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="obe.ToolMode" Value="PARALLEL"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Activity>
                <Activity Id="a7" Name="(vp sales timeout)">
                    <Implementation>
                        <Tool Id="obe.assignProcessAttribute" Type="PROCEDURE">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>vpSalesComments</ActualParameter>
                                <ActualParameter>'(timed out)'</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                    </Implementation>
                    <StartMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </StartMode>
                    <FinishMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </FinishMode>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="ParticipantID" Value="VPSales"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="XOffset" Value="620"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="YOffset" Value="50"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Activity>
                <Activity Id="dc-rev" Name="Director of Communications Review">
                    <Limit>3D</Limit>
                    <Implementation>
                        <Tool Id="obe.viewDocument" Type="APPLICATION">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>$docUri</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                        <Tool Id="obe.updateProcessAttributes" Type="APPLICATION">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>dirCommsApproved</ActualParameter>
                                <ActualParameter>dirCommsComments</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                    </Implementation>
                    <Performer>DirCom</Performer>
                    <StartMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </StartMode>
                    <FinishMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </FinishMode>
                    <Deadline Execution="SYNCHR">
                        <DeadlineCondition>3D</DeadlineCondition>
                        <ExceptionName>timeout</ExceptionName>
                    </Deadline>
                    <TransitionRestrictions>
                        <TransitionRestriction>
                            <Join Type="XOR"/>
                            <Split Type="XOR">
                                <TransitionRefs>
                                    <TransitionRef Id="dir-comm-app"/>
                                    <TransitionRef Id="dir-comm-tmo"/>
                                    <TransitionRef Id="dir-comm-rej"/>
                                </TransitionRefs>
                            </Split>
                        </TransitionRestriction>
                    </TransitionRestrictions>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="ParticipantID" Value="DirCom"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="XOffset" Value="620"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="YOffset" Value="60"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="obe.ToolMode" Value="PARALLEL"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Activity>
                <Activity Id="a8" Name="(dir comms timeout)">
                    <Implementation>
                        <Tool Id="obe.assignProcessAttribute" Type="PROCEDURE">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>dirCommsComments</ActualParameter>
                                <ActualParameter>'(timed out)'</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                    </Implementation>
                    <StartMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </StartMode>
                    <FinishMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </FinishMode>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="ParticipantID" Value="DirCom"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="XOffset" Value="750"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="YOffset" Value="60"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Activity>
                <Activity Id="ceo-rev" Name="Chief Executive Officer Review">
                    <Limit>3D</Limit>
                    <Implementation>
                        <Tool Id="obe.viewDocument" Type="APPLICATION">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>$docUri</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                        <Tool Id="obe.updateProcessAttributes" Type="APPLICATION">
                            <ActualParameters>
                                <ActualParameter>ceoApproved</ActualParameter>
                                <ActualParameter>ceoComments</ActualParameter>
                            </ActualParameters>
                        </Tool>
                    </Implementation>
                    <Performer>CEO</Performer>
                    <StartMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </StartMode>
                    <FinishMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </FinishMode>
                    <TransitionRestrictions>
                        <TransitionRestriction>
                            <Join Type="XOR"/>
                            <Split Type="XOR">
                                <TransitionRefs>
                                    <TransitionRef Id="ceo-app"/>
                                    <TransitionRef Id="ceo-rej"/>
                                </TransitionRefs>
                            </Split>
                        </TransitionRestriction>
                    </TransitionRestrictions>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="ParticipantID" Value="CEO"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="XOffset" Value="750"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="YOffset" Value="60"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="obe.ToolMode" Value="PARALLEL"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Activity>
                <Activity Id="a11" Name="Route">
                    <Description>This route activity is present because XPDL does not permit a loopback from the exit activity.</Description>
                    <Route/>
                    <StartMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </StartMode>
                    <FinishMode>
                        <Automatic/>
                    </FinishMode>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="ParticipantID" Value="CEO"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="XOffset" Value="920"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="YOffset" Value="60"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Activity>
            </Activities>
            <Transitions>
                <Transition From="a10" Id="t15" Name="Transition" To="edit-doc">
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="edit-doc" Id="submit" Name="Document Submitted" To="peer-rev">
                    <Description>The originator submits the document for peer review.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="peer-rev" Id="peer-rej" Name="Peers Rejected" To="edit-doc">
                    <Condition Type="OTHERWISE"/>
                    <Description>The Peer Reviewers have rejected the document.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="BreakPoint" Value="310;220;1"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="peer-rev" Id="peer-app" Name="Peers Approved" To="vp-sales-rev">
                    <Condition Type="CONDITION">$peerApproved</Condition>
                    <Description>The peer reviewers have approved the document.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="peer-rev" Id="peer-tmo" Name="Peer Review Timed Out" To="a6">
                    <Condition Type="EXCEPTION">timeout</Condition>
                    <Description>This transition is fired when the 3-day deadline expires.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="a6" Id="t11" To="vp-sales-rev">
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="vp-sales-rev" Id="vp-sales-app" Name="VP Sales Approved" To="dc-rev">
                    <Condition Type="CONDITION">$vpSalesApproved</Condition>
                    <Description>The VP of Sales has approved the document.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="vp-sales-rev" Id="vp-sales-rej" Name="VP Sales Rejected" To="peer-rev">
                    <Condition Type="OTHERWISE"/>
                    <Description>The VP of Sales has rejected the document.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="BreakPoint" Value="420;370;1"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="vp-sales-rev" Id="vp-sales-tmo" Name="VP Sales Review Timed Out" To="a7">
                    <Condition Type="EXCEPTION">timeout</Condition>
                    <Description>This transition is fired when the 3-day deadline expires.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="a7" Id="t12" To="dc-rev">
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="dc-rev" Id="dir-comm-app" Name="Director of Comms Approved" To="ceo-rev">
                    <Condition Type="CONDITION">$dirCommsApproved</Condition>
                    <Description>The Director of Communications has approved the document.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="dc-rev" Id="dir-comm-rej" Name="Dir Comms Rejected" To="vp-sales-rev">
                    <Condition Type="OTHERWISE"/>
                    <Description>The Director of Communications has rejected the document.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="BreakPoint" Value="530;530;1"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="dc-rev" Id="dir-comm-tmo" Name="Director of Communications Review Timed Out" To="a8">
                    <Condition Type="EXCEPTION">timeout</Condition>
                    <Description>This transition is fired when the 3-day deadline expires.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="a8" Id="t13" To="ceo-rev">
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="ceo-rev" Id="ceo-app" Name="CEO Approved" To="a11">
                    <Condition Type="CONDITION">$ceoApproved</Condition>
                    <Description>The Chief Executive Officer has approved the document.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
                <Transition From="ceo-rev" Id="ceo-rej" Name="CEO Rejected" To="dc-rev">
                    <Condition Type="OTHERWISE"/>
                    <Description>The Chief Executive Officer has rejected the document.</Description>
                    <ExtendedAttributes>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="RoutingType" Value="NOROUTING"/>
                        <ExtendedAttribute Name="BreakPoint" Value="660;680;1"/>
                    </ExtendedAttributes>
                </Transition>
            </Transitions>
            <ExtendedAttributes>
                <!-- Workflow can be triggered by the creation of a new document via WebDAV. -->
                <ExtendedAttribute Name="obe.Event">
                    <obe:Event Id="DocumentCreated">
                        <xpdl:ActualParameters>
                            <xpdl:ActualParameter>docUri</xpdl:ActualParameter>
                        </xpdl:ActualParameters>
                    </obe:Event>
                </ExtendedAttribute>
                <ExtendedAttribute Name="StartOfWorkflow" Value="Submittor;doc-appro_Act10;60;40;NOROUTING"/>
                <ExtendedAttribute Name="EndOfWorkflow" Value="CEO;a11;1070;60;NOROUTING"/>
                <ExtendedAttribute Name="ParticipantVisualOrder" Value="Submittor;Sales;VPSales;DirCom;CEO;"/>
            </ExtendedAttributes>
        </WorkflowProcess>
    </WorkflowProcesses>
    <ExtendedAttributes>
        <ExtendedAttribute Name="MadeBy" Value="JaWE"/>
        <ExtendedAttribute Name="Version" Value="1.2"/>
    </ExtendedAttributes>
</Package>

