MetaWorkflowPlugin

This plugin defines a workflow based on updated meta data in a number of topics. It was originally written for use with the WorkflowPlugin and the ApprovalPlugin, but can also be used to create a workflow using DataForms or any other changing meta data. To view the meta data of a topic, append ?raw=debug to the URL (i.e. http://365847.689093.cn/Extensions/MetaWorkflowPlugin?raw=debug).

Usage

To use this plugin, you must first create a Meta Worflow Definition table. This can either be in the topic you want to display the message from, or in another topic specified by the following setting:

   * Set METAWORKFLOWDEFINITION = Web.SomeTopic

The meta workflow definition table starts with the %METAWORKFLOW{...}% variable, which can have the following parameters:

Parameter	Comment	Default
type	The type of meta data.	required
name	The name of the meta data type. Needed if you are working with multiple entries of the same type (i.e. for FIELD).	none
key	The key of the meta data you want to match (i.e. value).	name

The table itself must follow immediately after the %METAWORKFLOW{...}% variable. It is made up of three columns, as explained below.

Topic	Value	Message
The topic where the meta data is coming from.	Defines what the value needs to be equal to before moving to the next row of the table.	The message displayed if the value is not equal.

The topic column can also contain the word FINAL, which will display a message once the workflow has been completed. The plugin will ignore header rows.

The message is displayed using the %METAWORKFLOWCURRENT% variable. This needs to be in the same topic as the definition table, or in a topic with the METAWORKFLOWDEFINITION setting.

Example

A working example of using this plugin to create a workflow based on the value of a form field can be found at Sandbox.MetaWorkflowExample, once you have installed and enabled the plugin.

Plugin Settings

To suppress warnings on your topic, use the following (Note: only has effect on the topic it is set on):

   * Set METAWORKFLOWWARNING = off

Installation Instructions

You do not need to install anything in the browser to use this extension. The following instructions are for the administrator who installs the extension on the server.

Open configure, and open the "Extensions" section. Use "Find More Extensions" to get a list of available extensions. Select "Install".

If you have any problems, or if the extension isn't available in configure, then you can still install manually from the command-line. See http://foswiki.org/Support/ManuallyInstallingExtensions for more help.

Plugin Files

File:	Description:
data/System/MetaWorkflowPlugin.txt	Documentation
data/Sandbox/MetaWorkflowExample.txt	Example
data/Sandbox/MetaWorkflowExampleFormDefinition.txt	Example
data/Sandbox/MetaWorkflowExamplePhaseOne.txt	Example
data/Sandbox/MetaWorkflowExamplePhaseThree.txt	Example
data/Sandbox/MetaWorkflowExamplePhaseTwo.txt	Example
lib/Foswiki/Plugins/MetaWorkflowPlugin.pm	Perl module

Plugin Info

Plugin Author(s):	Foswiki:Main.AndrewJones
Copyright:	© 2007 - 2009 Foswiki:Main.AndrewJones
License:	GPL (Gnu General Public License)
Plugin Release:	1.0
Plugin Version:	3248 (2009-03-23)
Change History:
23 Mar 2009	Foswiki:Tasks.Item1256 - Ported to Foswiki as 1.0
31 May 2007	Initial version for TWiki
Dependencies:	None
Plugin Home:	http://foswiki.org/Extensions/MetaWorkflowPlugin
Support:	http://foswiki.org/Support/MetaWorkflowPlugin