This example demonstrates how to use the Coupons function
in a workflow definition.
Generally, operations correspond to specific tasks. For
example, a loan approval workflow might include a step for printing
payment coupons. An automated process named LoanPrint could complete
this step; within LoanPrint, a function named Coupons contains the
code to print the coupons. The following are the general tasks necessary
to use the Coupons function in a workflow definition:
- A software developer creates a program (LoanPrint) that contains
a function named Coupons.
- The Coupons function includes input parameters named cust_name
and payment_amount and an output parameter named loan_number. (The
function accesses an external database of customer records, finds
the next unused loan number, and assigns that loan number to the current
loan application. This loan number will be passed to the workflow.)
- The application developer configures the LoanPrint program to
monitor the LoanApps work queue.
- The system administrator defines a LoanApps work queue with an operation named Coupons. The
Coupons operation requires the following parameters:
Table 1. Table of coupon operations parameters and descriptionName |
Type |
Access (data flow direction) |
cust_name |
String |
Read |
payment_amount |
Float |
Read |
loan_number |
String |
Write |
In the parameter definitions, Read indicates that a data value that passes from the work
item to the operation. Write indicates that a data value is generated by the operation and then
passed to the work item.
- In Process Designer, the workflow author creates a workflow map
that includes a step called PrintCoupons. The author defines the PrintCoupons
step to go to the LoanApps work queue; in addition, the author selects
the Coupons operation for the step and defines the operation parameters
as follows:
Table 2. Table of coupon operations parameters and
descriptionName |
Type |
Expression |
cust_name |
String |
ApplicantName |
payment_amount |
Float |
MonthlyPayment |
loan_number |
String |
LoanNumber |
In the parameter definitions, ApplicantName, MonthlyPayment,
and LoanNumber are all data fields defined for the workflow. The above
example indicates that the Coupons operation will use the value in
the ApplicantName data field as input for the cust_name parameter;
similarly, MonthlyPayment will be input for payment_amount. In addition,
the LoanNumber data field will hold the value output by the loan_number
parameter.