Lesson 1 - Templates

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Overview

Concept: Templates

Before we can do anything, we need somewhere to build our workflow – a workflow template. That's the dashed box in the diagram above – it will contain our simple content production process.

All workflows are stored in workflow templates, and a workflow template can only contain one workflow. Because of this, we generally refer to a "workflow template" as just a "workflow".

 

Create a page

Go to your personal space (or some other space where you can create content), and Create a blank page.

It doesn't matter what you call the page, or what's in it. It's just somewhere for us to build our workflow.

Space vs. Page mode

Before we continue, you need to know about the two modes the Comala Document Management app provides at the space level.

One of them is called Page Mode

• page mode allows every page in the space to have it's own unique workflow

• it's great for developing workflows, but it makes managing workflows harder because every page has a separate copy of the workflow

The other mode is called Space Mode

• space mode allows you to apply centrally managed workflows to the entire space – all pages and blog posts – although you can filter the workflow application by content label or content type (page or blog post) if required

If you want to see a side-by-side comparison, see: Page vs. Space Mode

For now, we'll use Page Mode, as it's a bit easier to get started that way.

Add workflow

In Page Mode, the process of creating a workflow is to simply add one to a page. Here's how...

From the Page Tools Menu, choose Add Workflow...

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Note: If you don't see that option, make sure that the space is running in page mode and that there are no active space workflows.

You'll now see the Add Workflow dialog, like this.

You'll see a scrollable list of existing workflows that you can apply - if you were to choose one of those (don't, as we're going to do something else) it would make a completely new copy of that workflow on your page. If the original workflow was changed, it wouldn't affect the copy of it on your page.

Custom states workflow

There's a special workflow in that list called Workflow with custom states.

• if required scroll right to the bottom of the list and choose this workflow

When you choose the Workflow with custom states, a text box appears with some default states.

Let's use these default states for the moment, we can change them later.

• choose the Apply & Customize button

This opens the workflow builder visual editor.

The custom states workflow is displayed

• as a flow chart in the right-hand panel

• graphically on the left-hand panel

• choose Exit to view the content with the workflow applied

Workflow added to the content

The content will have two breadcrumbs added to the page

Workflow icon

The workflow icon is a link to a simple workflow inspector.

Workflow state breadcrumb

The state breadcrumb and status indicator circle is a link to open the workflow popup.

Test it

Head over to the User Guide and familiarise yourself with the following:

• Workflow status bar

• Workflow popup

• Select a state

• Progress tracker

• Tasks popup

After you've done that, we'll continue with the second lesson.