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• Appendix C lists the predefined workflow processes that areincluded with the Oracle Applications–embedded version ofOracle Workflow, the Oracle Applications features that leveragethe B

Oracler WorkflowDeveloper’s GuideRelease 2.6.3

Part No B10284–02

September 2003

Oracle Workflow Developer’s Guide, Release 2.6.3

Part No B10284–02

Copyright E 2003 Oracle Corporation All rights reserved.

Primary Authors: Siu Chang, Clara Jaeckel

Contributors: George Buzsaki, John Cordes, Mark Craig, Mark Fisher, Kevin Hudson, George Kellner, Angela Kung, David Lam, Jin Liu, Kenneth Ma, Steve Mayze, Santhana Natarajan, Tim Roveda, Robin Seiden, Sachin Sharma, Sheryl Sheh, Susan Stratton

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Preface xi

Audience for This Guide xii

How To Use This Guide xii

Documentation Accessibility xiii

Other Information Sources xiv

Online Documentation xiv

Related User’s Guides xv

Guides Related to All Products xv

User Guides Related to This Product xv

Installation and System Administration xvii

Other Implementation Documentation xix

Training and Support xx

Do Not Use Database Tools to Modify Oracle Applications Data xxi

About Oracle xxii

Your Feedback xxii

Chapter 1 Overview of Oracle Workflow 1 – 1

Overview of Oracle Workflow for Developers 1 – 2 Major Features and Definitions 1 – 3 Workflow Processes 1 – 6

Chapter 2 Defining a Workflow Process 2 – 1

Overview of Oracle Workflow Builder 2 – 2

The Navigator Tree Structure 2 – 3Viewing the Navigator Tree 2 – 4Creating Process Definitions in Oracle Workflow Builder 2 – 7Opening and Saving Item Types 2 – 12Quick Start Wizard Overview 2 – 18Using Oracle Workflow Builder with Different Server

Versions 2 – 21Item Type Definition Web Page 2 – 24

Chapter 3 Defining Workflow Process Components 3 – 1

Workflow Process Components 3 – 2Item Types 3 – 2Allowing Access to an Object 3 – 19Lookup Types 3 – 21Messages 3 – 25Activities 3 – 53Voting Activity 3 – 73Deleting Objects in Oracle Workflow Builder 3 – 80Modifying Objects in Oracle Workflow Builder 3 – 81Workflow Objects That Support Versioning 3 – 82Workflow Objects That Do Not Support Versioning 3 – 83

Chapter 4 Defining a Workflow Process Diagram 4 – 1

Process Window 4 – 2Modifying Fonts in Oracle Workflow Builder 4 – 22Creating a Shortcut Icon for a Workflow Process 4 – 23Roles 4 – 24

Chapter 5 Predefined Workflow Activities 5 – 1

Standard Activities 5 – 2And/Or Activities 5 – 2Comparison Activities 5 – 3Compare Execution Time Activity 5 – 3Wait Activity 5 – 4Block Activity 5 – 5Defer Thread Activity 5 – 6Launch Process Activity 5 – 6Noop Activity 5 – 7Loop Counter Activity 5 – 7

Start Activity 5 – 8End Activity 5 – 9Role Resolution Activity 5 – 9Notify Activity 5 – 9Vote Yes/No Activity 5 – 10Master/Detail Coordination Activities 5 – 12Wait for Flow Activity 5 – 12Continue Flow Activity 5 – 13Assign Activity 5 – 14Get Monitor URL Activity 5 – 15Get Event Property Activity 5 – 15Set Event Property Activity 5 – 16Compare Event Property Activity 5 – 17XML Get Tag Value Activity 5 – 18XML Compare Tag Value Activities 5 – 19XML Transform Activity 5 – 21Concurrent Manager Standard Activities 5 – 22Execute Concurrent Program Activity 5 – 22Submit Concurrent Program Activity 5 – 23Wait for Concurrent Program Activity 5 – 24

Chapter 6 Defining Procedures and Functions for Oracle Workflow 6 – 1

Defining Procedures and Functions for Oracle Workflow 6 – 2Standard API for PL/SQL Procedures Called by Function

Activities 6 – 3Standard API for Java Procedures Called by Function

Activities 6 – 8Standard API for an Item Type Selector or Callback Function 6 – 13Standard APIs for ”PL/SQL” Documents 6 – 17

”PL/SQL” Documents 6 – 17

”PL/SQL CLOB” Documents 6 – 19

”PL/SQL BLOB” Documents 6 – 24Standard API for an Event Data Generate Function 6 – 26Standard APIs for a Queue Handler 6 – 28Enqueue 6 – 28Dequeue 6 – 29Standard API for an Event Subscription Rule Function 6 – 31

Chapter 7 Testing a Workflow Definition 7 – 1

Testing Workflow Definitions 7 – 2

Testing Workflow Definitions Using the Developer Studio 7 – 6

Chapter 8 Managing Business Events 8 – 1

Managing Business Events 8 – 2Event Manager 8 – 4Events 8 – 4Systems 8 – 16Agents 8 – 22Event Subscriptions 8 – 37Raising Events 8 – 55Signing Up Systems 8 – 57Synchronizing Systems 8 – 60Reviewing Local Queues 8 – 62Event Manager for Oracle Applications 8 – 66Events 8 – 67Event Subscriptions 8 – 80Agents 8 – 98Systems 8 – 117Workflow Agent Ping/Acknowledge 8 – 129The Workflow Agent Ping/Acknowledge Item Type 8 – 130Summary of the Master Ping Process 8 – 132Master Ping Process Activities 8 – 133Summary of the Detail Ping Process 8 – 134Detail Ping Process Activities 8 – 134

