Aspose.Workflow Introduction

1
Aspose.Workflow Introduction
2
Aspose.Workflow Introduction

• Pure .Net components
• Fully XPDL (http//www.wfmc.org/standards/XPDL.htm
  ) supports
• Implements WFMC (http//www.wfmc.org) standards
• Integrate with Asp.Net, VB.Net, WinForm
  applications.
• Support .Net Framework 1.1 and above (tested with
  .Net Framework 2.0beta)
• Popular database system support (SQLServer and
  oracle)

3
Aspose.Workflow Status

• Aspose.Workflow 1.0.5 released.
• Aspose.Workflow Designer is in progress, and it
  will be ready in next major release.
• For one month, there will be at least 1 maintain
  release, at most 2.
• HotFix will based on customer request and no time
  restrictions.

4
Designer

• Aspose.Workflow will provide an pure C written
  graphical designer
• Currently the Designer is 50 finished, it will
  coming in the next major release (Aspose.Workflow
  1.1.0)

5
Designer (Cont.)

• Dock pannels
• Shape Explores
• Mini Map
• Zoom In/Out

6
Designer (Cont.)

• Package Explorer
• Properties Editors

7
WFMC and XPDL Introduction
8
XPDL Introduction

• WFMC provides an interface for workflow process
  definition. That interface defines a common
  meta-model for describing the process definition
  and XML schema for interchange of process
  definitions - XPDL (XML Process Definition
  Language)
• The workflow process definition interface defines
  a common interchange format, which supports the
  transfer of workflow process definitions between
  different products.

9
XPDL Introduction (Cont.)

• A workflow process definition, generated by
  Aspose.Workflow designer or JAWE, is capable of
  interpretation in different workflow run-time
  products.

10
XPDL Introduction (Cont.)

• The principles of Process Definition Interchange
  are based on Meta-Model framework. This meta-data
  model identifies commonly used entities within a
  process definition, their relationships and
  attributes. A variety of attributes describe the
  characteristics of this limited set of entities.

11
XPDL Meta Model

• Workflow Package
• Workflow Process Definition
• Workflow Process Activity
• Transition Information
• Workflow Participant Declaration
• Workflow Application Declaration
• Workflow Relevant Data
• System Environmental Data
• Resource Repository or Organizational Model
• Data Types and Expressions

12
XPDL Package

• Workflow Process Definition,
• Workflow Participant Specification,
• Workflow Application Declaration and
• Workflow Relevant Data
• External Workflow Package references

13
XPDL Process

• Workflow Activity set
• Workflow Activity Definition
• Transitions
• Workflow Participant Specification,
• Workflow Application Declaration and
• Workflow Relevant Data
• All process will inherit the Relevant data,
  Participant, Application from the parent
  package.

14
Contract Workflow Tutorial

• Design the Contract Workflow Model using Designer

15
Contract Preparation Process Description

• Contract coordinators create new contracts.
• Contract reviewers review and either approve or
  deny contracts.
• A consultant will do some consultant work on
  based on the contracts
• When consultant work done, the invoice creator
  will send out a invoice.

16
Create new Package

• Set the ID to ContractWorkflow_Tutorial
• The Id must be unique inside the whole engine
• Also give a new name to the package
• Set the script type to VB

17
New Created Package XPDL

• lt?xml version"1.0" encoding"UTF-8"?gt
• ltPackage xmlns"http//www.wfmc.org/2002/XPDL1.0"
  xmlnsxpdl"http//www.wfmc.org/2002/XPDL1.0"
  xmlnsxsi"http//www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instan
  ce" Id"ContractWorkflow_Tutorial"
  Name"ContractWorkflow_Tutorial"
  xsischemaLocation"http//www.wfmc.org/2002/XPDL1
  .0 http//wfmc.org/standards/docs/TC-1025_schema_1
  0_xpdl.xsd"gt
• ltPackageHeadergt
• ltXPDLVersiongt1.0lt/XPDLVersiongt
• ltVendorgtAspose.Workflowlt/Vendorgt
• ltCreatedgt2005-09-16 103114lt/Createdgt
• lt/PackageHeadergt
• ltRedefinableHeader PublicationStatus"UNDER_TEST"/
  gt
• ltConformanceClass GraphConformance"NON_BLOCKED"/gt
  
