Configuration for Starting a Workflow for an Entry

All configuration must be defined in the Digas Admin tool or via the DPE Management Services.

The configuration can be spread across USER, LOCAL and GLOBAL registries.

Any parameters set in USER will take precedence over LOCAL and GLOBAL. Parameters in LOCAL will take precedence over GLOBAL.

Connecting to DpeWebServices

For enabling Database Manager connecting to the right DpeWebServices following configuration setting is needed

Parameter

Comment

| Common | DpeServiceRoot

Defines the base URI of the DPE system used from all DigaSystem applications

The protocol, unless explicitly specified, defaults to "https://", and the port defaults to the default port for the protocol.

Example: https://dpe.myserver.intern

| DBM | DpeServiceRoot This parameter allows to override above common setting specifically for DBM.

You must configure on of theses parameters in order to use workflows. If the parameter is not configured or configured as empty, workflows will be unavailable.

Configuring Workflows

Workflow configuration shares many properties with DBM custom action configuration, and with menu configuration in DPE. In fact, DBM workflows are a special case of DBM custom actions. Please also refer to the Configuring Custom Actions section.

Workflows and custom actions are configured under | DBM | Actions | ... . Create a folder with unique, meaningful name for each workflow. The name itself is not used by the software. When you distribute the configuration values of one workflow across registries (User, Local, Global), then all folders for one workflow must have the same name.

Create the configuration keys for the workflow inside this sub-folder, e.g. | DBM | Actions | WorkflowName |

Parameter

Comment

Action
ActionRight
Enabled
Label
DisplayIndex

Picture
ApplySymbolColor

These entries are described in detail on the page Configuring Custom Actions under the heading "Common Configuration". Note that Action must have the value Workflow.

Config

Defines the workflow that should be triggered. The configuration can have one of the forms described in the following sections.

a) Contains either directly the name of the workflow template

or

b) A JSON configuration specifying the workflow template used and the up-front dialog configuration (see below)

In both cases, desired workflow templates have to be imported into the Workflow system, before the templates can be used.

Config for Workflows with more arguments and with optional up-front dialog

For workflows that operate on the selected file, but which require additional arguments, you must place a JSON structure into the Config parameter which describes the workflow and its parameters.

Key	Description
Headline	The title of the dialog that prompts for interactive input of runtime parameters, if any. If you leave this parameter empty or undefined, the workflow name will be put into the dialog title.
Workflow	The name of the workflow template which is to be executed.
Arguments	Arguments are used to assign values required by a workflow via a user dialog. They are listed in key/value pairs like "Key1": "Value1", "Key2": {"SubKey2": "SubValue 2"} In the example below, the key “mailto” has value definition { "label": "To", "input": "text", "value": "david" } "label": name of the input label in the dialog (like "To:" in the Email example). To omit the label, you can configure `"label":""`. "input": defines the input type according to the HTML <input> type Attributes. Supported input fields are “text” = A one-line text input field with no limitations or syntax check. "textarea" = A multi-line text input field with no limitations or syntax check. The field scrolls vertically if the user input exceeds the configured number of lines. (New since version 5.5.8042.0) “email” = Much the same as `text` but should be used in situation where an email address is expected. Later DBM versions may add syntax checking to this input type. "select" = A "droplist" type combo box with pre-configured entries "table-select" = A "droplist" type combo box whose entries are database tables that match the configured parameters "entry-select" = A "droplist" type combo box whose entries are items from a database table "value": default value of dropdown or input field. For input = "textarea": "rows": The number of input lines. For input = "select": "options": Array of selectable options; each option is a JSON object with value: the parameter value to be used when creating the workflow), text: the respective text to be displayed in the list): `{"value": "workflow value", "text": "display text"}.` Note only one of `value` and `text` must be specified; the other element defaults to the same value as the element that is explicitly specified. "value": If value contains one of the `value` values from the `options` array, then the respective entry is initially selected; otherwise, no entry is initially selected. For input = "table-select": Select a table from dynamically filled drop-down menu "rights": Access rights which the user must have for the respective tables. Only tables appear in the combo for which the user has all listed rights. If `rights` is empty, tables are lists irrespective of access rights. "targets": list of possible tables to be selected from. Selection of tables that are taken into account; If `targets` is empty, all tables are take into account. Each entry must have the form `<server>\\<tablename>` (with two backslashes between `server` and `tablename`); the same applies to the default table which is specified in the `"input"` field. Entries are case insensitive. For input = "entry-select": Select an entry from dynamically filled drop-down menu "tableId": specifies the table from which entries should be displayed, e.g. "MyServer\MyTable" "xmlFilter": specifies which entries of a table are displayed in the drop down, also see XmlFilter Syntax And Examples. The XML inside the JSON must be escaped according to JSON escaping rules. If you do not know the rules you can use an online helper like https://www.freeformatter.com/json-escape.html.
VisibleForClasses	This optional parameter allows to define for which entry classes a workflow is available. It contains an array of class names. Accepted class names are: None, News, Text, Music, Cart, Commercial, Control, Command, Graphic, Video, Project, Audio, Story, Magazine, Promotion, Live, Line, Info, VideoProject, SequoiaProject, BatchList, Zip-Archiv, DigaCutMT-Project, Unknown, DigaCutST-Project.
MultiSelection	Workflows are normally not available when more than one table entry is selected. The "MultiSelection" value, when set to "1", defines that this workflow should also be available for multiple selected entries. When set to "0", the workflow name in the menu is displayed in grey and cannot be selected in this situation. The default value is "0".
ManyToOne	optional; new since version 5.8.8209.0. Only used if MultiSelection=1. If this parameter is set to 0 (the default value), and multiple entries are selected, a separate instance of the workflow is created for each selected entry. When ManyToOne=1 is configured, a single workflow instance is created which received all selected entries. Please consult the workflow documentation for details.