Chapter 9 Predefined Workflow Events 9 – 1

Predefined Workflow Events 9 – 2Event Definition Events 9 – 2Event Group Definition Events 9 – 3System Definition Events 9 – 4Agent Definition Events 9 – 5Agent Group Definition Events 9 – 6Event Subscription Definition Events 9 – 8Synchronize Event Systems Event 9 – 9Seed Event Group 9 – 9Ping Agent Events 9 – 12System Signup Event 9 – 14Any Event 9 – 15Unexpected Event 9 – 18User Entry Has Changed Event 9 – 20

Notification Events 9 – 23Notification Mailer Event 9 – 32Business Event System Control Events 9 – 33Generic Service Component Framework Control Events 9 – 36Workflow Send Protocol 9 – 40The Workflow Send Protocol Item Type 9 – 41Summary of the Workflow Event Protocol Process 9 – 43Workflow Event Protocol Process Activities 9 – 44Workflow Send Protocol Events 9 – 47

Chapter 10 Demonstration Workflow Processes 10 – 1

Sample Workflow Processes 10 – 2Displaying the Process Diagram of a Sample Workflow 10 – 3Requisition Process 10 – 5Installing the Requisition Data Model 10 – 6Initiating the Requisition Workflow 10 – 9The Requisition Item Type 10 – 12Summary of the Requisition Approval Process 10 – 14Requisition Process Activities 10 – 16Summary of the Notify Approver Subprocess 10 – 21Notify Approver Subprocess Activities 10 – 22Sample StartProcess Function 10 – 25Example Function Activities 10 – 28Example: Select Approver 10 – 28Example: Verify Authority 10 – 31Example Notification Activity 10 – 33Example: Notify Requisition Approval Required 10 – 34Document Review Process 10 – 36The Document Management Item Type 10 – 36Summary of the Document Review Process 10 – 37Document Review Process Activities 10 – 39Error Check Process 10 – 41The Periodic Alert Item Type 10 – 41Summary of the Error Check Process 10 – 43Error Check Process Activities 10 – 44Summary of the User Defined Alert Action Process 10 – 47User Defined Alert Action Process Activities 10 – 48Event System Demonstration 10 – 50Installing the Event System Demonstration Data Model 10 – 52Initiating the Event System Demonstration Workflow 10 – 53The Event System Demonstration Item Type 10 – 58

Summary of the Buyer: Top Level PO Process 10 – 60Buyer: Top Level PO Process Activities 10 – 62Summary of the Buyer: Send PO to Supplier Subprocess 10 – 65Buyer: Send PO to Supplier Subprocess Activities 10 – 65Summary of the Buyer: Receive Supplier PO

Acknowledgement Subprocess 10 – 67Buyer: Receive Supplier PO Acknowledgement Subprocess

Activities 10 – 68Summary of the Buyer: Advanced Shipment Notice

Subprocess 10 – 70Buyer: Advanced Shipment Notice Subprocess Activities 10 – 71Summary of the Buyer: Receive Supplier Invoicing

Subprocess 10 – 72Buyer: Receive Supplier Invoicing Subprocess Activities 10 – 73Summary of the Supplier: Top Level Order Process 10 – 74Supplier: Top Level Order Process Activities 10 – 75Summary of the Supplier: Get Order Details Subprocess 10 – 78Supplier: Get Order Details Subprocess Activities 10 – 79Summary of the Supplier: Credit Check Subprocess 10 – 81Supplier: Credit Check Subprocess Activities 10 – 82Summary of the Supplier: Stock Check Subprocess 10 – 83Supplier: Stock Check Subprocess Activities 10 – 84Summary of the Supplier: Advanced Shipment Notice

Subprocess 10 – 85Supplier: Advanced Shipment Notice Subprocess

Activities 10 – 86Summary of the Supplier: Send Supplier Invoice

Subprocess 10 – 87Supplier: Send Supplier Invoice Subprocess Activities 10 – 88B2B Purchase Order Event 10 – 89B2B Purchase Order Acknowledgement Event 10 – 92B2B Advanced Shipment Notice Event 10 – 94B2B Invoice Event 10 – 96

Chapter 11 Error Handling 11 – 1

Error Handling 11 – 2Error Handling for Workflow Processes 11 – 2Error Handling for Event Subscription Processing 11 – 5System: Error Item Type and Item Attributes 11 – 7Default Error Process 11 – 8Retry–only Process 11 – 11Default Event Error Process 11 – 14

Appendix A Oracle Workflow Developer Navigation Paths A – 1

Oracle Workflow Developer Navigation Paths A – 2

Appendix B Oracle Workflow Builder Menus and Toolbars B – 1

Oracle Workflow Builder Menus B – 2Oracle Workflow Builder Toolbars B – 7

Appendix C Oracle Workflow Implementation in Other Oracle Products C – 1

Predefined Workflows Embedded in Oracle E–Business Suite C – 2Applied Technology C – 2Business Intelligence C – 5Contracts C – 5Financial Applications C – 6HRMS Applications C – 17Leasing C – 21Maintenance Applications C – 23Manufacturing Applications C – 23Order Fulfillment C – 26Procurement C – 27Projects C – 28Sales, Marketing, and eCommerce C – 29Service C – 31Supply Chain Planning C – 32Oracle Workflow Business Event System Implementation in

Oracle E–Business Suite C – 34Applied Technology C – 34Financial Applications C – 35Manufacturing Applications C – 36Oracle Workflow Implementation in the Oracle Technology

Stack C – 39Oracle Workflow Support Policy C – 42Customization Guidelines C – 42Resolving Customization Issues C – 43What Is NOT Supported C – 43What Is Supported C – 43

Glossary Index

Preface

Audience for This Guide

Welcome to the Oracle Workflow Developer’s Guide.

