Integration Using WorkflowGen URLs

Overview

Integrations with external systems using WorkflowGen are possible through the use of WorkflowGen applications, RSS feeds, and the WorkflowGen Web Service API. As well, integrations with WorkflowGen can be performed through the use of URLs to perform the following types of functions:

• Launching requests and actions from any external site, with or without WorkflowGen frames and menus.

• Launching an action in a non-WorkflowGen window and redirecting to another (non-WorkflowGen) website.

• Viewing a follow-up form disconnected from the WorkflowGen User Portal.

• Viewing a graphical follow-up disconnected from the WorkflowGen User Portal.

Use cases could include permitting the seamless integration of WorkflowGen into an external portal, such as Microsoft SharePoint, SAP Portal, DotNetNuke, or other web-based portals. Filling out and submitting web forms as well as following up activities could then be performed without the use of the default WorkflowGen web portal if desired.

To enforce the appropriate security in WorkflowGen, these URL launches require users to authenticate themselves, and therefore work best with Integrated Authentication.

Launch a new request and start the first action

• This starts a new request and launches the first action.

• Participant security is enforced.

Parameters

The parameters the URL uses are as follows:

Parameter	Description
YOURSITE	The site where WorkflowGen is installed
QUERY	The task WorkflowGen will attempt to run, e.g. START
P	The process name or ID that WorkflowGen will attempt to run, e.g. CLUB_CS_LEAVE (name); 7 (ID)
TEST	Set to Y to launch the process in Test mode or to N to launch the process in Active mode Note: If the P parameter is configured as a process ID, this parameter will be ignored.
BACKURL_SUBMIT	The URL that the user will be returned to when submitting the completed form, e.g. http://www.advantys.com
BACKTARGET_SUBMIT	Name of the frame or iFrame to show the redirect page result as defined in the BACKURL_SUBMIT parameter after the webform action is submitted By default, it uses the parent frame. For example, to show the page in the current frame, you would specify this like so: BACKTARGET_SUBMIT=this Note: To be used with and requires BACKURL_SUBMIT only.
BACKURL_CANCEL	The URL that the user will be returned to when selecting the Back link generated on the top left of the form page, e.g. http://www.workflowgen.com
BACKTARGET_CANCEL	Name of the frame or iFrame to show the redirect page result as defined in the BACKURL_CANCEL parameter after the webform action is cancelled By default, it uses the parent frame. For example, to show the page in the current frame, you would specify this like so: BACKTARGET_CANCEL=this Note: To be used with and requires BACKURL_CANCEL only.
FORM_BGCOLOR	The background color to use when displaying the forms border, e.g. white

From within the WorkflowGen portal

• WorkflowGen menus and banners are visible.

To launch a process directly from a link or URL, use the example below:

http://YOURSITE/wfgen/show.aspx?QUERY=START&P=CLUB_CS_LEAVE

From within another website

• WorkflowGen menus and banners are hidden.

• A Back link is displayed in the top left corner.

• Redirection will be performed upon form submit.

To launch a process directly from a link or URL and redirect back to a website other than WorkflowGen, use the example below:

http://YOURSITE/wfgen/show.aspx?QUERY=START&P=CLUB_CS_LEAVE&BACKURL_SUBMIT=http://www.advantys.com&BACKURL_CANCEL=http://www.workflowgen.com&FORM_BGCOLOR=white

Launch a new request and start the first action without the WorkflowGen portal

Parameters

The parameters the URL uses are as follows:

Parameter	Description
YOURSITE	The site where WorkflowGen is installed
QUERY	The task WorkflowGen will attempt to run, e.g. PROCESS_START
PROCESS	The process name that WorkflowGen will attempt to run, e.g. CLUB_CS_LEAVE
ID_PROCESS	The process ID that WorkflowGen will attempt to run, e.g. 7 Note: If PROCESS is also set (process name), it will take precedence over ID_PROCESS (process ID).
TEST	Set to Y to launch the process in Test mode or to N to launch the process in Active mode Note: This parameter is only compatible with PROCESS.
BACKURL_SUBMIT	The URL that the user will be returned to when submitting the completed form, e.g. http://www.advantys.com
BACKTARGET_SUBMIT	Name of the frame or iFrame to show the redirect page result as defined in the BACKURL_SUBMIT parameter after the webform action is submitted By default, it uses the parent frame. For example, to show the page in the current frame, you would specify this like so: BACKTARGET_SUBMIT=this Note: To be used with and requires BACKURL_SUBMIT only.

To launch a process directly from a link or URL without the WorkflowGen portal, use the example below:

http://YOURSITE/wfgen/show.aspx?QUERY=PROCESS_START&PROCESS=CLUB_CS_LEAVE&BACKURL_SUBMIT=http://www.advantys.com

Start an existing action

• This launches any workflow action that has been created. It can be the first, second, or later action of a workflow.

• Participant security is enforced.

