Using Actions


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Using Actions

The following sections introduce and explain how to use WebLogic Process Integrator actions:

Working with Actions

An action is a basic unit of work that is performed by WebLogic Process Integrator. Numerous actions are shipped with WebLogic Process Integrator; an action can be as simple as assigning a task to a user or as complicated as sending XML messages or invoking Enterprise JavaBean (EJB) methods. Actions are, in a sense, the primitive building blocks of a workflow in that they define the actual behavior of the workflow.

Actions are organized into the following categories:

You can place actions in a number of places in a workflow. The most common place is in a Task. Actions can also be placed in decisions, starts, events, and dones. The action is executed when the node is activated. You can also place actions within other actions; such actions are executed when the conditions specific to that action are met. The following actions can have sub-actions defined within them.

Evaluate Condition — Add actions based on a condition in the False/True tab.
Timed Event — Add actions to be triggered in the Triggered tab.
Send XML to Client — Add callback actions.
Start Workflow — Add actions to be performed upon starting another workflow.
Set Task Due Date — Add overdue actions; set a due time on a task so that when the due time passes, other actions will be performed.

Adding or Updating an Action

You add and update actions in the Task Properties, Decision Properties, Event Properties, and Start Properties dialog boxes. Each dialog box has an area specific to action maintenance.

To add or update an action:

Double-click the Task, Event, Decision, Start, or Done for which you want to add or update an action. The Properties dialog box appears.
Figure 5-1 Maintaining Actions
In the properties dialog box, select (activate) the appropriate action tab and click Add or Update to display the Add Action or Update Action dialog box.
Figure 5-2 Add Action Dialog Box
Double-click an action type folder to expand it, select an action, and click OK.
A dialog box specific to the selected action is displayed.
Complete the fields in the dialog box and click OK.
For details on completing the information in specific action dialog boxes, see the sections Using Task Actions, Using Workflow Actions, Using Integration Actions, and Using Miscellaneous Actions.

The action is updated or added to the Activated actions tab in the Properties dialog box.

Deleting an Action

To delete an action:

In the workflow diagram, double-click the shape that contains the action you want to delete.
Select the desired action in the Actions section of the Properties dialog box, and click the Delete button. A confirmation dialog box is displayed to prevent accidental deletions.
Figure 5-3 Delete Action Dialog Box

When an action is deleted, all references to the action are removed. The action is removed from all instances of the workflow, including those currently running.

Changing the Sequence of Actions

Actions are displayed in the sequence that they will be executed. To re-sequence actions, select an action from the list in the Properties dialog box and press the up or down arrow to move its position in the list.

Figure 5-4 Up and Down Arrows

Using Task Actions

This section defines and describes how to use the following task actions:

Mark Task as Done

Use this action to set the completion date of a specified task to the current time and mark it done. Executing this action performs all actions found in the MarkedDone tab of the Task Properties dialog box.

When a task is marked as done, the task is no longer listed as an Active task in the Worklist application. By marking a task done, the task is prevented from being executed again, unless the task properties allow it. When a task is marked as done, all successor nodes are activated (as defined in the Task Properties dialog box).

Figure 5-5 Mark Task as Done Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Mark Task as Done dialog box.

Task to Mark as Done — Displays all tasks in the workflow. Select the task that is to be marked done when the action is executed. Only one task at a time can be marked done.
Notes — Free-form text box for notes on the action.

Unmark Task Done

This action clears the completion date of a specified task and marks the task as not done.

Use this action when a condition arises that causes the task to no longer be in a successfully completed state. A task that is assigned this action becomes Active on the Worklist and can be executed again.

Note that a task that is unmarked done will not have its activated event triggered again. To trigger the activated event, there must be a transition to that task.

Figure 5-6 Unmark Task Done Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Unmark Task Done dialog box.

Task to Unmark as Done — Displays all the tasks in the workflow. Select the task that is to be unmarked as done when the action is executed. Only one task at a time can be selected.
Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Set Task Due Date

This action sets the due date for a specified task to an interval (expressed in minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months) from when the action is executed, or based on an expression. Sub-actions can also be specified to be performed when the task becomes overdue.