This guide assumes you have a working knowledge of the following:

• The principles and customary practices of your business area

• Oracle Workflow

If you have never used Oracle Workflow, Oracle suggests you

attend one or more of the Oracle Workflow training classes

available through Oracle University

See Other Information Sources for more information about OracleApplications product information

The Oracle Workflow Developer’s Guide also assumes you have a basic

understanding of operating system concepts and familiarity withOracle Database, PL/SQL, and Oracle Application Server technology

If you have not yet been introduced to any of these systems, Oraclesuggests you attend one or more of the training classes availablethrough Oracle University

How To Use This Guide

This guide contains the information you need to understand and

develop with Oracle Workflow.

• Chapter 1 provides an overview of Oracle Workflow

• Chapter 2 describes how to begin defining a workflow process

• Chapter 3 describes how to define the components necessary tobuild a workflow process

• Chapter 4 describes how to draw and define a workflow processdiagram

• Chapter 5 describes the standard activities provided with OracleWorkflow

• Chapter 6 describes the standard APIs for the PL/SQL and Javafunctions that can be called by Oracle Workflow

• Chapter 7 describes how to launch a workflow process fortesting purposes

• Chapter 8 describes how to manage business events

• Chapter 9 describes the standard events provided with OracleWorkflow.

• Chapter 10 describes the demonstration workflow processesincluded with Oracle Workflow

• Chapter 11 describes error handling for workflow processes andevent subscription processing

• Appendix A describes the navigation paths to Oracle Workflowdeveloper web pages in the seeded Oracle Workflow

responsibilities for Oracle Applications

• Appendix B describes the Oracle Workflow Builder menus andtoolbar

• Appendix C lists the predefined workflow processes that areincluded with the Oracle Applications–embedded version ofOracle Workflow, the Oracle Applications features that leveragethe Business Event System, and the Oracle technology stackfeatures that leverage Oracle Workflow This appendix alsoincludes the Oracle Workflow support policy

At the end of this guide, we include a glossary of Oracle Workflowterms

Documentation Accessibility

Our goal is to make Oracle products, services, and supportingdocumentation accessible, with good usability, to the disabledcommunity To that end, our documentation includes features thatmake information available to users of assistive technology Thisdocumentation is available in HTML format, and contains markup tofacilitate access by the disabled community Standards will continue toevolve over time, and Oracle is actively engaged with other

market–leading technology vendors to address technical obstacles sothat our documentation can be accessible to all of our customers Foradditional information, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program Web site

at http://www.oracle.com/accessibility/

Accessibility of Code Examples in Documentation

JAWS, a Windows screen reader, may not always correctly read thecode examples in this document The conventions for writing coderequire that closing braces should appear on an otherwise empty line;however, JAWS may not always read a line of text that consists solely

of a bracket or brace

Accessibility of Links to External Web Sites in Documentation

This documentation may contain links to Web sites of other companies

or organizations that Oracle does not own or control Oracle neitherevaluates nor makes any representations regarding the accessibility ofthese Web sites

Other Information Sources

You can choose from many sources of information, including onlinedocumentation, training, and support services, to increase yourknowledge and understanding of Oracle Workflow

If this guide refers you to other Oracle Applications documentation,

use only the Release 11i versions of those guides.

Online Documentation

If you are using the version of Oracle Workflow embedded in OracleApplications, note that all Oracle Applications documentation isavailable online (HTML or PDF)

• Online Help – The new features section in the HTML help

describes new features in 11i This information is updated for

each new release of Oracle Workflow The new features sectionalso includes information about any features that were not yetavailable when this guide was printed For example, if youradministrator has installed software from a mini–pack or anupgrade, this document describes the new features Online help

patches are available on OracleMetaLink.

• 11i Features Matrix – This document lists new features available

by patch and identifies any associated new documentation The

new features matrix document is available on OracleMetaLink.

• Readme File – Refer to the readme file for patches that you have

installed to learn about new documentation or documentationpatches that you can download

Portions of this guide are also available online in Windows Helpformat The Windows Help is available from the Oracle WorkflowBuilder Help menu

If you are using the standalone version of Oracle Workflow, note thatthis guide is available online in HTML format, and portions of theguide are available in Windows Help format as well The Windows

Help is available from the Oracle Workflow Builder Help menu TheHTML documentation is available from a URL provided by yoursystem administrator or from the help icon in the Oracle Workflow webpages.

Related User’s Guides

Oracle Workflow is used by other Oracle Applications products to

provide embedded workflows Therefore, if you are using the version

of Oracle Workflow embedded in Oracle Applications, you may want

to refer to other user’s guides when you set up and use OracleWorkflow to learn more about the embedded workflows

You can read the guides online by choosing Library from theexpandable menu on your HTML help window, by reading from theOracle Applications Document Library CD included in your mediapack, or by using a Web browser with a URL that your systemadministrator provides

If you require printed guides, you can purchase them from the OracleStore at http://oraclestore.oracle.com

Guides Related to All Products

Oracle Applications User’s Guide

This guide explains how to enter data, query, run reports, and navigateusing the graphical user interface (GUI) available with this release ofOracle Workflow (and any other Oracle Applications products) Thisguide also includes information on setting user profiles, as well asrunning and reviewing reports and concurrent processes

