This topic describes client/server operations interaction for the default HTML Step Processor supplied with the FileNet Web Services HTML Step Processor Toolkit.
Once the default HTML Step Processor is initialized, the web server supplies the Step Element property values. The values are stored on the client system in the client-side objects. The property values stored on the client provide the means of updating Step Processor information. (Storing property information on the client system reduces the number of server calls needed to complete the workflow step.) Once the Step Processor's Step Element is complete, the property values are converted to an XML string. Only the XML string is sent to the web server. Once the server receives the XML string, the PJAC for FileNet Web Services module (for information on PJAC and its components, see Process Engine Architecture/Components - FileNet Web Services) parses the string and updates the values in the workflow.
If an attachment (e.g., a document) from either the FileNet Content Services library or the Image Services library is needed, the HTML Step Processors and Launch Step Processors use the IDM Foundation objects to access the attachments in the Content Services and Image Services libraries. When the HTML Step Processor or Launch Step Processor accesses attachments, the processors use the IDM Web Services Javascript objects; therefore, the user must supply valid user credentials to access the Content Services or Image Services libraries.
The HTML Step Processor will verify URL/UNC format when the user assigns an attachment. The Processor expects a URL to begin with "http://". The Processor expects a UNC to begin with "file://" and will issue a warning if a local file is selected with a format of "file:/c:/" (where "c" is any letter representing a drive).