• ltScript Type"VB"/gt
• ltExtendedAttributesgt
• ltExtendedAttribute Name"MadeBy"
  ValueAspose.Workflow Designer"/gt
• ltExtendedAttribute Name"Version" Value"1.0"/gt
• ltExtendedAttribute Name"Owner"
  Value"Aspose.Workflow"/gt
• lt/ExtendedAttributesgt
• lt/Packagegt

18
Add Participants

• Add the three participant of the contract
  preparation process
• Create Reviewer,consultant,invoiceCreator
• Set each participant type to Role

19
Participants
20
Participant XPDL

• ltParticipantsgt
• ltParticipant Id"reviewer" Name"reviewer"gt
• ltParticipantType Type"ROLE"/gt
• ltDescriptiongtThis is the Contract
  reviewerlt/Descriptiongt
• lt/Participantgt
• ltParticipant Id"Consultant" Name"Consultant"gt
• ltParticipantType Type"ROLE"/gt
• ltDescriptiongtThis is the Consultantlt/Descriptiongt
• lt/Participantgt
• ltParticipant Id"InvoiceCreator"
  Name"InvoiceCreator"gt
• ltParticipantType Type"ROLE"/gt
• ltDescriptiongtThis is the InvoiceCreatorlt/Descripti
  ongt
• lt/Participantgt
• lt/Participantsgt

21
Create the Contract Process

• Create the new workflow process called
  Contract_Preparation

22
Contract Process (Cont.)

• ltWorkflowProcessesgt
• ltWorkflowProcess AccessLevel"PUBLIC"
  Id"Contract_Preparation" Name"Contract_Preparati
  on"gt
• ltProcessHeader DurationUnit"D"gt
• ltCreatedgt2005-09-16 104715lt/Createdgt
• lt/ProcessHeadergt
• ltRedefinableHeader PublicationStatus"UNDER_TEST"gt
  
• ltAuthorgtAspose.Workflowlt/Authorgt
• ltVersiongt1.0lt/Versiongt
• lt/RedefinableHeadergt
• lt/WorkflowProcessgt
• lt/WorkflowProcessesgt

23
Contract Workflow (Cont.)
24
Create Applications

• Applications is using to interactive with
  external system. For this tutorial, the
  applications will operate on the Contracts
  database table.
• There are four applications currently
• ApproveContract
• UpateContractState
• ConsultantContract
• CreateInvoice

25
Create Application (Cont.)create parameters for
application

• Set the parameter id
• Mode In/Out/Inout
• Set the parameter type

26
Parameters (Cont.)

• The application ApproveContract has four
  parameters
• ContractId In String
• Reviewer In String
• IsRejected In Boolean
• State Inout String

27
The Applications XPDL(ApproveContract)

• ltApplication Id"ApproveContract"gt
• ltFormalParametersgt
• ltFormalParameter Id"ContractId" Mode"IN"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/FormalParametergt
• ltFormalParameter Id"Reviewer" Mode"IN"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt

• lt/FormalParametergt
• ltFormalParameter Id"IsRejected" Mode"IN"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"BOOLEAN"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/FormalParametergt
• ltFormalParameter Id"State" Mode"INOUT"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/FormalParametergt
• lt/FormalParametersgt
• lt/Applicationgt

28
The Applications XPDL (Cont.)(UpdateContractState
)

• ltApplication Id"UpdateContractState"gt
• ltFormalParametersgt
• ltFormalParameter Id"ContractId" Mode"IN"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/FormalParametergt
• ltFormalParameter Id"State" Mode"IN"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/FormalParametergt
• lt/FormalParametersgt
• lt/Applicationgt

29
The Applications XPDL (Cont.) (ConsultContract)

• ltApplication Id"ConsultContract"gt
• ltFormalParametersgt
• ltFormalParameter Id"ContractId" Mode"IN"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/FormalParametergt
• ltFormalParameter Id"Consultant" Mode"IN"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/FormalParametergt

• ltFormalParameter Id"Advice" Mode"IN"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/FormalParametergt
• lt/FormalParametersgt
• lt/Applicationgt