You can access this user’s guide online by choosing ”Getting Startedwith Oracle Applications” from any Oracle Applications help file

User Guides Related to This Product

Oracle Workflow Administrator’s Guide

This guide explains how to complete the setup steps necessary for anyOracle Applications product that includes workflow–enabled

processes, as well as how to monitor the progress of runtime workflowprocesses

Oracle Workflow User’s Guide

This guide describes how Oracle Applications users can view andrespond to workflow notifications and monitor the progress of theirworkflow processes

Oracle Workflow API Reference

This guide describes the APIs provided for developers andadministrators to access Oracle Workflow

Oracle General Ledger User Guide

This guide provides information about journal entry, budgeting, andmulti–company accounting and consolidation

Oracle Purchasing User’s Guide

This guide provides information about entering and managingpurchase orders and requisitions

Implementing Oracle Self–Service Human Resources (SSHR)

This guide provides information about setting up the self–servicehuman resources management functions for managers and employees.Managers and employees can then use an intranet and Web browser tohave easy and intuitive access to personal and career managementfunctionality

Oracle Payables User Guide

This guide provides information about entering and managingsuppliers, invoices, and payments

Oracle Projects User Guide

This guide provides information about entering and managing projects,budgets, expenditures, costing, and billing

Oracle Receivables User Guide

This guide provides information about entering and managingcustomers, receipts, collections, and transactions

Oracle Business Intelligence System Implementation Guide

This guide provides information about implementing Oracle BusinessIntelligence (BIS) in your environment

BIS 11i User Guide Online Help

This guide is provided as online help only from the BIS application andincludes information about intelligence reports, Discoverer workbooks,and the Performance Management Framework

Oracle Financials Open Interface Reference

This guide is a compilation of all open interface descriptions in allOracle Financial Applications user’s guides

Oracle XML Gateway User’s Guide

This guide explains how to implement the production andconsumption of valid, well–formed XML messages between OracleApplications and trading partners

Installation and System Administration

Oracle Applications Concepts

This guide provides an introduction to the concepts, features,technology stack, architecture, and terminology for Oracle Applications

Release 11i It provides a useful first book to read before an installation

of Oracle Applications This guide also introduces the concepts behindApplications–wide features such as Business Intelligence (BIS),

languages and character sets, and Self–Service Web Applications

Installing Oracle Applications

This guide provides instructions for managing the installation of Oracle

Applications products In Release 11i, much of the installation process

is handled using Oracle Rapid Install, which minimizes the time toinstall Oracle Applications and the Oracle Database technology stack

by automating many of the required steps This guide containsinstructions for using Oracle Rapid Install and lists the tasks you need

to perform to finish your installation You should use this guide inconjunction with individual product user’s guides and implementationguides

Upgrading Oracle Applications

Refer to this guide if you are upgrading your Oracle Applications

Release 10.7 or Release 11.0 products to Release 11i This guide

describes the upgrade process and lists database and product–specificupgrade tasks You must be either at Release 10.7 (NCA, SmartClient,

or character mode) or Release 11.0, to upgrade to Release 11i You cannot upgrade to Release 11i directly from releases prior to 10.7.

Maintaining Oracle Applications

Use this guide to help you run the various AD utilities, such asAutoUpgrade, AutoPatch, AD Administration, AD Controller, ADRelink, License Manager, and others It contains how–to steps,screenshots, and other information that you need to run the ADutilities This guide also provides information on maintaining theOracle Applications file system and database

Oracle Applications System Administrator’s Guide

This guide provides planning and reference information for the OracleApplications System Administrator It contains information on how todefine security, customize menus and online help, and manageconcurrent processing

Oracle Alert User’s Guide

This guide explains how to define periodic and event alerts to monitorthe status of your Oracle Applications data

Oracle Applications Developer’s Guide

This guide contains the coding standards followed by the OracleApplications development staff It describes the Oracle ApplicationObject Library components needed to implement the Oracle

Applications user interface described in the Oracle Applications User

Interface Standards for Forms–Based Products It also provides information

to help you build your custom Oracle Forms Developer 6i forms so that

they integrate with Oracle Applications

Other Implementation Documentation

Oracle Applications Product Update Notes

Use this guide as a reference for upgrading an installation of OracleApplications It provides a history of the changes to individual Oracle

Applications products between Release 11.0 and Release 11i It includes

new features, enhancements, and changes made to database objects,profile options, and seed data for this interval

Multiple Reporting Currencies in Oracle Applications

If you use the Multiple Reporting Currencies feature to recordtransactions in more than one currency, use this manual beforeimplementing Oracle Workflow This manual details additional stepsand setup considerations for implementing Oracle Workflow with thisfeature

Multiple Organizations in Oracle Applications

This guide describes how to set up and use Oracle Workflow withOracle Applications’ Multiple Organization support feature, so you candefine and support different organization structures when running asingle installation of Oracle Workflow

Oracle Applications Flexfields Guide

This guide provides flexfields planning, setup and referenceinformation for the Oracle Workflow implementation team, as well asfor users responsible for the ongoing maintenance of Oracle

Applications product data This manual also provides information oncreating custom reports on flexfields data

Oracle eTechnical Reference Manuals

Each eTechnical Reference Manual (eTRM) contains database diagramsand a detailed description of database tables, forms, reports, andprograms for a specific Oracle Applications product This informationhelps you convert data from your existing applications, integrateOracle Applications data with non–Oracle applications, and writecustom reports for Oracle Applications products Oracle eTRM is

available on OracleMetaLink.

