Preface

Intended Audience

Welcome to Release 12.2 of the Oracle Workflow Developer's Guide.

This guide assumes you have a working knowledge of the following:

See Related Information Sources for more Oracle Applications product information.

Documentation Accessibility

For information about Oracle's commitment to accessibility, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program website at http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=docacc.

Access to Oracle Support

Oracle customers that have purchased support have access to electronic support through My Oracle Support. For information, visit http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=info or visit http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=trs if you are hearing impaired.

Structure

1  Overview of Oracle Workflow

This chapter introduces you to the concept of a workflow process and to the major features of Oracle Workflow.


2  Defining a Workflow Process

This chapter tells you how to use Oracle Workflow Builder to define a workflow process definition.


3  Defining Workflow Process Components

This chapter tells you how to use Oracle Workflow Builder to define the components necessary to compose a workflow process diagram.


4  Defining a Workflow Process Diagram

This chapter tells you how to use Oracle Workflow Builder to define a workflow process diagram and how to load roles from the database so you can assign notification activities to specific roles.


5  Predefined Workflow Activities

This chapter tells you how to use Oracle Workflow's predefined activities.


6  Defining Procedures and Functions for Oracle Workflow

This chapter describes the standard APIs to use for Oracle Workflow PL/SQL and Java procedures and functions.


7  Testing Workflow Definitions

This chapter tells you how to test your workflow definitions using the Developer Studio.


8  Configuring Messages for Oracle Mobile Approvals for Oracle E-Business Suite

This chapter explains how to configure message metadata for approval notifications that you want to expose in the Oracle Mobile Approvals for Oracle E-Business Suite app.


9  Managing Business Events

This chapter tells you how to manage business events using the Oracle Workflow Event Manager Web pages.


10  Predefined Workflow Events

This chapter tells you how to use Oracle Workflow's predefined events.


11  Sample Workflow Process

This chapter describes a sample workflow process that illustrates several Oracle Workflow features.


12  Error Handling

This chapter describes how Oracle Workflow handles errors in workflow processes and event subscription processing.


A  Oracle Workflow Developer Navigation Paths

This appendix lists the navigation paths to Oracle Workflow developer Web pages in the seeded Oracle Workflow responsibilities for Oracle E-Business Suite.


B  Oracle Workflow Builder Menus and Toolbars

This appendix provides a description of the menus and toolbars in Oracle Workflow Builder.


C  Oracle Workflow Implementation in Oracle E-Business Suite

This appendix lists embedded workflows in Oracle E-Business Suite, as well as Oracle's support policy towards the customization of embedded workflows, events, and subscriptions.


Glossary

Related Information Sources

This book is included in the Oracle E-Business Suite Documentation Library. If this guide refers you to other Oracle E-Business Suite documentation, use only the latest Release 12.2 versions of those guides.

Online Documentation

All Oracle E-Business Suite documentation is available online (HTML or PDF).

Related Guides

You should have the following related books on hand. Depending on the requirements of your particular installation, you may also need additional manuals or guides.

Oracle Alert User's Guide

This guide explains how to define periodic and event alerts to monitor the status of your Oracle E-Business Suite data.

Oracle Application Framework Developer's Guide

This guide contains the coding standards followed by Oracle E-Business Suite Development to create applications with Oracle Application Framework. This guide is available in PDF format on My Oracle Support and as online documentation in JDeveloper 10g with Oracle Application Extension.

Oracle Application Framework Personalization Guide

This guide covers the design-time and run-time aspects of personalizing applications built with Oracle Application Framework.

Oracle Diagnostics Framework User's Guide

This manual contains information on implementing and administering diagnostics tests for Oracle E-Business Suite using the Oracle Diagnostics Framework.

Oracle E-Business Suite Cloud Manager Guide

This guide describes how to manage Oracle E-Business Suite environments on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) using the automated tooling in Oracle E-Business Suite Cloud Manager.

Oracle E-Business Suite Concepts

This book is intended for all those planning to deploy Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2, or contemplating significant changes to a configuration. After describing the Oracle E-Business Suite architecture and technology stack, it focuses on strategic topics, giving a broad outline of the actions needed to achieve a particular goal, plus any installation and configuration choices that are available.

Oracle E-Business Suite Developer's Guide

This guide contains the coding standards followed by Oracle E-Business Suite Development. It describes the Oracle Application Object Library components needed to implement the Oracle E-Business Suite user interface described in the Oracle E-Business Suite User Interface Standards for Forms-Based Products. It provides information to help you build your custom Oracle Forms Developer forms so that they integrate with Oracle E-Business Suite. In addition, this guide has information for customizations in features such as concurrent programs, flexfields, messages, and logging.

Oracle E-Business Suite Electronic Technical Reference Manual User's Guide

This guide describes how to set up and navigate Oracle E-Business Suite Electronic Technical Reference Manual (eTRM) user interface in Oracle E-Business Suite. It also explains how to browse and search the Oracle eTRM repository to locate desired FND and database metadata and objects, and how to view object details, reports, and diagrams.

Oracle E-Business Suite Installation Guide: Using Rapid Install

This book describes how to run Rapid Install to perform a fresh installation of Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 or to replace selected technology stack executables in an existing instance.

Oracle E-Business Suite Integrated SOA Gateway Developer's Guide

This guide describes how integration developers can perform end-to-end service integration activities. These include orchestrating discrete web services into meaningful end-to-end business processes using business process execution language (BPEL), and deploying BPEL processes at runtime.

This guide also explains how to invoke web services using the Service Invocation Framework. This includes defining web service invocation metadata, invoking web services, and testing web service invocation.