30
The Applications XPDL (Cont.) (CreateInvoice)

• ltApplication Id"CreateInvoice"gt
• ltFormalParametersgt
• ltFormalParameter Id"ContractId" Mode"IN"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/FormalParametergt
• ltFormalParameter Id"Amount" Mode"IN"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"FLOAT"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/FormalParametergt

• ltFormalParameter Id"InvoiceCreator" Mode"IN"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/FormalParametergt
• lt/FormalParametersgt
• lt/Applicationgt
• lt/Applicationsgt

31
Create DataFields

• Data fields is the process/package local
  variables to hold process instance related data
• Data fields can use as the actual parameter for
  the applications formal parameter

32
Contract Workflow DataFields

• ContractId string indicate the id of contract
• Reviewer string the reviewers name
• Creator string the contract creator.
• IsRejcted boolean indicate if the contract is
  rejected
• State string indicate current contract state
• Consultant string the contract consultants name
• Advice string the consultants advice
• Amount string the invoice amount
• InvoiceCreator the creator of invoice

33
Contract Workflow Data Fields XPDL

• ltDataFieldsgt
• ltDataField Id"ContractId" IsArray"FALSE"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/DataFieldgt
• ltDataField Id"Reviewer" IsArray"FALSE"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/DataFieldgt

• ltDataField Id"Creator" IsArray"FALSE"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/DataFieldgt
• ltDataField Id"IsRejected" IsArray"FALSE"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"BOOLEAN"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/DataFieldgt

34
Contract Workflow Data Fields XPDL (Cont.)

• ltDataField Id"State" IsArray"FALSE"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/DataFieldgt
• ltDataField Id"Consultant" IsArray"FALSE"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/DataFieldgt

• ltDataField Id"Amount" IsArray"FALSE"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/DataFieldgt
• ltDataField Id"InvoiceCreator" IsArray"FALSE"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/DataFieldgt
• lt/DataFieldsgt

35
Contract Workflow Data Fields XPDL (Cont.)

• ltDataField Id"Advice" IsArray"FALSE"gt
• ltDataTypegt
• ltBasicType Type"STRING"/gt
• lt/DataTypegt
• lt/DataFieldgt

36
Create the process

• Add Start (Black round shape), End to the graph
• Each process must at least have one start and one
  end

37
Create Process (cont.)

• Add the first activity of contract preparation
  Approve Contract
• The Approve Contract performer will be the
  pre-created participant Reviewer
• When Approve Contract is done, it will call two
  applications
• ApproveContract
• UpdateContractState
• Be sure to map the data fields to the
  applications parameters

38
Approve Contract XPDL

• ltActivity Id"ContractModel_Act1" Name"Contract
  Review"gt
• ltImplementationgt
• ltTool Id"ApproveContract" Type"APPLICATION"gt
• ltActualParametersgt
• ltActualParametergtContractIdlt/ActualParametergt
• ltActualParametergtReviewerlt/ActualParametergt
• ltActualParametergtIsRejectedlt/ActualParametergt
• ltActualParametergtStatelt/ActualParametergt
• lt/ActualParametersgt
• lt/Toolgt

• ltTool Id"UpdateContractState" Type"APPLICATION"gt
  
• ltActualParametersgt
• ltActualParametergtContractIdlt/ActualParametergt
• ltActualParametergtStatelt/ActualParametergt
• lt/ActualParametersgt
• lt/Toolgt
• lt/Implementationgt
• ltPerformergtReviewerlt/Performergt
• ltStartModegt
• ltManual/gt
• lt/StartModegt
• ltFinishModegt
• ltAutomatic/gt
• lt/FinishModegt
• lt/Activitygt

39
Create process (Cont.)

• Based on the review result the continue process
  will go to different transitions
• Approved go to consultant work
• Rejected go to contract rejcted
• The condition test will be store in activities
  Transition restriction