Oracle Applications User Interface Standards for Forms–Based Products

This guide contains the user interface (UI) standards followed by theOracle Applications development staff It describes the UI for theOracle Applications products and how to apply this UI to the design of

an application built by using Oracle Forms

Oracle Manufacturing APIs and Open Interfaces Manual

This manual contains up–to–date information about integrating withother Oracle Manufacturing applications and with your other systems.This documentation includes APIs and open interfaces found in OracleManufacturing

Oracle Order Management Suite APIs and Open Interfaces Manual

This manual contains up–to–date information about integrating withother Oracle Manufacturing applications and with your other systems.This documentation includes APIs and open interfaces found in OracleOrder Management Suite

Oracle Applications Message Reference Manual

This manual describes all Oracle Applications messages This manual isavailable in HTML format on the documentation CD–ROM for Release

You have a choice of educational environments You can attend coursesoffered by Oracle University at any one of our many Education

Centers, you can arrange for our trainers to teach at your facility, oryou can use Oracle Learning Network (OLN), Oracle University’sonline education utility In addition, Oracle training professionals cantailor standard courses or develop custom courses to meet your needs.For example, you may want to use your organization structure,

terminology, and data as examples in a customized training sessiondelivered at your own facility.

Support

From on–site support to central support, our team of experiencedprofessionals provides the help and information you need to keepOracle Workflow working for you This team includes your TechnicalRepresentative and Account Manager, and Oracle’s large staff ofconsultants and support specialists with expertise in your businessarea, managing an Oracle Database, and your hardware and softwareenvironment

Do Not Use Database Tools to Modify Oracle Applications Data

Oracle STRONGLY RECOMMENDS that you never use SQL*Plus, Oracle Data Browser, database triggers, or any other tool to modify Oracle Applications data unless otherwise instructed.

Oracle provides powerful tools you can use to create, store, change,retrieve, and maintain information in an Oracle Database But if youuse Oracle tools such as SQL*Plus to modify Oracle Applications data,you risk destroying the integrity of your data and you lose the ability toaudit changes to your data

Because Oracle Applications tables are interrelated, any change youmake using Oracle Applications can update many tables at once Butwhen you modify Oracle Applications data using anything other thanOracle Applications, you may change a row in one table withoutmaking corresponding changes in related tables If your tables get out

of synchronization with each other, you risk retrieving erroneousinformation and you risk unpredictable results throughout OracleApplications

When you use Oracle Applications to modify your data, OracleApplications automatically checks that your changes are valid OracleApplications also keeps track of who changes information If you enterinformation into database tables using database tools, you may storeinvalid information You also lose the ability to track who has changedyour information because SQL*Plus and other database tools do notkeep a record of changes

About Oracle

Oracle develops and markets an integrated line of software productsfor database management, applications development, decision support,and office automation, as well as Oracle Applications, an integratedsuite of more than 160 software modules for financial management,supply chain management, manufacturing, project systems, humanresources, and customer relationship management

Oracle products are available for mainframes, minicomputers, personalcomputers, network computers and personal digital assistants,

allowing organizations to integrate different computers, differentoperating systems, different networks, and even different databasemanagement systems, into a single, unified computing and informationresource

Oracle is the world’s leading supplier of software for informationmanagement, and the world’s second largest software company Oracleoffers its database, tools, and applications products, along with relatedconsulting, education, and support services, in over 145 countriesaround the world

Your Feedback

Thank you for using Oracle Workflow and this guide

Oracle values your comments and feedback At the end of this guide is

a Reader’s Comment Form you can use to explain what you like ordislike about Oracle Workflow or this guide Mail your comments tothe following address or call us directly at (650) 506–7000

Oracle Applications Documentation ManagerOracle Corporation

500 Oracle ParkwayRedwood Shores, CA 94065U.S.A

Or, send electronic mail to appsdoc_us@oracle.com.

C H A P T E R

1

T

Overview of Oracle Workflow

his chapter introduces you to the concept of a workflow processand to the major features of Oracle Workflow

Overview of Oracle Workflow for Developers

Oracle Workflow delivers a complete workflow management systemthat supports business process based integration Its technology enablesmodeling, automation, and continuous improvement of businessprocesses, routing information of any type according to user–definedbusiness rules

E–business is accelerating the demand for integration of applicationswithin the enterprise as well as integration of a company’s systems withtrading partners and business–to–business exchanges Oracle Workflowautomates and streamlines business processes both within and beyondyour enterprise, supporting traditional applications based workflow aswell as e–business integration workflow Oracle Workflow is unique inproviding a workflow solution for both internal processes and businessprocess coordination between applications

Routing Information

Business processes today involve getting many types of information tomultiple people according to rules that are constantly changing With somuch information available, and in so many different forms, how doyou get the right information to the right people? Oracle Workflow letsyou provide each person with all the information they need to takeaction Oracle Workflow can route supporting information to eachdecision maker in a business process, including people both inside andoutside your enterprise

Defining and Modifying Business Rules

Oracle Workflow lets you define and continuously improve yourbusiness processes using a drag–and–drop process designer

Unlike workflow systems that simply route documents from one user toanother with some approval steps, Oracle Workflow lets you modelsophisticated business processes You can define processes that loop,branch into parallel flows and then rendezvous, decompose intosubflows, and more Because Oracle Workflow can decide which path

to take based on the result of a stored procedure, you can use the power

of Java and of PL/SQL, the language of the Oracle Database, to expressany business rule that affects a workflow process See: WorkflowProcesses: page 1 – 6