Figure 5-7 Set Task Due Date Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Set Task Due Date dialog box:

Task to set due date for — Displays all the tasks in the workflow. Select the task that is to have its due date set when the action is executed. Only one task at a time can be selected.
Due Date — The task due date can be set to occur from a point in time after action execution, or based on the evaluation of an expression.
- Set to expression — You can set the due date based on an expression.

Note: Expressions are modeled on structured query language (SQL). If you know the syntax of the expression you want to use, you can type the expression directly in the field. Alternatively, click the A+B button to display the Expression Builder dialog box. The Expression Builder helps you construct an expression, which is made up of functions, operators, literals, and variables. For more information on constructing expressions, see Using Expressions and Conditions.

Business Calendar — If the due date is set using business hours or business days, a business calendar can be specified. This calendar defaults to the calendar specified for the organization but can be changed to any other calendar. The specified calendar will be used in calculating the actual due time. Click the Business Calendar drop-down list to display a list of defined business calendars along with two additional choices: For Organization and For Assignee.

Overdue Actions — A set of sub-actions to be performed when the due date is reached. This is optional.
Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Assign Task to User

Use this action to assign a specified task to an individual user or to a user in a role. The user or role can be specified as a constant or taken from a workflow variable at run time. In the case of a user in a role, the system attempts to perform simple workload balancing in its selection of the assignee; the system determines which user defined to the role has the least number of pending tasks, then assigns the task to that user. Assigning a task to a user causes a notification to be sent to the user. The user views the task from the Worklist application.

Figure 5-8 Assign Task to User Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Assign Task to User dialog box.

Task to assign — Displays all tasks in the workflow. Select the task that is to be assigned when the action is executed. Only one task at a time can be selected.
User — Drop-down list from which you select the user to assign to, the role from which a user is to be chosen, or an expression to reference the user or role, depending on the other dialog settings
Use workflow expression — Indicates whether the new assignee name is a constant or is taken from the value of a workflow expression at run time. If selected, a workflow expression must be constructed.

Assign to role member — Indicates whether the User control specifies a user or a role. If checked, the User drop-down list shows a list of roles. When the action is executed, the system attempts to perform workload balancing by assigning the task to the role member who has the least number of assigned tasks at that time. If not checked, the User drop-down list shows a list of individual users.
Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Assign Task to Role

Use this action to assign a task to a role, either directly to a constant role or by taking the value of a workflow expression at run time. It is not always desirable to assign a task to a specific user. When you assign a task to a role, any user that is defined as a member of the role has access to the worklist of the role. When a task is assigned to a role, there is no workflow notification of a new task. Assign a tasks to a role when the task can be performed by anyone who is a member of that role and has a certain skill level.

Figure 5-9 Assign Task to Role Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Assign Task to Role dialog box.

Task to assign — Displays all tasks in the workflow. Select the task that is to be assigned when the action is executed. Only one task at a time can be selected.
Role — From the drop-down list, select the role to assign to the task or a workflow expression reference to the role, depending on the Use workflow expression setting.
Use workflow expression — Indicates whether the role is a constant or is taken from the value of a workflow expression at run time. If selected, a workflow expression must be constructed, and the A+B button appears to the right of Role.

Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Assign Task Using Routing Table

Assign a task to a user or role depending on a set of conditions. A routing table consists of a sequence of one or more routing conditions. A routing condition specifies a potential assignee (user or role) for the task, together with a specification of the conditions under which the assignment should be made. When the action is executed at run time, the system evaluates each condition in sequence until it encounters one that yields a TRUE result. If such a condition is encountered, the task is assigned to the corresponding user or role, and any subsequent conditions are ignored.

Note: If no routing condition is satisfied, a run time exception occurs.

Figure 5-10 Assign Task Using Routing Table Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Assign Task Using Routing Table dialog box.

Task to Assign — Displays all tasks in the workflow. Select the task that is to be assigned when the action is executed. Only one task at a time can be selected.
Routing Table — Table of conditions and assignees. Routing information can be added, updated, or deleted. Additionally, the sequence of conditions can be changed.
Notes — Enter notes about the action.

Clicking Add or Update displays the Define Routing Condition dialog box.

Figure 5-11 Define Routing Condition Dialog Box

The Define Routing Condition dialog box contains the following:

Condition — Must be a valid workflow conditional expression that yields a logical result (TRUE or FALSE).

Assign To — A list showing all possible assignees: User, User in Role, and Role. Select the required assignee from the list.