40
Transition Restriction XPDL

• ltTransitionRestrictionsgt
• ltTransitionRestrictiongt
• ltSplit Type"XOR"gt
• ltTransitionRefsgt
• ltTransitionRef Id"ContractWorkflow_Tra2"/gt
• ltTransitionRef Id"ContractWorkflow_Tra3"/gt
• lt/TransitionRefsgt
• lt/Splitgt
• lt/TransitionRestrictiongt
• lt/TransitionRestrictionsgt

• Split Type XOR means only one transition can be
  followed
• The detailed transition settings is stored in
  transition definition here only reference them
  using TransitionRef

41
Transition XPDL

• ltTransition FromApproveContract"
  Id"ContractWorkflow_Tra2" ToContractRejcted"gt
• ltCondition Type"CONDITION"gtIsRejectedlt/Conditiongt
  
• ltExtendedAttributesgt
• ltExtendedAttribute Name"RoutingType"
  Value"NOROUTING"/gt
• lt/ExtendedAttributesgt
• lt/Transitiongt

• This transition is the From ApproveContract to
  ContractRejected
• The condition expression IsRejected means when
  the data field IsRejected is true, this
  transition will be followed
• You can set the condition type to OTHERWISE,
  means follow the transition if all other
  transition from the same activity whose condition
  result are false

42
Continue

• The activity follow Contract Rejected will be end
• The activity follow Consultant work will be
  Create Invoice
• Like Approve Contract, Consultant work will
  also have two applications need to call when the
  activity execute
• ConsultantContract
• UpdateContractState
• ConsultantWorks performer will be Consultant
• Contract Rejected is a special activity, it
  will execute automatically by the Workflow engine
  system.
• Set the performer type to SYSTEM
• Set the Start Mode to AUTOMATIC

43
Continue.

• Create Invoice will call application
• CreateInvoice
• UpdateContractState
• Send Invoice is same as Contract Rejected, it
  is an automatically state
• Performer type is SYSTEM
• Start Mode is AUTOMATIC

44
Modeling End

• Save the model into file
• A full version of the XPDL can be found at
• http//www.aspose.com/Products/Aspose.Workflow/Liv
  eDemo/ContractModel.xpdl

45
Contract Workflow Tutorial

• Run the Contract Workflow Model using
  Aspose.Workflow engine

46
Aspose.Workfow Engine Runtime Overview

• Aspose.Workflow engine runtime include below
  steps
• Configuration the Aspose.Workflow Engine
• Upload the XPDL model file to the engine
• Map the applications defined in the XPDL file to
  real tool agent implementation classes
• Map the participant defined in XPDL file to real
  username
• Start Process instance
• Using worklist to accept/complete tasks.
• Monitoring the engine using Monitor Service

47
ContractWorkflow Asp.Net implementation

• All source can be found in the installer package
• Find the online version on http//www.aspose.com/P
  roducts/Aspose.Workflow/Demos/ContractWorkflow/

48
Aspose.Workflow configuration

• ltappSettingsgt
• ltadd key"RootDirectoryPath" value"D\stone\work
  \dotnet\Workflow\src\Demos\ContractWorkflow"/gt
• ltadd key"engine.name" value"Aspose.Workflow.Dem
  os.ContractWorkflow" /gt
• ltadd key"ConnectionString" value"ProviderMicro
  soft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0User IDAdminData
  SourceRootDirectoryPath\storage\repository\Asp
  ose.Workflow.mdb" /gt
• ltadd key"LogFilePath" value"RootDirectoryPath
  \storage\log\Aspose.Workflow.log" /gt
• ltadd key"LogLevel" value"INFO" /gt
• ltadd key"package.repository.path"
  value"RootDirectoryPath\storage\repository\ext
  ernal" /gt
• lt/appSettingsgt

49
Initialization of ContractWorkflow

• Please refer to the Initialize.aspx.cs in the
  demos source code
• Get the Aspose.Workflow engine Instance
• IEngine engine EngineManager.Instance.Engine
• engine.Login("aspose","aspose")
• Upload package
• IPackage package engine.PackageAdmin.UploadPacka
  ge(
• engine.Properties"RootDirectoryPath"
  _at_"\ContractPackage.xpdl")