Delivering Electronic Notifications

Oracle Workflow extends the reach of business process automationthroughout the enterprise and beyond to include any e–mail or Internetuser Oracle Workflow lets people receive notifications of items

awaiting their attention via e–mail, and act based on their e–mailresponses You can even view your list of things to do, includingnecessary supporting information, and take action using a standard Webbrowser

Integrating Systems

Oracle Workflow lets you set up subscriptions to business events whichcan launch workflows or enable messages to be propagated from onesystem to another when business events occur You can communicateevents among systems within your own enterprise and with externalsystems as well In this way, you can implement point–to–pointmessaging integration or use Oracle Workflow as a messaging hub formore complex system integration scenarios You can model businessprocesses that include complex routing and processing rules to handleevents powerfully and flexibly

Major Features and Definitions

Oracle Workflow Builder

Oracle Workflow Builder is a graphical tool that lets you create, view, ormodify a business process with simple drag and drop operations Usingthe Workflow Builder, you can create and modify all workflow objects,including activities, item types, and messages See: Workflow Processes:page 1 – 6

At any time you can add, remove, or change workflow activities, or set

up new prerequisite relationships among activities You can easily workwith a summary–level model of your workflow, expanding activitieswithin the workflow as needed to greater levels of detail And, you canoperate Oracle Workflow Builder from a desktop PC or from a

disconnected laptop PC

Workflow Engine

The Workflow Engine embedded in the Oracle Database implementsprocess definitions at runtime The Workflow Engine monitorsworkflow states and coordinates the routing of activities for a process

Changes in workflow state, such as the completion of workflowactivities, are signaled to the engine via a PL/SQL API or a Java API.Based on flexibly–defined workflow rules, the engine determines whichactivities are eligible to run, and then runs them The Workflow Enginesupports sophisticated workflow rules, including looping, branching,parallel flows, and subflows.

Business Event System

The Business Event System is an application service that uses the OracleAdvanced Queuing (AQ) infrastructure to communicate business eventsbetween systems The Business Event System consists of the EventManager, which lets you register subscriptions to significant events, andevent activities, which let you model business events within workflowprocesses

When a local event occurs, the subscribing code is executed in the sametransaction as the code that raised the event Subscription processing caninclude executing custom code on the event information, sending eventinformation to a workflow process, and sending event information toother queues or systems

Workflow Definitions Loader

The Workflow Definitions Loader is a utility program that movesworkflow definitions between database and corresponding flat filerepresentations You can use it to move workflow definitions from adevelopment to a production database, or to apply upgrades to existingdefinitions In addition to being a standalone server program, theWorkflow Definitions Loader is also integrated into Oracle WorkflowBuilder, allowing you to open and save workflow definitions in both adatabase and file

Complete Programmatic Extensibility

Oracle Workflow lets you include your own PL/SQL procedures orexternal functions as activities in your workflows Without modifyingyour application code, you can have your own program run wheneverthe Workflow Engine detects that your program’s prerequisites aresatisfied

Electronic Notifications

Oracle Workflow lets you include users in your workflows to handleactivities that cannot be automated, such as approvals for requisitions or

sales orders The Notification System sends notifications to and

processes responses from users in a workflow Electronic notificationsare routed to a role, which can be an individual user or a group of users.Any user associated with that role can act on the notification

Each notification includes a message that contains all the information auser needs to make a decision The information may be embedded inthe message body or attached as a separate document Oracle Workflowinterprets each notification activity response to decide how to move on

to the next workflow activity

Electronic Mail Integration

Electronic mail (e–mail) users can receive notifications of outstandingwork items and can respond to those notifications using their e–mailapplication of choice An e–mail notification can include an attachmentthat provides another means of responding to the notification

Internet–Enabled Workflow

Any user with access to a standard Web browser can be included in aworkflow Web users can access a Notification Web page to see theiroutstanding work items, then navigate to additional pages to see moredetails or provide a response

Monitoring and Administration

Workflow administrators and users can view the progress of a workitem in a workflow process by connecting to the Workflow Monitorusing a standard Web browser that supports Java The WorkflowMonitor displays an annotated view of the process diagram for a

particular instance of a workflow process, so that users can get a

graphical depiction of their work item status The Workflow Monitoralso displays a separate status summary for the work item, the process,and each activity in the process

If you are using the version of Oracle Workflow embedded in OracleApplications and you have implemented Oracle Applications Manager,you can also use the Oracle Workflow Manager component of OracleApplications Manager as an additional administration tool for OracleWorkflow Oracle Applications Manager is a tool that provides

administrative and diagnostic capabilities for concurrent processing,Oracle Workflow, and other functionality in Oracle Applications Formore information, please refer to the Oracle Applications Manageronline help

Also, if you are using the standalone version of Oracle Workflow, youcan use the standalone Oracle Workflow Manager component availablethrough Oracle Enterprise Manager as an additional administration toolfor Oracle Workflow For more information, please refer to the OracleWorkflow Manager online help.