Solution Files

See the solution files under $OBE_HOME/examples:

config/processes/document-approval.xpdl
src/com/abc/example/ABCProcedures.java

Deployment and Execution

Since the workflow involves structured interactions with a document, you need to have an installed application that's registered for the document's file type (e.g., OpenOffice for *.sxw files, MS-Word for *.doc files). Because this workflow assumes a WebDAV store it is best executed in the OBE J2EE server, which embeds such a store (implemented by Jakarta Slide), rather than using the standalone workflow engine.

Deploy the document-approval.xpdl package.
Start a workflow instance by either:

Instantiating an instance of the doc-appro workflow from the Worklist client.
Supplying the URL of the proposal document as prompted. The URL can use the file: protocol or the http: protocol in the case of a Web Folder (WebDAV document store).

Use WebDAV / Web Folders support to upload a document to the Slide WebDAV store at http://localhost:8080/slide/files/ (substituting a host name and port appropriate to your application server). N.B. The OBE Slide configuration is set up to request HTTP Basic Authentication from the WebDAV client, so you will need to authenticate as a Slide user with the requisite permissions for uploading new documents, such as john, john2 or root. By default the passwords are the same as the Slide User IDs.

Use the Worklist client to drive the process to completion by:

Executing the 'peer-rev', 'vp-sales-rev', 'dc-rev' and 'ceo-rev' work items, responding to the prompts in the worklist handler UI to record your acceptance or rejection at each stage.
Note how the Worklist handler uses the Operating System's native File Type Associations to launch the appropriate application and how it presents a command line or graphical UI to capture the 'XxxApproved' status at each stage.
Experiment with rejecting an approval step and note how this causes the workflow to loop back and reactivate a preceding step.
Experiment with changing the limit and deadline durations from the original three days to shorter intervals of the order of minutes or seconds, and note how the 'temporal status' activity instance and work item attributes change from green (normal) -> amber (warning) -> red (overdue), and how the deadline transition fires when the item becomes overdue. N.B. such changes will only affect new or reactivated activity instances and work items.

Tip: OpenOffice and Microsoft Office both allow you to save and retrieve documents directly to/from a WebDAV URL. When uploading to WebDAV, OpenOffice distinguishes document creations from document updates, causing Jakarta Slide to raise create and store respectively. The $OBE_HOME/examples/config/BasicApplicationEventBroker.xml file delivered with the OBE examples captures these Slide events into the DocumentCreated and DocumentStored OBE application events respectively. The


    document-approval

example workflow is triggered by the


    DocumentCreated

event.

Microsoft Office, however, does not distinguish between create and update: it only ever causes


    store

Slide events (corresponding to DocumentStored OBE events). Thus MS Word, for example, is incapable of triggering the document-approval workflow as is. If you wish to use MS Word to trigger this workflow, amend the

<xpdl:ExtendedAttribute
    name="obe.Event">

element to react to the


    DocumentStored

event instead. Be aware though that doing this will cause the erroneous instantiation of the workflow when an existing document is just being updated. This dilemma is under investigation: it's possible that Slide can be amended to make the create/store distinction automatically.