Sending a Document to User for Editing

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mdickson

Alfresco seems geared mainly towards review and approve type workflow. But does it lend itself to sending files to users to not only review, but to update?

I have review the adhoc and Review-Aprove Workflows, but again they seem to be targeted at reviewing documents rather than updating a document you have been sent.

Can Alfresco handle Review-Update-Approve? How would it handle the 'update' bit in the middle and where would the file be actually 'saved to' during the process?

Matt

davidc

Yes, update workflows can be supported.  I think the review process allows edit of a document in the review task.

Custom workflows may be defined.  Each task within the workflow can support its own set of actions that may be applied to documents being routed through the workflow.  A task may also allow new documents to be added to the workflow.  So, for example, a "review" task may only allow read, whilst a "collection" task may allow "new".

How would it handle the 'update' bit in the middle and where would the file be actually 'saved to' during the process?

That depends on the workflow definition.  If you send a document for review (say /Guest Home/Alfresco-tutorial.pdf) and allow update in the "review" task, then /Guest Home/Alfresco-tutorial.pdf would get updated.  This isn't necessarily required, so the workflow would typically copy the document to allow for edits during the workflow and then if approved, copy the edited document to a published folder or overwrite the original.  If the workflow is collecting new documents, new documents are added to a special folder (called the workflow package) which exists only for the lifetime of the workflow.  The workflow definition will need to copy or move the new documents from the workflow package to a repository folder at some appropriate point in the workflow (e.g. approve).

In WCM, it all becomes more sophisticated as workflows use the concept of a sandbox (a private safe area for edits) for managing the workflow package.  Unfortunately, we don't yet use this concept in the document management world, but it will come.