Oracle APPS : Workflow Builder Chapter 03:Introduction to Workflow Builder

AAST/AZZA SHOUKR

Chapter03
Introduction to Workflow Builder

• Oracle Workflow Builder

• Workflow Process Component
• Planning a Workflow Process
• Diagramming a Workflow Process
• Quick Start Wizard
• Defining Item Type
• Verify Process Definition
• Save Process Definition

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Oracle APPS : Workflow Builder Chapter 03:Introduction to Workflow Builder
AAST/AZZA SHOUKR

1. Oracle Workflow Builder

Oracle Workflow Builder is the development tool for Oracle Workflow.it Lets you graphically define and
customize workflow definitions .You can save workflow definitions to a database or a flat file.

Oracle Workflow Builder consists of two parts:

Navigator Tree
Process Diagram

Navigator Tree
The navigator provides a tree structure for the workflow definition, with the highest level being the data
store. Next is the item type, which is a grouping of workflow objects into a high-level category. The
lower levels are the workflow objects themselves, such as attributes, processes, notifications,
functions, events, messages, and lookup types. All these objects are organized into their respective
categories within the tree.
Process Diagram
The diagram is made up of icons representing workflow objects. A diagram is built by dragging the
objects from the navigator window and dropping them into the process diagram window. This method
is called bottom-up design. You can also create new objects as you design the diagram and complete
the definitions of those objects later. This method is called top-down design.

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Oracle APPS : Workflow Builder Chapter 03:Introduction to Workflow Builder
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2. Workflow Process Component

Data Store:
A database connection or flat file that holds a workflow process definition.
Item Type:
A grouping of workflow components into a high level category. All components of a workflow process
must be associated with a specific item type. An item type can contain multiple processes.
Item Type Attribute:
A feature of the item type which stores information that can be globally referenced by any activity in a
process. Also referred to as an item attribute.
Process Activity:
A series of actions that need to be performed to accomplish a business goal. A process is represented
by a workflow diagram
Event Activity:
A business event modeled as an activity so that it can be included in a workflow process.
Notification Activity:
A unit of work that requires human intervention. A notification activity sends a message to a performer.
Function Activity:
An automated unit of work, usually defined as a PL/SQL stored procedure. A function activity can also
run an external function.
Message:
The information sent by a notification activity. The message may request the performer (the role
receiving the message) to do some work or may simply provide information.
Lookup Type:
A list of values that can be referenced by any activity in a workflow process. The values in the list are
called lookup codes.
Transition:
The relationship that defines the completion of one activity and the activation of another activity within
a process. In a process diagram, a transition is represented as an arrow between two activities.

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Oracle APPS : Workflow Builder Chapter 03:Introduction to Workflow Builder
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In the navigator tree, each item type includes the following branches:
• Attributes
• Processes (Subprocesses)
• Notifications
• Functions
• Events
• Messages
• Lookup Types

4. Planning a Workflow Process

Identify your business needs.
Identify the activities that will accomplish those needs. For example:
a. What is each activity’s type: Function,
Notification, Event, or Process?
b. Will an activity’s result affect the transition that the Workflow Engine takes? If so,
define the activity’s possible results as lookup codes in a lookup type.
c. Which standard activities can you leverage
to minimize the development work required
for your process?
d. Identify how the process will be initiated. For example:
e. What condition initiates the process? Is it a completed transaction, a database
exception, a button on a form, or some other condition?
f. Will there be an interface to initiate the process?
g. Will the process begin with a Receive event activity, or with a Start function
activity?
h. Identify the possible results of the
process. List the possible results as
lookup codes in a lookup type.

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Oracle APPS : Workflow Builder Chapter 03:Introduction to Workflow Builder
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3. Diagramming a Workflow Process

You can create new workflow processes by two different design methods:

• Top-Down Design: If you prefer to approach your design from a high level, you can first
sketch out the process diagram with activities, and then go back later to create the
supporting objects for each activity.
• Bottom-Up Design: If you prefer to take a more programmatic approach to your design,
you can first define each of the supporting
objects of your process before
beginning to create a higher level
process diagram.
Creating a New Process from Top Down
1. Use the Quick Start Wizard to create the process framework, including the item type and
initial process activity.
2. Define function, notification, event, or process activities without underlying dependencies.
3. Diagram the relationship of the activities.
4. Define item type attributes for the process.
5. Define lookup types and lookup codes.
6. Define messages.
7. Define message attributes.
Update processes, functions, events, and notifications with underlying components

Creating a New Process from Bottom Up

1. Define the item type of the process.

2. Define the item type attributes for the process.
3. Define lookup types and lookup codes.
4. Define messages.
5. Define message attributes.
6. Define function, notification, event, or process activities.
7. Diagram the relationship of the activities.

