Workflow Roadmap

In general, the steps required to implement a custom workflow are:

  1. Install StarTeam Server, StarTeam Workflow Extensions (StarTeam Extensions, StarTeam Workflow Designer, and StarTeam Notification Agent), and the StarTeam Cross-Platform Client in appropriate places. See the StarTeam Installation Guide.
  2. Create the necessary projects and folders.
  3. Plan your new workflow. As you begin to plan the new workflow, you’ll find pencil and paper to be one of your most useful tools. Once you have sketched the basic workflow model, flowcharting software may help you develop your workflow model. The flow diagram for the example workflow model explained in this chapter was designed using flowcharting software.
  4. Create a custom enumerated property and values on which the workflow is based. (See Adding and Modifying Custom Properties and the StarTeam Help for more information.)
  5. Create any other custom properties to be used.

  6. Plan your custom form. You need to decide:

    • What properties to use.
    • Where to place them on the form.
    • Which properties will be needed required hidden and disabled for each step
    • Which properties will change dynamically as the user edits the change request at each step.
  7. Create a custom workflow using Workflow Designer to specify the steps and actions of the workflow. See Using the StarTeam Workflow Designer for more information. In addition to the graphical representation, each step has a properties dialog for options that can be set at each step.
  8. Create a custom form that will display all the properties you have decided that you need. See Creating and Deploying APEs for more information.

  9. Test the workflow to ensure that it performs as intended:

    1. Store the workflow in the Test folder of the StarFlow Extensions project so that it can be used in an application project named Test. (The project name does not have to be Test; this is just an example.) See Adding Folders to the StarFlow Extensions Project, Understanding Locator, and Saving and Exporting Workflows.
    2. Use the Test button in JBuilder to test the form with the workflow. This button is on the sample forms and can be added to others. The Test button is set up in the sample so that it is visible only in JBuilder.
    3. Activate the workflow in the Test project by setting the appropriate APE settings in that project. See Configuring StarTeam Projects to Use APEs.
    4. Setup and start Notification Agent to monitor the Test project for the correct item type. Notification Agent notifies appropriate users about pending work, item statuses, and exceptions that occur in the process. See Getting Ready to Use Notification Agent and Starting Notification Agent and Notification Setup.
    5. Use Notification Agent’s Run Now button to simulate movement from step to step.
    6. Correct the workflow if necessary.

  10. Deploy the workflow:

    1. Store the workflow in the appropriate subfolders of the StarFlow Extensions project. This makes the workflow available for activation. See Adding Folders to the StarFlow Extensions Project, Understanding Locator, and Saving and Exporting Workflows.
    1. Activate the workflow for the appropriate projects by setting the appropriate APE settings for those projects. See Configuring StarTeam Projects to Use APEs.
    2. Setup and start Notification Agent to monitor the project, views, and item types under workflow control. Notification Agent notifies appropriate users about pending work, item statuses, and exceptions that occur in the process. See Getting Ready to Use Notification Agent and Starting Notification Agent and Notification Setup.
    3. When users open items under workflow control, StarTeam Extensions displays the APE form.
    4. The APE calls the workflow engine that examines the item and, based on the information contained in the workflow configuration, displays the relevant workflow information to the user.
    5. Users perform various workflow-related operations on the items and events are stored in the audit log. The user completes an assigned step by selecting an appropriate next step.

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