Workflow Processes

Oracle Workflow manages business processes according to rules thatyou define The rules, which we call a workflow process definition,include the activities that occur in the process and the relationshipbetween those activities An activity in a process definition can be anautomated function defined by a PL/SQL stored procedure or anexternal function, a notification to a user or role that may optionallyrequest a response, a business event, or a subflow that itself is made up

of a more granular set of activities

A workflow process is initiated when an application calls a set of OracleWorkflow Engine APIs The Workflow Engine takes over by drivingthe relevant work item defined by the application, through a specificworkflow process definition According to the workflow processdefinition, the Workflow Engine performs automated steps and invokesappropriate agents when external processing is required

The following diagram depicts a simplified workflow process definitionthat routes a requisition to a manager or set of managers for approval

We refer to the whole drawing as a process or process diagram Theicons represent activities, and the arrows represent the transitionsbetween the activities In the above example, new items are created forthe process when a user creates and submits a requisition in the

C H A P T E R

2

T

Defining a Workflow Process

his chapter tells you how to use Oracle Workflow Builder todefine a workflow process definition

Overview of Oracle Workflow Builder

Oracle Workflow Builder is a graphical tool for creating, viewing, andmodifying workflow process definitions It contains a Navigatorwindow that you use to define the activities and components of yourbusiness process You then assemble the activities in a process window

to create a process diagram See: Creating Process Definitions in OracleWorkflow Builder: page 2 – 7

Note: A workflow process definition can also be stored as aflat file, which can be opened and edited in a text editor so thatthe process definition can be spoken by a screen reader forgreater user accessibility

Note: If you maximize the Navigator window or any processwindow in Oracle Workflow Builder, you will not be able toaccess the menu from your keyboard using the Alt key

The Navigator Tree Structure

The Navigator window displays a navigator tree hierarchy for eachdata store that you open or load into Oracle Workflow Builder A datastore (primary branch) is a database connection or flat file that holdsyour workflow process definition Within each data store there is atleast one item type heading (secondary branch) that represents thegrouping of a particular set of processes and its component objects.The following six tertiary branches appear beneath each item typebranch:

• Attributes—lists the attributes for the current item type Itemtype attributes describe features of an item type For example, if

an item type is a purchase order requisition, then an item typeattribute can be the requisition amount or the requisition ID.See: Item Type Attributes: page 3 – 2

• Processes—lists the process activities or workflow processdefinitions for the current item type See: Process Window: page

4 – 2 and Activities: page 3 – 53

• Notifications—lists the notification activities associated with thecurrent item type A notification activity sends a message to auser or role The message may prompt for a response or maysimply provide information See: Activities: page 3 – 53

• Functions—lists the function activities associated with thecurrent item type A function activity represents a PL/SQLstored procedure that the Workflow Engine executesautomatically A function activity can also have activityattributes associated with it See: Activities: page 3 – 53

• Events—lists the event activities associated with the current itemtype An event activity represents a business event that theprocess receives, raises, or sends See: Activities: page 3 – 53

• Messages—lists the messages that a notification activityassociated with the current item type can send to a user or role

A message can have message attributes associated with it See:Messages: page 3 – 25

• Lookup Types—lists the lookup types associated with thecurrent item type A lookup type has one or more values calledlookup codes associated with it A lookup type is a list of valuesthat can be referenced by a message, or by a notification,

function, or process as its possible result type See: LookupTypes: page 3 – 21

Note: Each data store also contains a Directory Service branch.The Directory Service branch lists all the directory service rolesthat you load from your Oracle Workflow database See: Roles:page 4 – 24.

If the data store is a database connection and the database containsother item types that you have not loaded into Oracle WorkflowBuilder, a branch called Hidden Item Types appears When youdouble–click on Hidden Item Types, you get a Show Item Typeswindow that lets you load other item types into Oracle WorkflowBuilder

Viewing the Navigator Tree

The navigator tree is organized much like the hierarchy of a file system,where you can expand branches that begin with a plus sign (+) tofurther sub–branches until you find your component of interest.Sub–branches appear indented below the branches from which they areexpanded Branches that are expanded are preceded by a minus sign(–) You can expand no further when a branch displays neither a plusnor minus sign You can use either your mouse or the arrow keys onyour keyboard to expand or collapse the navigator tree

The Navigator window also contains a toolbar that you can use toperform actions within the Navigator window See: Navigator Toolbar:page B – 7

" To Find an Object in the Navigator Tree

1 Choose Find from the Edit menu to display a Search window thatlets you specify search criteria to find an object in the navigatortree

2 Enter the text to search for in the Search Text field The search iscase insensitive and looks for the text pattern that you specify inthe field that you specify

3 Specify to search for this text in the object’s Display Name orInternal Name

4 Specify the object type to restrict this search to or check All Objects

to search for the text within the property pages of all objects

5 Choose Search

6 You can choose Find Again from the Edit menu to repeat the searchusing the search criteria previously defined in the Search window

Creating Process Definitions in Oracle Workflow Builder

Before using Oracle Workflow Builder, you should plan what yourprocess needs to accomplish In particular, determine what activitiesneed to occur, the order of the activities, what results dictate thedifferent branches of the process, who needs to be informed and whatthey need to know Oracle Workflow provides several demonstrationworkflow examples See: Sample Workflow Processes: page 10 – 2.There are several ways you can go about creating a workflow processdefinition:

• Top–Down Design—If you prefer to approach your design from

a high level, you can first sketch out the process diagram withactivities, then go back later to create the supporting objects foreach activity See: To Create a Process Definition from

Top–Down: page 2 – 10

• Bottom–Up Design—If you prefer to take a more programmaticapproach to your design, you can first define each of thesupporting objects of your process before attempting to create ahigher level process diagram See: To Create a Process DefinitionFrom Bottom–Up: page 2 – 8

Quick Start Wizard

The Quick Start Wizard helps you build a process definition fromscratch using a process definition template The Quick Start Wizardcreates a new item type for your process, prompting you for theminimum required information It then creates an outline processdiagram from which you can flesh out with more activities Once theQuick Start Wizard sets up the template, you can use either thetop–down or bottom–up approach to complete the design See: To Usethe Quick Start Wizard: page 2 – 18

Versioning and Dates of Effectivity

Oracle Workflow Builder assigns a version number to each new activitythat you create It also updates the version number whenever youmake changes to an existing activity It saves the new version of theactivity to the database without overwriting older versions of theactivity In Oracle Workflow, activities also have dates of effectivity sothat at any point in time, only one version of the activity is ”in effect”

If a process is running, Oracle Workflow uses the version of the activitythat was in effect when the process was initiated It does not switchversions of the activity mid–way through the process Note that a

process itself is an activity, so a process definition always remainsconstant until the process instance completes.