Unassign Task

Remove the current task assignment. The task is no longer assigned to the user or role.

Figure 5-12 Unassign Task Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Unassign Task dialog box.

Task to unassign — Displays all tasks in the workflow. Select the task that is to be unassigned when the action is executed. Only one task at a time can be selected.
Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Set Task Comment

Display a free-form text message to the user at run time when the action is executed. The text is typically explanatory or requests the user to perform manual action(s) for which the workflow does not provide further automated support. When the action is executed, the system displays a text message in the comment column of the Worklist application.

Figure 5-13 Set Task Comment Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Set Task Comment dialog box.

Task to set comment for — Displays all the tasks in the workflow. Select the task that is to have its comment set when the action is executed. Only one task at a time can be selected.
Comment — A valid workflow expression to be evaluated at run time for the task comment.

Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Set Task Priority

Set a task priority to Low, Medium, or High.

Figure 5-14 Set Task Priority Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Set Task Priority dialog box.

Task to set priority for — Displays all tasks in the workflow. Select the task to which you will assign a priority.
Priority — Select the task priority. Choices are Low, Medium, and High.
Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Execute Task

Execute a selected task.

Figure 5-15 Execute Task Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Execute Task dialog box.

Task to execute — Displays all tasks in the workflow. Select the task to execute.
Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Using Workflow Actions

This section defines and describes how to use the following workflow actions:

Start Workflow

This action supports sub-workflows; variable values can be transferred from a parent workflow to a child workflow. You trigger a sub-workflow (or child workflow) from a parent workflow. The started workflow can be tracked with a variable reference, and when it completes, you can perform an optional set of sub-actions.

Figure 5-16 Start Workflow Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Start Workflow dialog box.

Workflow to Start — Displays all workflow templates defined in the system. Select the workflow template to start when the action is executed. Only one workflow template definition within that workflow template can be started at a time, this being the most effective of the active workflow template definitions.
Start in Organization — The organization for which the specified workflow should be triggered and executed.
- Current organization — Starts the workflow for the current organization (the organization selected from the Organization drop-down list on the WebLogic Process Integrator main window).
- Expression — Starts the workflow for an organization taken from the value of a workflow expression. If selected, a workflow expression must be constructed.

Reference via — List of workflow variables available for the current workflow. By selecting a variable, you assign the workflow Id of the started workflow to that variable. This variable can be used in expressions from within the calling workflow in order to retrieve variables from the newly started workflow. For example, NewWF.Name retrieves the value of the Name variable from the new workflow referenced via the NewWF variable.

Use the following tabs to select additional information for the action:

Parameters — List of variables within the target workflow, allowing the initial values to be set from an explicitly defined variable in the calling workflow.
Results — Displays variables for the selected workflow that have been declared as "output" at definition time. You can save values from these variable in the variables defined for this workflow.
Actions — Specify optional sub-actions to be performed when the called workflow is completed. It can be used to mark the current task as done.
Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Abort Workflow

Abort the current workflow. Abort Workflow permanently stops a workflow that is currently in process. This action enables the system to handle a situation in which there is no reason to continue a given workflow. The WebLogic Process Integrator Workflow Monitoring facility differentiates between a workflow that has aborted upon the execution of this action and a workflow that has completed by reaching a done node. A workflow that is aborted will be deleted from the server.

Figure 5-17 Abort Workflow Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Abort Workflow dialog box.

Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the workflow abortion.

Set Workflow Comment

Set the comment for a workflow instance. Use this action to specify a valid workflow expression to be displayed to the user at run time when the action is executed. The text is typically informative or requests the user to perform manual action(s) for which the workflow does not provide further automated support.

Figure 5-18 Set Workflow Comment Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Set Workflow Comment dialog box.

Comment — A valid workflow expression, evaluated at run time.

Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the workflow comment.

Set Workflow Variable

This action allows you to assign a value to a workflow variable, which can be an expression evaluated at run time or a literal. This action evaluates the expression or literal and assigns the result to a workflow variable when the action is executed.

In addition, this action allows you to compose an XML document and store the content in an XML type variable. XML type variables can be sent as internal or external XML messages using the action Post XML Event. For more information on this action, refer to Using XML Actions in Understanding WebLogic Process Integrator Events and XML Documents.

