Workflow Commands

Forward and Commit

After the draft version of a file has been edited, it should be forwarded to the next editing group or committed for verification. If the workflow does not have a verification phase, the file can be released only by one of its administrators or a system administrator after the last editing step.

A draft version can only be committed if it is complete. The version is complete if all its links are resolved, i. e. if the target files exist. Furthermore, the values of all fields must be valid. Whether a draft version is complete, is indicated in the overview to the right.

Sign

Workflows normally have a verification phase in which files are signed and released. Signing a file is confirming that you approve of its content. You do not need to perform the Take action to be able to sign a file.

The last step in the verification phase of a workflow is the release.

Release

Files need to be released before they can be published on the live server. In workflows including one or more sign steps only the members of the last workflow group entitled to sign the file concerned plus file administrators and superusers are permitted to release the file. In workflows without sign steps the current editor of a file can release it in the last editing step.

Releasing a file turns its draft or committed version into a released version, making it available for automatic publication by the system or manual publication by the system administrator.

A released version cannot be edited directly. However, you can create a draft version by means of the Edit workflow action, provided that you have the write permission for the file concerned. This version will be a copy of the released version.

Reject

If you are a file’s editor or a member of a user group entitled to verify the file, you can reject its released version instead of forwarding, signing, or releasing it. If a released version is rejected, the file’s workflow begins again, i. e. the file appears in the task list of the first user group in the workflow.

Revert

If a draft version is no longer needed and you do not want to release it, or if you would like to start over with a fresh copy of the released version, use the Revert workflow action. You can then use the Edit action to create a new draft version.

Unrelease

A file’s released version can be unreleased by the file administrator or a system administrator. Afterwards, the file no longer has a released version. Thus, it will not be published.

If a released version is unreleased and the archiving function has been enabled by the administration, the content will be archived. If the file does not have a draft version, a draft version will be created as a copy of the previously released version.

Take

Perform this action, if you wish to edit a file (contained in your task list, for example). You will then become the editor of the file.

If this file is being processed in a workflow, please perform the next workflow step after having finished editing it. Usually, this is Forward or Commit. However, Sign or Release might also be available.

Give

You can give a file to another employee or to a group not part of the file workflow. However, the next editing group specified in the file’s workflow cannot be bypassed by this, i. e. the file needs to be forwarded to the next group for the workflow to be continued. The recipient or the recipient group can be specified on the Give page.

Enter here the login of the user or the name of the user group who or that, respectively, is to receive the file. If you do not know the login or the name, click the selection button next to the input field and select the desired name from the list of available names.

The selection button serves to complete a name contained in the input field. If you enter a name partially and then click the selection button, only names containing the entered characters will appear in the list. Empty the input field and click the selection button again to be offered the complete list of names.

Click OK to confirm your selection. The file will then show up in the task list of the user or of the members of the selected user group (see Tasks).

Edit

This workflow step creates a draft version of the file concerned. If the file has a released version, its field values are taken over into the new draft version. By this workflow action you will become the editor of the draft version.

The workflow action Edit is performed implicitly when a field is edited (by clicking the field value in the overview or details view or by clicking the editing button in the preview). „Implicit" means that you do not need to select the workflow action Edit from the menu. It is performed automatically if a draft version of the file does not yet exist.

If the draft version of a file is currently being edited by another user, the workflow action Take is performed implicitly. However, you need to confirm this action since the data the current user has entered might be lost.

If the file already has a draft version that you do not wish to keep, select the step Revert followed by Edit.

You require the write or administration permission to be able to edit the draft version of a file. As a superuser, i. e.as a user to whom the global administration permission has been given, you automatically also have these file permissions.

Users who have the administration permission for a file or are a superuser are permitted to release complete files at any time, independently of the workflow.

After a file has been edited it should be forwarded, committed or released.