Last Sunday I rolled out new version of GoodDocFlow on my server. New features are:
- “ComboBox” component. Now you can read data from DB using EJB3 JNDI connection string. Any data from DB can be used in flow. This components come with “autocomplete” feature
- “setRequestToTerminateFlow” method. Now DefaultDocument has “setRequestToTerminateFlow” which allow on server side “terminate” flow. Typical usage is to merge several flows into one. In scenario “Planning” after “Registration” node flow split on 3 flows: “to CFO”, “to Product Manager” and “to Domestic Manager1”. On merge workflow step server node is going to extract accordingly data and terminate 2 flow and proceed only last with populating extracted data into it.
- Bug fixing and transport refactoring.
- “SubFlow” concept was introduced. This is I think most important innovation in new release. This is classical "Approve" flow. Scenario is very simple. User with login "sample-login" requested new monitor and new car. Document goes to "fin" in one case or to "manager" in other based on approver's role. First request to approve new monitor will be send to "fin" role. Second request to approve new car will be send to "manager". Any user with assigned role" fin" will get first request. In this case we will use "fin" user. "Fin" will approve this request. Second request will be canceled with objection message "no budget". See video example.
- Entry point validation. “Pattern” validation. Few predefined validators are “ssn” and “email”.
- “SingletonByLogin” concept was introduced. What that means? Some flow required maximum user’s attention. So flow designer can enforce it to make sure not other flow can interrupt or postponed current flow. As far as “singletonByLogin” flow no other flows can be started.
- Live demo improvements. A few new links “Feedback”, and “Submit a bug”, and “Submit Project” appear on page. So customers can influent to the GoodDocFlow project (I hoped only positivly)
So feel free to test new features.
Also pay attention to table below. GoodDocFlow is compatible to "Classic" docflow and workflow systems now.
| Approval | Routes a document for approval. Approvers can approve or reject the document, reassign the approval task, or request changes to the document. | Approve. |
| Collect Feedback | Routes a document for review. Reviewers can provide feedback, which is compiled and sent to the document owner when the workflow has completed. | "Bugzilla" and "Planning" |
| Collect Signatures | Gathers signatures needed to complete an Office document. This workflow can be started only from within an Office client. | "f1040" |
| Disposition Approval | Manages document expiration and retention by allowing participants to decide whether to retain or delete expired documents. | "Wizard" |
| Group Approval | Similar to the Approval workflow, but uses a designated document library and offers a personalized view of the approval process(es) in which a user is participating. This workflow provides a hierarchical organization chart from which to select the approvers and allows the approvers to use a stamp control instead of a signature. | "Planning" |
| Issue Tracking | Manages the issue tracking process by creating tasks for Active issues assigned to users who own to a given issue. When the task related to an issue is complete hence resolving the issue, the creator of the issue is assigned a review task so that the issue can be closed. | "Bugzilla" |