Parameters

The parameters the URL uses are as follows:

Parameter	Description
YOURSITE	The site where WorkflowGen is installed
QUERY	The task WorkflowGen will attempt to run, e.g. APPLICATION_START or CONTEXT Use APPLICATION_START when hiding the WorkflowGen menus and banners Use CONTEXT with REQUEST_QUERY=APPLICATION_START when displaying the WorkflowGen menus and banners
REQUEST_QUERY	To be used withQUERY=CONTEXT to control the portal mode when starting an action. In this case, specify APPLICATION_START
NO_REDIR	Ensure no redirection after form submit, e.g. Y
ID_PROCESS_INST	The request ID that WorkflowGen will attempt to run, e.g. 192
ID_ACTIVITY_INST	The action ID that WorkflowGen will attempt to run, e.g. 2
BACKURL_SUBMIT	The URL that the user will be returned to when submitting the completed form, e.g. http://www.advantys.com Note: If no BACKURL_SUBMIT is defined, WorkflowGen will use the selected redirection behavior from the Configuration Panel (e.g. return to home page, show follow-up form, etc.).
BACKTARGET_SUBMIT	Name of the frame or iFrame to show the redirect page result as defined in the BACKURL_SUBMIT parameter after the webform action is submitted By default, it uses the parent frame. For example, to show the page in the current frame, you would specify this like so: BACKTARGET_SUBMIT=this Note: To be used with and requires BACKURL_SUBMIT only.

Without the WorkflowGen portal

• WorkflowGen menus and banners are hidden.

To launch an action (second) directly from a link or URL, use the example below:

http://YOURSITE/wfgen/show.aspx?QUERY=APPLICATION_START&ID_PROCESS_INST=192&ID_ACTIVITY_INST=2&BACKURL_SUBMIT=http://www.advantys.com

Within the WorkflowGen portal

• WorkflowGen menus and banners are visible.

To launch an action (second) directly from a link or URL with visible menus, use the example below:

http://YOURSITE/wfgen/show.aspx?QUERY=CONTEXT&REQUEST_QUERY=APPLICATION_START&NO_REDIR=Y&ID_PROCESS_INST=192&ID_ACTIVITY_INST=2

Display a request follow-up form

• This displays the request follow-up form.

• Participant security is enforced.

Parameters

The parameters the URL uses are as follows:

Parameter	Description
YOURSITE	The site where WorkflowGen is installed.
QUERY	The task WorkflowGen will attempt to run, e.g. PROCESS_INSTANCE_FORM
ID_PROCESS_INST	The request ID that WorkflowGen will attempt to show, e.g. 192
SUPERUSER	The security mode for accessing the follow-up form. Set to Y to show the request follow-up form in manager/supervisor mode.

Without the WorkflowGen portal

• WorkflowGen menus and banners are hidden.

To display a request follow-up form directly from a link or URL, use the example below:

http://YOURSITE/wfgen/show.aspx?QUERY=PROCESS_INSTANCE_FORM&ID_PROCESS_INST=192

Within the WorkflowGen portal

• WorkflowGen menus and banners are visible.

To display a request follow-up form directly from a link or URL with visible menus, use the example below:

http://YOURSITE/wfgen/show.aspx?QUERY=CONTEXT&REQUEST_QUERY=PROCESS_INSTANCE_FORM&ID_PROCESS_INST=192

Display a graphical follow-up form without the WorkflowGen portal

• This displays the graphical follow-up form disconnected from the WorkflowGen User Portal.

• Participant security is enforced.

• WorkflowGen menus and banner are hidden.

• Drill-down to activities is disabled.

Parameters

The parameters the URL uses are as follows:

Parameter	Description
YOURSITE	The site where WorkflowGen is installed
QUERY	The task WorkflowGen will attempt to run, e.g. WFCANVAS_PROCESS_INSTANCE
ID_PROCESS_INST	The request ID that WorkflowGen will attempt to show, e.g. 192

To display the disconnected graphical follow-up form, use the example below:

http://YOURSITE/wfgen/show.aspx?QUERY=WFCANVAS_PROCESS_INSTANCE&ID_PROCESS_INST=192

Download file data of a specific request or action using a WorkflowGen URL

The following examples show how to download file data from specific requests or actions using WorkflowGen URLs.

Download the latest form archive of request #192:

http://YOURSITE/wfgen/show.aspx?QUERY=DOWNLOAD&DATA_NAME=FORM_ARCHIVE&ID_PROCESS_INST=192

Download the form archive of the first action of request #192:

http://YOURSITE/wfgen/show.aspx?QUERY=DOWNLOAD&DATA_NAME=FORM_ARCHIVE&ID_PROCESS_INST=192&ID_ACTIVITY_INST=1

Download the form archive of the second action of request #192:

http://YOURSITE/wfgen/show.aspx?QUERY=DOWNLOAD&DATA_NAME=FORM_ARCHIVE&ID_PROCESS_INST=192&ID_ACTIVITY_INST=2

Display the User Portal inside another website

By using an iFrame you can embed the WorkflowGen User Portal inside another website. In this case, you have to define the URL of the "host" application in the Configuration Panel.

Settings

Possible errors

Error	Description
Invalid request: Process NAME or ID is required	The name or the identifier of the process (ID_PROCESS or PROCESS parameter) was not found.
DbConnect	The database is not available.
GetUserInfos	Unable to retrieve the information about the user specified by the REQUESTER_USERNAME parameter.
Invalid user: User not found	The username passed through the REQUESTER_USERNAME parameter does not correspond to a WorkflowGen user.
Incorrect request: The request cannot be found	The specified process was not found or its status does not allow the system to instantiate it.
Incorrect request: The action cannot be found	The specified action was not found of its status does not allow the system to instantiate it.
This process cannot be launched by an external application	The process was not declared as a public sub-process.
Security: You are not authorized to launch this request	The specified requester is not associated to the requester participant of the process.
CONTEXT Invalid XML	The XML content is not a valid XML string.
CONTEXT Invalid recordset	The XML content does not represent a valid ADODB recordset object.