Figure 5-19 Set Variable Dialog Box

The Set Workflow Variable dialog box contains the following:

Variable to be set — Choose an existing, defined variable to which you will assign a value.
From Expression — Define the variable by constructing a SQL expression or entering a literal in double quotes (for example, a string type variable).

By Composing — Set the XML or string type variable to store the XML document by creating an XML structure containing elements and attributes, as follows:

Note: An XML document that is stored in a string variable will first be converted to a string.

Value Expression — Use the Value Expression field to define the value of an element or attribute. The value can be either a string, typed in quotes, or an expression containing workflow variables and functions.
Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Using Integration Actions

This section defines and describes how to use the following integration actions:

Post XML Event

For a description of this action and how to use it, see Post XML Event in Understanding WebLogic Process Integrator Events and XML Documents.

Send XML to Client

For a description of this action and h ow to use it, see Send XML to Client in Understanding WebLogic Process Integrator Events and XML Documents.

Call Program

Use this action to call an executable program on the workflow server.

Figure 5-20 Call Program Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Call Program dialog box.

Program — The fully qualified path to an executable program to execute at run time.
Arguments — A valid workflow expression to be evaluated at run time and passed to the called program.

Note: Expressions are built on structured query language (SQL). If you know the syntax of the expression you want to use, you can type the expression directly in the field. Alternatively, click the A+B button to display the Expression Builder dialog box. The Expression Builder helps you construct an expression, which is made up of functions, operators, literals, and variables. For more information on constructing expressions, see Using Expressions and Conditions.

Notes — A free-form text box for notes about the action.

This action is executed asynchronously, meaning that any actions following this action in the action list are executed immediately, without waiting for the called program to complete.

Perform Business Operation

Allows the invocation of an Enterprise JavaBean (EJB) or Java class method on WebLogic Server (WLS), written specifically to perform a certain function. In this manner, customized actions can be created. The results of such an invocation can be assigned to workflow variables. The Perform Business Operation action is linked to a WebLogic Process Integrator function called Business Operations (accessed through the Configuration menu). See Understanding Business Operations in Administering Data within WebLogic Process Integrator, for more information.

Figure 5-21 Perform Business Operation Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Perform Business Operation dialog box.

Operation — Select the defined business operation to be invoked. Business operations in WebLogic Process Integrator are Enterprise JavaBean (EJB) or Java based. These operations are defined using the Define Business Operation dialog box, discussed in the section entitled Understanding Business Operations in Administering Data within WebLogic Process Integrator.
Parameters — Certain business operations require parameter input. You must enter values for the parameters; the business operation is called based on these actual values. To add parameter values to a listed parameter, highlight it, click the Update button, and enter the values in the invoked Parameter dialog box.
Assign Result To — Assign the business operation result (for example, a calculated average) to a workflow variable, selected from the drop-down list.
Update — Update the values of the highlighted parameter.
Notes — A free-form text box for notes about the action.

Using Miscellaneous Actions

This section defines and describes how to use the following miscellaneous actions:

No Operation

The No Operation action has no function; it simply acts as a placeholder to remind an analyst to add an action at a later time.

Figure 5-22 No Operation Dialog Box

View or enter information in the No Operation dialog box.

Description — Enter a descriptive name for the No Operation action (preferably a name that will remind you to add an action at a later time).
Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Send E-Mail Message

Send an e-mail message to a user of the WebLogic Process Integrator system or even to an outside party. Internet standard SMTP protocol is used to transmit the message.

Figure 5-23 Send E-mail Message Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Send E-Mail Message dialog box.

Subject — A valid workflow expression or a literal entered in double quotes that will be evaluated at run time for the subject text of the e-mail.
Message — A valid workflow expression or a literal entered in double quotes that will be evaluated at run time for the message text of the e-mail.

TO, CC, and BCC — Determine how the e-mail should be addressed.
Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Click OK to display the Mail Recipient dialog box.

Figure 5-24 Mail Recipient Dialog Box

Address — If selected, an edit field displays the e-mail address.
User — If selected, a drop-down list displays a list of all the users. The e-mail address is obtained from the user's profile.
Role — If selected, a drop-down list displays a list of all roles. The e-mail message will be sent to all users assigned to that role.
Expression — The e-mail address is derived from an expression value.

Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Evaluate Condition

Evaluate a conditional expression at run time and perform alternative sequences of sub-actions depending on the result. If the condition evaluates to True, one sequence of actions is performed, and if it is False, a different sequence of actions is performed instead. For example, a manager may be authorized to make purchases with a total value that is less than a specified amount, requiring higher approval if the amount exceeds this threshold. When a manager starts a purchase requisition workflow, the workflow can use an Evaluate Condition action to check whether this threshold would be exceeded, and to assign the task of approving the requisition either to the authorized person or to the manager.

Figure 5-25 Evaluate Condition Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Evaluate Condition dialog box.

Condition — A valid workflow condition, evaluated at run time to determine which set of sub-actions to perform.

Actions to execute by condition result — A tabbed display showing two sets of sub-actions. Either the True or the False set of sub-actions will be executed, depending on the result of the condition evaluation.
Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.

Timed Event

Create a timed even that will be triggered at an exact time and date according to a specified execution schedule.

Figure 5-26 Timed Event: Trigger Event Tab

View or enter information in the Trigger Event tab.

From action execution — Perform the trigger upon action execution, based on a specified unit of time. Use the drop-down list to the right to select the unit of time, and in the field to the left, enter a number to be associated with the unit of time. For example, if you choose "4 Minutes," the event will be triggered four minutes after the preceding event is executed.
To Expression — Timed event will be triggered according to a date expression.

Business Calendar -— If you select the interval Business Hours or Business Days, the business calendar is used.
- For Organization — Use the business calendar assigned to the organization for which the workflow template definition instance will be executed.
- For Assignee — Use the calendar that belongs to the user or role owning the task that precedes the event to be triggered.

The Execution Schedule tab of the Timed Event dialog box allows you to specify that the event will be repeated according to a specified unit of time until the task is marked done or the workflow template definition is done.

Figure 5-27 Timed Event: Execution Schedule Tab

View or enter information in the Execution Schedule tab.

Reschedule every — Repeat the trigger upon task execution, based on a specified unit of time. Use the drop-down list to the right to select the unit of time, and in the field to the left, enter a number to be associated with the unit of time. For example, if you choose "4 Minutes," the event will be triggered every four minutes until the task is marked done or the workflow template definition is done.
Stop execution when — Specify when the trigger should stop, either when the current task is completed or when the entire workflow is completed.
- Task is done — The trigger will stop when the preceding task in which this action is specified is marked as done.
- Workflow is done — The trigger will stop when the entire workflow is completed.
  Figure 5-28 Timed Event: Actions When Triggered Tab

View or enter information in the Actions when triggered tab.

Add — Invokes the Add Action dialog box. Select the action(s) to be triggered by the timed event.
Update — Updates the selected action to be triggered by the timed event. Highlight the action to be updated to invoke the relevant Action dialog box, where you can make updates to the action.
Delete — Deletes the selected action from the timed event.
Figure 5-29 Timed Event: Notes Tab

Use the Notes tab of the Timed Event dialog box to make notes about the action.

Cancel Workflow Event

This action cancels an event that has been defined within a workflow.

Figure 5-30 Cancel Workflow Event Dialog Box

View or enter information in the Cancel Workflow Event dialog box.

Event to Cancel — Displays all events defined in the workflow. Highlight the workflow event to be canceled. (Hold down the CTRL key to highlight more than one event.) Click OK to proceed with the cancellation.
Notes — Text box for notes about the action.

Make Audit Entry

This action allows you to specify an additional audit entry expression. This audit entry will be published to a Java Message Service (JMS) topic for further retrieval. The audit entry can be an expression built with functions and workflow variables, but it can also be a string of text.

Note: The JMS topic is specified in the Template Definition Properties dialog box. For further information, refer to Creating a New Workflow Template Definition in Defining and Maintaining Workflows.

WebLogic Process Integrator provides a default audit facility whereby all major user interactions and changes are published to the JMS topic. The Make Audit Entry action allows you to add an additional specific audit entry; such an audit entry might be used, for example, to track the value of a variable.

Figure 5-31 Make Audit Entry Dialog Box

The Make Audit Entry dialog box contains the following:

Audit entry expression — Enter an audit entry expression to be set out to the audit listener for further retrieval at run time.

Notes — Free-form text box for notes about the action.