Applications

Application screen

Menu banner

Links	Remarks
New application	Displays a blank application form to add a new application
Refresh	Refreshes the displayed application list

Filters

Filter on *	Remarks
Name	Filters by application name
Description	Filters by application description

* A filter can be applied to a part of a field.

External filters	Remarks
Actives only	Displays active applications only

Application form

Fields	Remarks
Name	Unique identifier for the application; must respect nomenclature and be limited to 30 characters (required field)
Description	Application description limited to 255 characters (required field)
Type	Application type: Assembly Asynchronous Web Procedure WCF Service Web application Web procedure SOAP web service Incoming webhook Non-interactive Client
URL	The relative or the absolute URL of the application; both will work (required field)
WSDL	The WSDL URL to define a WSDL-based web service (if applicable); see WSDL web services for details on WSDL-based web services.
Username *	Username to be used if an authentication is required to access the application’s URL
Password *	Password to be used if an authentication is required to access the application’s URL
Encoding	Type of data encoding to be used when the application returns to WorkflowGen: Default (application/x-www-form-urlencoded) Upload (multipart/form-data), application/xml; charset=UTF-8
Parameters	Application parameters (a link displays the parameters form in edit mode)
Default application	If checked the application is the default one
Active	If checked the application is active
XML schema	Choose between an ADO recordset or WorkflowGen schema types
Schema definition	If checked the schema will be embedded inline in the XML

* Only needed by the web procedures and the web services.

Application list screen

Application list

Columns	Remarks
Order	Display the application in order list
Name	Application name (a link displays the application form in edit mode)
Description	Application description
Active	Application is active
Utilization	Number of actions in which the application is used

Edit parameters list screen

Columns	Remarks
Name	Application parameter name
Data type	Application parameter data type
Direction	Application parameter direction
Required	Required parameter
Default	Optional parameter; displays the parameter in the parameter list of the actions based on the current application by default
Deletion *	Link to delete the application parameter

* The delete link is identified by an x visible only if the application is not used by a process action.

To add a parameter, click the Parameters link on the Edit application screen, then click Add on the Edit parameters list screen.

Add application parameters

Fields	Remarks
Name	Application parameter name (required field)
Description	Application parameter description (required field)
Data type	Application parameter data type: Text Numeric Date/Time File
Direction	Application parameter directions: IN (input) OUT (output) INOUT (input/output)
Required	Is this parameter required? Yes (disables the default property) No (enables the default property)
Default	If checked, the parameter is displayed in the parameter list of the action based on the current application

Note: Application parameter names should respect the following XML naming rules:

• They should begin with a letter or an underscore

• They should contain only letters, digits, hyphens, underscores, and periods

• They should not contain spaces

• They should not begin with the letters XML in any case (e.g. xml or Xml)

For more information, see https://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_elements.asp.

Deleting an application

An application cannot be deleted if it is used in a process.

Deleting a parameter

A parameter cannot be deleted if its application is used in a process.

Assembly application

This application allows you to declare a .NET class method as a workflow application. It is the fastest solution to develop a custom workflow application (compared to web services). The execution performance is exceptional because WorkflowGen instantiates the assembly directly without network communication or web service authentication.

Example

1. Copy a sample .dll assembly into a WorkflowGen bin folder.

2. In the Administration Module, click Applications and then New application.

3. Enter the following information in the appropriate fields:

   • Name: SAMPLE_GET_STRING

   • Description: Returns a string with a ! (exclamation point)

   • Type: Assembly

4. Assembly full name or path: WorkflowAppSample

5. Click Save.

Class full name: Select WorkflowApp.Test

Method: Select GetString

These parameters are automatically generated:

IN message (Text)

OUT RETURN_VALUE (Text)

You can now use this workflow application in your process.

WCF service application

This application allows you to declare a WCF service client proxy .NET class method as a workflow application.

Example

1. In the WorkflowGen Administration Module, click Applications and then New application.

2. Enter the following information in the appropriate fields:

   • Name: WCFSERVICE_SAMPLE_GET_STRING

   • Description: Returns a string with a ! (exclamation point)

   • Type: WCF service

3. Assembly full name or path: WorkflowAppWCFSampleTest

4. Click Save.

Class full name: Select workflowAppWCFSampleTest.ServiceClient

Method: Select GetString

These parameters are automatically generated:

IN message (Text)

OUT RETURN_VALUE (Text)

You can now use this workflow application in your process.

Name: WCFSERVICE_SAMPLE_GET_STRING

WSDL web services

Overview

WorkflowGen supports web services based on the SOAP standard. This means that web services can now be integrated into WorkflowGen to be used by process actions, without the need to program them. WorkflowGen can now use predefined web services and reference them by using their WSDL (Web Services Description Language) file.

A URL to the WSDL file defining the web service is required to display the available web methods that can be called by WorkflowGen. Once the WSDL is referenced and saved (in the WorkflowGen application definition), and one of its defined web methods are selected, the WorkflowGen application parameters are automatically generated.

The data types of the parameters are mapped to the corresponding WorkflowGen data types (numeric, text, datetime). All complex XML types are mapped to a WorkflowGen file data.

Public web services

Public web services are web services that are available for public re-use. To reference one as a WorkflowGen Application, follow the example below.

Creating a WSDL web service

1. In the Administration Module, create a new WorkflowGen application and define the following:

   • Name

   • Description

   • Type: Web service

   • Username: A valid WorkflowGen Administrator

   • Password: The valid password for the username

2. Reference a web service and WSDL by defining a URL to a valid web service and to its related WSDL file and save the application. URL example:

   http://quickstarts.asp.net/QuickStartv20/webservices/Samples/MathService/vb/Server/MathService.asmx

   WSDL example:

   http://quickstarts.asp.net/QuickStartv20/webservices/Samples/MathService/vb/Server/MathService.asmx?WSDL

3. Select the web method to use. The WSDL defines which web methods are available to be used. Once you select a web method and save the application, the associated parameters are automatically mapped and the application may now be used by process actions.

Private web service example

Overview

Private web services are web services that are not available for public re-use. They generally use a secure URL that requires the proper authentication. To reference one as a WorkflowGen application, follow the example below.

Creating a WSDL web service

1. In the Administration Module, create a new WorkflowGen application and define the following:

   • Name

   • Description

   • Type: Web service

   • Username: A valid WorkflowGen Administrator

   • Password: The valid password for the username

2. Reference a web service and WSDL by defining a URL to a valid web service and to its related WSDL file and save the application.

   The examples below demonstrate the use of a web service located on a SharePoint 2007 website. In this example, the web service is called lists.asmx. For more information, see http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms445760.aspx. URL example:

   http://myspsserver/_vti_bin/lists.asmx

   WSDL example:

   http://myspsserver/_vti_bin/lists.asmx?WSDL

3. Select the web method to use. The WSDL defines which web methods are available to be used. Once you select a web method and save the application, the associated parameters are automatically mapped and the application can now be used by process actions.

WSDL web service action: other parameters

Overview

WorkflowGen will create some extra parameters when referencing a WSDL. Other parameters can also be used in addition to those already defined in the WSDL file.

Other parameters

The other parameters that are defined by WorkflowGen are:

• RETURN_VALUE: If the web service returns a value, WorkflowGen will automatically add an OUT parameter.

• WFG_WS_URL: Specify a web service URL to override the predefined URL.

• WFG_WS_USERNAME: Specify a username to override the predefined username.

• WFG_WS_PASSWORD: Specify a password to override the predefined password.