Oracle Workflow Builder also supports the concept of saving andloading process definitions according to an effective date For example,you can load a definition into Oracle Workflow Builder that waseffective at an earlier point in time You can also save a definition tothe database to be effective at some future time

Note that Oracle Workflow Builder does not maintain versioninformation for objects that are considered constant, such as item types,item type attributes, messages and lookup types For these objects,their latest definition always apply, so you should always considerwhether a change to any of these objects is backwards compatible Ifthe modification affects existing processes, you should create a newobject rather than edit the existing object

See Also

Modifying Objects in Oracle Workflow Builder: page 3 – 81

Using the Edit Button in a Property Page

To create an object in Oracle Workflow Builder, you enter information

in the object’s property page Some of the information you provide can

be selected from a list of values If a poplist field yields values that arethemselves defined from some other property pages in Oracle

Workflow Builder, an Edit button appears to the right of that poplist.When you select a value from a poplist, you can choose the adjacentEdit button to display and edit the source property page(s) of the value.When you are done with the source property page(s) and choose OK orCancel, you return to the original property page you were working on.For example, if you create a notification activity, you must specify aResult Type for the activity The Result Type poplist field lets you selectthe value <None> or some predefined lookup type If you select alookup type, you can then choose the adjacent Edit button to displaythe property page for that lookup type When you finish viewing orediting the property page for that lookup type, you can choose OK orCancel to return to the notification activity property page

" To Create a Process Definition From Bottom Up

1 To start Oracle Workflow Builder, double–click on the OracleWorkflow Builder icon located in the Application Development

folder within the Oracle – <SID NAME> program group If you are

using Windows 98 or NT 4.0 or higher, you can also select theOracle Workflow Builder icon from the appropriate program folder

of the Start menu

2 Choose New from the File menu to create a workspace for yournew process definition

Suggestion: Alternatively, you can use the Quick Start Wizard

to first create the framework for your new process definition.Once the Quick Start Wizard creates your new item type andnew process activity, you can skip to step 4 below to begindefining the supporting objects for the new item type andprocess activity See: To Use the Quick Start Wizard: page

2 – 18

3 Create a new item type The item type classifies the work item to

be managed by the process See: To Create an Item Type: page

3 – 7

4 You can define item type attributes to fully describe your item typeand have the activities in your process refer to these attributes forinformation See: To Define an Item Type or Activity Attribute:page 3 – 9

5 Create new lookup types See: To Create Lookup Types: page

3 – 22

Before defining an activity, you should define the lookup type thatrepresents your activity’s Result Type A Result Type is a list ofpossible results that an activity can have upon completion Afterdefining a lookup type and an activity, you can drag the lookuponto an activity in the navigator tree to assign that lookup as theactivity’s result type Lookup types can also be referenced by itemtype attributes, activity attributes, messages, or message attributes

6 Create new messages See: To Create a Message: page 3 – 40

If you wish to create a notification activity for your process, youshould first create the message that you want the notificationactivity to send You can drag a new message onto a notificationactivity in the navigator tree to assign the message to that activity.You can also create message attributes for the message You canincorporate message attributes of type ’Send’ into a message thatare token substituted at runtime to provide dynamic content Youcan also define message attributes of type ’Respond’ to prompt thenotification recipient for a response See: To Define a MessageAttribute: page 3 – 45

7 Create a new process activity, notification activity, functionactivity, or event activity You may also use predefined standardactivities associated with the Standard item type See: Activities:page 3 – 53 and Standard Activities: 5 – 2.

You need to define at least one process activity that represents yourhigh level process diagram The process diagram establishes therelationship of all the activities in your process

8 Diagram the process

Display the Process window for your process activity to diagramthe activities and transitions that define your workflow process.You can drag activities from the navigator tree into the Processwindow See: Diagramming a Process: page 4 – 5

9 Save your work by choosing Save or Save As from the File menu.See: To Save Your Work: page 2 – 15

10 In a database accessible by your Oracle Workflow server, create thePL/SQL stored procedures called by your PL/SQL functionactivities You can do this through SQL*Plus or the OracleProcedure Builder See: Oracle Workflow Procedures and

Functions, Oracle Workflow API Reference and Standard API for

PL/SQL Procedures Called by Function Activities: page 6 – 3

See Also

To Modify a Process Definition: page 2 – 11Deleting Objects in Oracle Workflow Builder: page 3 – 80Modifying Objects in Oracle Workflow Builder: page 3 – 81Item Type Definition Web Page: page 2 – 24

" To Create a Process Definition from Top Down

1 To start Oracle Workflow Builder, double–click on the OracleWorkflow Builder icon located in the Application Development

folder within the Oracle – <SID NAME> program group If you are

using Windows 98 or NT 4.0 or higher, you can also select theOracle Workflow Builder icon from the appropriate program folder

of the Start menu

2 Use the Quick Start Wizard to create the framework for your newprocess definition Specify the requested information for the newitem type and new process activity See: To Use the Quick StartWizard: page 2 – 18