Example: Basic Dialog

Creating a user dialog before starting 'ExampleWorkflow'.

JS

{
  "Workflow": "ExampleWorkflow",
  "Headline": "My Workflow Example",
  "MultiSelection": "True",
  "Arguments":
  {
    "FixedString": "A fixed string value",
    "TextInput":
    {
      "label": "Please enter some text",
      "input": "text",
      "value": "Enter your text here"
    },
    "EmailField":
    {
      "label": "Send this message to",
      "input": "email",
      "value": "Email address please"
    },
  }
}

Whitespace, including line breaks, is purely decorative and can freely be inserted for better readability.

The dialog created by this configuration looks like this:

Example: Dialog with a static Drop-Down Menu

Configure a workflow with four arguments and with a user dialog containing a drop-down

JAVA

{
  "Workflow": "workflow_name",
  "Arguments":
  {
    "argument_1": "value_1",
    "argument_2":
    {
      "label": "TextInput",
      "input": "text"
    },
    "argument_3":
    {
      "label": "EmailField",
      "input": "email"
    },
    "argument_4":
    {
      "input": "select",
	  "label": "ComboSelect"
      "options":
      [
        {"text": "first", "value": "1"},
        {"text": "second", "value": "2"},
        {"text": "third", "value": "3"}
      ],
      "value": "2"
    }
  }
}

This Config data creates a workflow with the name "workflow_name" that takes 4 arguments.

The argument arguments_1 receives the value value_1
The arguments arguments_2 and argument_3 must be entered by the user in a dialog that pops up when the workflow is triggered. The input field is labeled "TextInput" and "EmailField"
For argument_4, the dialog contains a combo box with a drop-down field which lets the user choose among "first", "second", and "third" option.
Depending on which entry is selected by the user, the value "1", "2", or "3" is sent to the workflow.
The combo box is labelled as "ComboSelect"
"second" is initially selected because this is the text that corresponds to the configured default value "2".

Example: Dialog containing table selection

Select from a list of available tables for which the user has sufficient rights.

JS

{
  "Headline": "Which table should the entry be copied to?",   
  "Workflow": "CopyEntrySpecial",
  "Arguments":
  {
    "TargetTableId": { "label": "Send to table",  "input": "table-select", "value": "MyDatabase\\MyTable", "rights": [ "Create", "SoftDelete" ] }
  }
}

This configuration produces the following dialog:

When you click the down-arrow, you see a list of tables for which you have "Create" and "SoftDelete" rights.

Example: Dialog containing entry selection

Select from a list of available entries.

JS

{
  "Workflow": "Test",
  "Headline": "Add Preroll, Logo and Postroll",
  "Arguments":
  {
    "Preset":
    {
      "input": "entry-select",
      "value": "",
      "tableId": "Vm-Sql-Digas\\GaliLeo_watermark",
      "xmlFilter": "<XmlFilter><And><Field Name=\"Story\" >2<\/Field><Field Name=\"SoftDeleted\">0<\/Field><\/And><\/XmlFilter>"
    },
    "Preroll":
    {
      "input": "entry-select",
      "value": "",
      "tableId": "Vm-Sql-Digas\\GaliLeo_watermark",
      "xmlFilter": "<XmlFilter><And><Field Name=\"Informat\" Like=\"1\">Pre%<\/Field><Field Name=\"SoftDeleted\">0<\/Field><\/And><\/XmlFilter>"
    },
    "Logo":
    {
      "input": "entry-select",
      "value": "",
      "tableId": "Vm-Sql-Digas\\GaliLeo_watermark",
      "xmlFilter": "<XmlFilter><And><Field Name=\"Informat\" Like=\"1\">Logo%<\/Field><Field Name=\"SoftDeleted\">0<\/Field><\/And><\/XmlFilter>"
    },
    "Postroll":
    {  
      "input": "entry-select",
      "value": "",
      "tableId": "Vm-Sql-Digas\\GaliLeo_watermark",
      "xmlFilter": "<XmlFilter><And><Field Name=\"Informat\" Like=\"1\">Post%<\/Field><Field Name=\"SoftDeleted\">0<\/Field><\/And><\/XmlFilter>"
    },
    "SendToTable": { "label": "Send to table",  "input": "table-select", "value": "Vm-Sql-Digas\\GaliLeo_temp", "rights": [ "Create", "SoftDelete" ] }
  }
}

This is the dialog that is displayed :

Enabling Workflow per User

You define the workflow in the GLOBAL registry but leave out the Enabled parameter. This hides the workflow from all DBM users. Later, you will enable the workflow for selected users.
Enable this workflow configuration for specific users by setting USER_PAR | DBM | Workflows | AnyName | Enabled=1 for each user who should be able to see the workflow.
You may have to create intermediate registry folders.

Alternatively:

Add GLOBAL | DBM | Workflows | AnyName | Enabled=1 to enable the workflow for all users.