Oracle E-Business Suite Integrated SOA Gateway Implementation Guide

This guide explains how integration administrators can manage and administer the web service activities for integration interfaces including native packaged integration interfaces, composite services (BPEL type), and custom integration interfaces. It also describes how to set up and implement Service Invocation Framework to invoke SOAP and REST services from Oracle E-Business Suite, and how to manage web service security, configure logs, and monitor both inbound service invocations using Service Monitor and outbound service invocations through Service Invocation Framework using Service Invocation Monitor.

Oracle E-Business Suite Integrated SOA Gateway User's Guide

This guide describes the high level service enablement process, explaining how users can browse and view the integration interface definitions and services residing in Oracle Integration Repository.

Oracle E-Business Suite Maintenance Guide

This guide explains how to patch an Oracle E-Business Suite system, describing the adop patching utility and providing guidelines and tips for performing typical patching operations. It also describes maintenance strategies and tools designed to help keep a system running smoothly.

Oracle E-Business Suite Mobile Apps Administrator's Guide, Release 12.1 and 12.2

This guide includes the latest mobile release with new underlying technologies, as well as the earlier mobile releases built with Oracle Mobile Application Framework (MAF). It explains how to set up an Oracle E-Business Suite instance to support connections from Oracle E-Business Suite mobile apps. It also describes common administrative tasks for configuring Oracle E-Business Suite mobile apps. Logging and troubleshooting information is also included in this book.

Oracle E-Business Suite Mobile Apps Developer's Guide, Release 12.1 and 12.2

This guide includes information for the latest mobile release with new underlying technologies, as well as the earlier mobile releases built with Oracle Mobile Application Framework (MAF). For mobile releases built with MAF, this guide describes how to develop enterprise-distributed mobile apps by using mobile application archive (MAA) files and how to implement corporate branding. It also explains required tasks on implementing push notifications for supported mobile apps. In addition, it includes how to implement Oracle E-Business Suite REST services to develop custom mobile apps by using the Login component from Oracle E-Business Suite Mobile Foundation or using any mobile app development framework if desired.

Oracle E-Business Suite Security Guide

This guide contains information on a comprehensive range of security-related topics, including access control, user management, function security, data security, secure configuration, and auditing. It also describes how Oracle E-Business Suite can be integrated into a single sign-on environment.

Oracle E-Business Suite Setup Guide

This guide contains information on system configuration tasks that are carried out either after installation or whenever there is a significant change to the system. The activities described include defining concurrent programs and managers, enabling Oracle Applications Manager features, and setting up printers and online help.

Oracle E-Business Suite User's Guide

This guide explains how to navigate products, enter and query data, and run concurrent requests by means of the user interfaces (UI) of Oracle E-Business Suite. It includes basic information on setting preferences and customizing the UI. An introduction to Oracle Enterprise Command Centers is also included. Lastly, this guide describes accessibility features and keyboard shortcuts for Oracle E-Business Suite.

Oracle Workflow Administrator's Guide

This guide explains how to complete the setup steps necessary for any product that includes workflow-enabled processes. It also describes how to manage workflow processes and business events using Oracle Applications Manager, how to monitor the progress of runtime workflow processes, and how to administer notifications sent to workflow users.

Oracle Workflow API Reference

This guide describes the APIs provided for developers and administrators to access Oracle Workflow.

Oracle Workflow Client Installation Guide

This guide describes how to install the Oracle Workflow Builder and Oracle XML Gateway Message Designer client components for Oracle E-Business Suite.

Oracle Workflow User's Guide

This guide describes how users can view and respond to workflow notifications and monitor the progress of their workflow processes.

Oracle XML Gateway User's Guide

This guide describes Oracle XML Gateway functionality and each component of the Oracle XML Gateway architecture, including Message Designer, Oracle XML Gateway Setup, Execution Engine, Message Queues, and Oracle Transport Agent. It also explains how to use Collaboration History that records all business transactions and messages exchanged with trading partners.

The integrations with Oracle Workflow Business Event System, and the Business-to-Business transactions are also addressed in this guide.

Integration Repository

The Oracle Integration Repository is a compilation of information about the service endpoints exposed by the Oracle E-Business Suite of applications. It provides a complete catalog of Oracle E-Business Suite's business service interfaces. The tool lets users easily discover and deploy the appropriate business service interface for integration with any system, application, or business partner.

The Oracle Integration Repository is shipped as part of the Oracle E-Business Suite. As your instance is patched, the repository is automatically updated with content appropriate for the precise revisions of interfaces in your environment.

Do Not Use Database Tools to Modify Oracle E-Business Suite Data

Oracle STRONGLY RECOMMENDS that you never use SQL*Plus, Oracle Data Browser, database triggers, or any other tool to modify Oracle E-Business Suite data unless otherwise instructed.

Oracle provides powerful tools you can use to create, store, change, retrieve, and maintain information in an Oracle database. But if you use Oracle tools such as SQL*Plus to modify Oracle E-Business Suite data, you risk destroying the integrity of your data and you lose the ability to audit changes to your data.

Because Oracle E-Business Suite tables are interrelated, any change you make using an Oracle E-Business Suite form can update many tables at once. But when you modify Oracle E-Business Suite data using anything other than Oracle E-Business Suite, you may change a row in one table without making corresponding changes in related tables. If your tables get out of synchronization with each other, you risk retrieving erroneous information and you risk unpredictable results throughout Oracle E-Business Suite.

When you use Oracle E-Business Suite to modify your data, Oracle E-Business Suite automatically checks that your changes are valid. Oracle E-Business Suite also keeps track of who changes information. If you enter information into database tables using database tools, you may store invalid information. You also lose the ability to track who has changed your information because SQL*Plus and other database tools do not keep a record of changes.