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Workflow Web Service APIs

tarunbajaj_007

Hi,

Can anyone please inform that is there any way with which I can invoke the workflow APIs from outside Alfresco?
I have a scenario where I will be having a web application which would be using the core workflow and content management functionalities of Alfresco repository.

so in that case, how do I invoke the workflow APIs(is it possible thru web service APIs)

Regards
Tarun

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Comments

sdavis

Depends on which version you're using. As of 2.9, you can use http://wiki.alfresco.com/wiki/Workflow_JavaScript_API in conjunction with http://wiki.alfresco.com/wiki/Web_Scripts to expose Workflow features outside of Alfresco.

subwiz

We are using Alfresco 2.2 Enterprise. How do we access workflow APIs in this version?

luisalves00

Hello,

I'm using Alfresco 3.3. Is there any guide explaining how to accomplish this "feature", i.e., using Alfresco as a backend for workflows?

regards

pedro_kowalski

I would also like to know what is the suggested approach to use Alfresco just as a workflow backend manager.

The CMIS does not expose any services related with workflow, and these are most interested for me.

Thanks in advance!

dynamolalit

Hi All,

Even i need the same functionality to get handle of a workflow in custom web service.

Till now i am not able to get it .

Do anybody knows how to get WorkflowService in web service.

mrogers

Workflow is not exposed via WebService.

If you want to use web services then I believe a few people have had success with running actions which interact with Workflow.

The recommended remote interface for alfresco is via Web Script. Alfresco already has a collection of web scripts for workflow. They are how the tasks pannel in Share works.

Alfresco 3.4 or whatever it will be called, contains far more of a workflow API.

dynamolalit

Hi mrogers ,

Thanks for your clarification.It cleared the air a lot.

The missing part as i think while using web services in current format is the creation of a custom aspect setting approver group details or any other details required, in your custom content model & set it while workflow is executing either in java script or in actionhandler.Once set, you can get it anywhere you want including custom web service.

OR Alternatively

Create a SOAP based wrapper around a REST based web script to expose such functionalities which are not provided in web services as below.

public class AlfCustomWebService{

        private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
   private String ticket;
   private HttpURLConnection conn = null;

public String getUserList() {
                 //Getting property from alfresco-global.properties file.
      WsPropertyReader propertyReader = new WsPropertyReader();
      String adminUsername = propertyReader.getProperty("admin.username");
      String adminPassword = propertyReader.getProperty("admin.password");
      String wsEndPoint = propertyReader.getProperty("alfresco.ws.endpoint");
      String webScriptUrl = propertyReader.getProperty("webscripturl");
      String webScriptMethod = propertyReader.getProperty("webscriptmethod");
      try {      
         //Startting session & setting endpoint.
         AuthenticationUtils.startSession(adminUsername, adminPassword);
         WebServiceFactory.setEndpointAddress(wsEndPoint);
         setTicket(AuthenticationUtils.getTicket());
         //Creating URL for web script.
         URL scriptUrl = (new URI(webScriptUrl)).toURL();
         logger.debug("Invoking Web Script : " + scriptUrl);
         //Getting connection & setting properties for same.
         conn = (HttpURLConnection) scriptUrl.openConnection();
         conn.setRequestMethod(webScriptMethod);
         conn.setRequestProperty("Authorization", "Basic "+ Base64.encodeBytes((getTicket()).getBytes()));
         conn.connect();
         //Checking for response from web script.
         logger.debug("Response code : " + conn.getResponseCode());
         //Getting response as a string.
         BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(conn.getInputStream(), "UTF-8"));
         StringBuffer buffer = new StringBuffer();
         String line;
         while ((line = in.readLine()) != null) {
            buffer.append(line);
         }
         String result = buffer.toString();
                    }
             }
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Alfresco 3.4 or whatever it will be called, contains far more of a workflow API.

Can you explain a bit more about it.

Also, Alfresco put great stress on web scripts but in real time implementation , web services are very much needed , both from client requirement perspective & for integrating two heterogeneous systems.If user tries to invoke web scripts from third party systems, it require that users write some kind of invoker classes & use them on other system than Alfresco where Alfresco needs to be accessed but web services provide WSDLs which can be used independently.Also, if i try to access web script on a third party system, i need to put dependency jars on other system making it a bit complex, which i think , can be avoided using web service.Correct me if i am wrong here.

Do you guys planning to give more powers to web services in future?

mrogers

Administrator: Please ban the above spammer.

hsohaib

Also, Alfresco put great stress on web scripts but in real time implementation , web services are very much needed , both from client requirement perspective & for integrating two heterogeneous systems.If user tries to invoke web scripts from third party systems, it require that users write some kind of invoker classes & use them on other system than Alfresco where Alfresco needs to be accessed but web services provide WSDLs which can be used independently.Also, if i try to access web script on a third party system, i need to put dependency jars on other system making it a bit complex, which i think , can be avoided using web service.Correct me if i am wrong here.

Do you guys planning to give more powers to web services in future?

You don't need any dependency jars to invoke a webscript, and it can be seen as a RESTFUL Web Service, you juste have to provide the response as SOAP.
I exposed some workflow functions via WebScript to use it from another web application (start process, fetch tasks …) and it worked great.

mrogers

There are no plans to enhance the Alfresco Web Services except for the CMIS WebService Binding.

On the other hand the Alfresco Web Script interface underpins all the functionality of Alfresco Share and is gaining new functionality all the time including a new Workflow API in 3.4.

Web scripts inter-operate with any system with a http client, which means practically everything. You can call a web script from any system with a HTTP client.   There's a lot less framework than faffing with WSDL and the soap machinery, and the different implementations of the web service parsers.   You can even call a web script from the command line with a tool like 'curl'.

In addition an important issue for a content management system is that WebScripts are better for streaming content to and from the repo.   Frankly the XML and SOAP used with WebServices just gets in the way.

The only reason I can think of for using WebServices is if you have some sort of ESB that is limited to Web Services only.    In which case use the CMIS WebServices first and then roll your own proprietery ones.

mrogers

<change hat>
Perhaps I should add that the ACCP (Alfresco Community Committers Program) recently voted to take in the RAAR Web Service interface into the community incubation area.
</change hat>