Diagramming a Process
1. To begin drawing a process diagram in Oracle Workflow Builder, you must display the
process window by one of these methods:
– Use the Quick Start Wizard to create a process activity and initial diagram with
Start and End nodes.
– Display the process window for a process activity that is defined in the navigator
tree.
— Double-click the process activity on the navigator tree.
— Select the process activity and press Ctrl + E.
— Select the process activity and choose Process Details from the Edit menu.

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4. Quick Start Wizard

a. If you want to use the top-down design method, you can use the Quick Start Wizard to
jump-start the creation of a new item type and process.
b. Initiate the Quick Start Wizard by one of these methods:
i. Select Quick Start Wizard from the File menu.
ii. Click the Quick Start Wizard button on the navigator tree toolbar.
iii. Select the navigator tree window and press Ctrl + Q.
c. The Quick Start Wizard prompts for the
minimum information necessary to
create a new item type and process.
New Item Type Properties
• Internal Name: Specify an all uppercase internal name with a maximum of eight
characters. Do not include colons or leading or trailing spaces.
• Display Name: Enter a translatable display name for the item type.
• Persistence Type: Specify Temporary or Permanent persistence for the status
audit trail of the item type. The persistence type controls when the run-time
process status information is eligible for purging after the process is complete. If
the persistence type is Permanent, the run-time status information is maintained
indefinitely until it is specifically purged; if it is Temporary, the run-time status
information is maintained for a specified number of days after the workflow
completion date before it can be purged.
• Number of Days: If the persistence type is Temporary, specify the number of days
from the time an item type instance completes before its status audit trail can be
purged.
New Process Properties
• Internal Name: Specify an all uppercase internal name. Do not include colons or
leading or trailing spaces.
• Display Name: Enter a translatable display name for the process activity.

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5. Defining an Item Type

a. You can also define a new item type manually without using the Quick Start Wizard.
b. Item types are defined in the navigator tree within a data store.

define an item type:

1. Select a data store in the navigator tree, or create a new data store by choosing New from the
File menu.
2. Create a new item type by selecting New > Item Type from the Edit menu.
3. On the Item Type property page, enter an all uppercase internal name with a maximum of eight
characters. Do not include colons or leading or trailing spaces.
4. Enter a translatable display name for the item type.
5. Enter a description of the item type.
6. Specify Temporary or Permanent persistence for the status audit trail of the item type. The
persistence type controls when the run-time process status information is eligible for purging after the
process is complete.
7. If the persistence type is Temporary, specify the number of days from the time an item type
instance completes before its status audit trail can be purged.
8. Optionally enter the name of a selector/callback function for the item type.
- The item type selector/callback function is a PL/SQL procedure that the
Workflow Engine can call to reset or test context information for an item
type before executing an activity.
- An item type can have multiple workflow processes associated with it. If it
does, the selector/callback function can also identify the appropriate
process to run.
- Associating a selector/callback function with an item type makes the item
type better suited to future customizations.
9. Choose Apply to save your changes.
10. Optionally select the Access tab to set the access levels allowed to modify this item type.

6. Verifying a Process Definition

a. When you save your work, Oracle Workflow Builder:
i. Automatically validates the process definition for any invalid or missing information
ii. Displays the results of the validation in a Workflow Error verification window
b. You can also verify the definitions in the current data store at any time during a Builder
session.
i. Select an object such as a data store, item type, or process in the navigator tree
ii. Select Verify from the File menu
or click the Verify button in the
Navigator toolbar

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7. Saving Process Definitions

a. Always save the process definition to a flat file for source control.
b. Before saving the process definition to the production database, save to a development
database for testing.
c. Oracle Workflow Builder uses a utility program called the Workflow Definitions Loader to
move workflow definitions between databases and flat files.
The Workflow Definitions Loader can also be used to move definitions between
development and production databases, or to apply upgrades to existing definitions.

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