Products.DCWorkflow-2.2.5-1.lbn25.noarch

This product provides fully customizable workflows for the CMF portal_workflow tool.

Developing a workflow =====================

This tool is easiest to use if you draw a state diagram first. Your diagram should have:

• States (bubbles)
• Transitions (arrows)
• Variables (both in states and transitions)

Remember to consider all the states your content can be in. Consider the actions users will perform to make the transitions between states. And consider not only who will be allowed to perform what functions, but also who will be required to perform certain functions.

On the "States" tab, add a state with a simple ID for each state on your diagram. On the "Transitions" tab, add a transition with a simple ID for each group of arrows that point to the same state and have similar characteristics. Then for each state choose which transitions are allowed to leave that state.

Variables are useful for keeping track of things that aren't very well represented as separate states, such as counters or information about the action that was last performed. You can create variables that get stored alongside the workflow state and you can make those variables available in catalog searches. Some variables, such as the review history, should not be stored at all. Those variables are accessible through the getInfoFor() interface.

Worklists are a way to make people aware of tasks they are required to perform. Worklists are implemented as a catalog query that puts actions in the actions box when there is some task the user needs to perform. Most of the time you just need to enter a state ID, a role name, and the information to put in the actions box.

You can manage all of the actions a user can perform on an object by setting up permissions to be managed by the workflow. Using the "Permissions" tab, select which permissions should be state-dependent. Then in each state, using the "permissions" tab, set up the role to permission mappings appropriate for that state.

Finally, you can extend the workflow with scripts. Scripts can be External Methods, Python Scripts, DTML methods, or any other callable Zope object. They are accessible by name in expressions. Scripts are invoked with a state_change object as the first argument; see expressions.stx.

Once you've crafted your workflow, you hook it up with a content type by using the portal_workflow top-level "Workflows" tab. Specify the workflow name in the target content type's box.