Workflow

Re: Custom workflow using sharepoint designer 2007 help

dvnandover — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:12:02 GMT

One quick question please.
I added an action using "Assign a To-do Item" to each of my step of the workflow which in turn trigger a task to be sent by the system through email as a task notification. How do i tell the system to send the task notification right away? Right now, i noticed it took quite long after a step in the workflow executed for the system to send the task notification.

Re: Custom workflow using sharepoint designer 2007 help

dvnandover — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:04:27 GMT

I got it, thank you warrtalon

Re: Custom workflow using sharepoint designer 2007 help

warrtalon — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:34:21 GMT

Just modify your view(s) and don't show those columns.

Re: Custom workflow using sharepoint designer 2007 help

dvnandover — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:05:59 GMT

I could not get the workflow to work correctly using 1 workflow with all 3 steps but when i splitted into two different workflows then they were working correctly and email were sent at all steps as expected. I guess i have to live with two workflows for now.
One other question. I promoted some extra columns when i published the form and i want to use them to create the email content only, how do i prevent them from being displayed on my site?
Thank you very much.

PS. I found the "log to history list" action helpful for trouble shooting. Thank you Warrtalon for all the help.

Re: Custom workflow using sharepoint designer 2007 help

warrtalon — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:20:51 GMT

It's a good question, especially if you aren't used to working with SP workflows. If you notice the workflow status column that is automatically generated...the text is hyperlinked. If you click on that, it takes you to a workflow status/history page where all of this gets logged along with other info about the workflow - very valuable to know this.

Re: Custom workflow using sharepoint designer 2007 help

dvnandover — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:12:28 GMT

this is a rather silly question but I assume when i put an action "log to history list" something being logged by the sharepoint server. How do i view information being logged? What does it do when i put the "log to history list" action?
thank you.

Re: Custom workflow using sharepoint designer 2007 help

warrtalon — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:03:21 GMT

So absolutely nothing is happeningon step 2? If not, then I'm sorry, but the logic is incorrect. I know it sucks to hear, but that's just how it is. I can't tell based on that screenshot whether it's right or not. I'd have to see EVERYTHING in the entire form schema and library settings, but that's a bit much. You know it works - you just have to get the syntax and logic correct.

One thing you should start doing is using the action named "log to history list." Put those on EVERY action you have so that you know when an action happens (or doesn't). Also, be sure to ALWAYS have a final branch that has no condition so you know if none of your conditions fire like in step 2 here. You have 3 conditions but no catch-all branch at the bottom in case none of the conditions are met. Add a log to history list action there.

Re: Custom workflow using sharepoint designer 2007 help

dvnandover — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:55:24 GMT

Thank you warrtalon for your reply.

I added a "Wait for a field to change in current item" to step1 and the last two columns are correctly labeled. Emails were send from step1 (submitted) and step3 (completed) are as expected. The only problem is my step2 eventhought the last two columns labeled correctly the email did not send at all when i change the status column from "submitted" to either "rejected" or "forward to ris" or "forward to roe". i tried different things but could not ge the email to send and i am running out of ideas to try.
Here is my step2 after updated:

Re: Custom workflow using sharepoint designer 2007 help

warrtalon — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:23:51 GMT

So there are 2 separate questions here, but you mixed them together. It took me a while to realize what you were asking.

Problem 1 = Understanding the difference between a sequential workflow and an iterative workflow. This is your problem regarding the workflow column always saying "complete."

Problem 2 = Understanding why your conditions aren't working.

Let's start with Problem 1

The way SPD workflows operate is they run all the way through and then finish. When this happens, the workflow is complete. It will only say In Progress if it has stopped in the middle to perform an action. You have nothing in your workflow that causes this, so the workflow goes to completion every time a record is edited. Whichever conditions are met, the associated actions execute. If you want the workflow to only run once through the whole life of the record, then you have to put pauses in the steps that wait on a field to change. Something like "Wait for a field to change in current item" and reference the Status field. When it changes to the 2nd phase, send the corresponding email and wait again. When it changes to phase 3, send that email and wait again. Continue until completion. This would make it a single sequential workflow.

Instead, you have an iterative workflow that re-runs fully each time you change the record. This type is perfectly fine and is more common with SPD, but it requires you to ignore the WF status column (remove from the view if you'd like) and focus on the status + conditional statements.

Problem 2

I can't tell from here exactly what your mistake is, but in order for your conditional statements to work, you have to use _exact_ syntax. The way the workflow is set now is that it will send that first email every time the workflow is changed unless you ONLY have it set to run on a new item. If that's the case, then it explains everything. Your workflow is running to completion when a new item is created, and the only action that executes is the one in step 1. My guess is that you thought the workflow would automatically know to stop itself before step 2 and wait for something without you specifying any logic. That's not how it works. It runs through every step unless told to do otherwise. You will need to set this workflow to run on new and on edit, then you'll need to add a condition to step 1 or separate it into two separate workflows (one for new and one for edit). Then, just make sure that the syntax of the statuses in the workflow are exactly the same as the statuses in SharePoint.

Custom workflow using sharepoint designer 2007 help

dvnandover — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:17:24 GMT

Hello Workflow experts may i get some help?
I created a 3 steps workflow using sharepoint designer 2007 (see attached pictures below). The workflow attached to a document library which has among other things a Status column with 5 choices (submitted, rejected, roe, ris, completed). The workflow started when the user submitted a new form and the email sent as expected but the last column (picture4) always says "Completed". As expected,
when the user change the status column to reject or roe or ris then the email should have sent to approriate person according to step2 (picture2) but it didn't. As always the last column status always says "Completed". So how i do take control of the last column and change it according to the steps that i have. It should say "In Process" in step1 and step2, and "Completed" in step 3.
Why didn't the workflow sent email as configured in step2 and step3?
Here are my screenshots:

Thank you in advance