50
Map the Participant to User

• IParticipant participants package.GetAllProces
  ses()0.Participants
• foreach(IParticipant part in participants)
• if (part.Id.Equals("Reviewer"))
• part.MapUser("reviewer1")
• else if (part.Id.Equals("Consultant"))
• part.MapUser("consultant1")
• else if (part.Id.Equals("InvoiceCreator"))
• part.MapUser("invoiceCreator1")

51
Map Applications to Tool agent Implementation
classes

• IApplicationAdmin appAdmin
• engine.ApplicationAdmin
• IApplication apps
• appAdmin.GetAllApplicationsInPackage(package.Id)
  
• foreach(IApplication app in apps)
• if (app.Id.Equals("ApproveContract"))
• appAdmin.SetApplicationToolAgent(
• app.PackageId,app.ProcessId,
• app.Id,app.Name,app.UserName,
• app.Password,
• typeof(ToolAgent.ApproveContract).AssemblyQualifie
  dName)

52
Page Design

• When each user login to the Contract Workflow
  system, they got a task list page, some times
  include a history list.

53
Populate the Task List

• Please refer to the TaskList.aspx.cs in demos
  source code.
• IEngine engine EngineManager.Instance.Engine
• engine.Login(txtUsername.Text.Trim(),txtPassword.T
  ext.Trim())
• ITask tasks engine.Worklist.GetAllTasks()
• Will return the tasks assigned to current login
  user.
• So for different user we can get difference task
  list and display different data using the same
  Asp.Net page.

54
Detail Page

• For different user, we have task detail page,
  ReviewContract.aspx,Invoice.aspx,ConsultantReport.
  aspx
• When PageLoad Accept the task
• if (!engine.Worklist.IsTaskAccepted(txtTaskId.Tex
  t))
• engine.Worklist.AcceptTask(txtTaskId.Text)
• Since all task are assigned to the Reviewer
  role, any user in the Reviewer role accept
  task, other reviewers cans see this task until
  the user release the task

55
Finish the task (OK button)

• Ok button clicked
• private void btnOk_Click(object sender,
  System.EventArgs e)
• System.Collections.Hashtable result new
  Hashtable()
• result"Reviewer" Session"Username"
• result"IsRejected" reviewState.SelectedValue.
  Equals("Reject")
• result"State" "Reviewed"
• IEngine engine Session"Engine" as IEngine
• engine.Worklist.CompleteTask(txtTaskId.Text,resul
  t)
• Server.Transfer("TaskList.aspx")
• First Accept the task, then complete the task

56
Finish the Task (Cancel Button)

• Cancel button clicked
• private void btnCancel_Click(object sender,
  System.EventArgs e)
• IEngine engine Session"Engine" as IEngine
• engine.Worklist.ReleaseTask(txtTaskId.Text)
• Server.Transfer("TaskList.aspx")
• When user cancel the page, it will release the
  task and let other user in the same role can
  process task.

57
Enhance the Contract Workflow
58
Overview

• The old style application when you want to add a
  new step in the process, it has to modify code.
• For workflow enable application, it is very easy,
  just change the model without/simple change to
  the code.

59
New Step

• When invoice creator create the invoice, if the
  invoice amount gt 1000, we want the review to
  review again

60
New Step (Cont.)

• Add a new activity Review Invoice after Create
  Invoice activity
• Set the Create Invoice split type property to
  XOR
• Set the performer of Review Invoice to reviewer

61
New Step (Cont.)

• Set the to Review Invoice transition Properties
• Set Conditions Type to Condition, expression to
  Amount gt 1000, the Amount is predefined process
  DataField

62
New Step (Cont.)

• Set the transition to Send Invoice condition
  type to Otherwise

63
New Step (Cont.)

• Link the Review Invoice to Send Invoice
• If Invoice approved, will go to send invoice
  activity

64
New Step (Cont.)

• When Invoice rejected, the process will end.
• Since Aspose.Workflow still not support LOOP,
  if support, we can go to Invoice Create or
  Consultant work until the invoice is approved.

65
No Code Change

• For current ContractWorkflow demo included in the
  installer package, no code change needed, when
  the amount of invoice gt 1000, the reviewer will
  find a new task of Review Invoice on the task
  list.
• After modify the model, please reinitialize the
  contract workflow by call the initialize.aspx