Task Launch Customization 

Use

This section describes the procedures for customizing task launch. To support this some background is provided on how a task is executed, once you select the task subject line on the worklist.

Prerequisites

●      You have access to portal Universal Worklist iView.

●      You have access to the Universal Worklist Administration iView.

●      You have implemented an alternative work item visualization and execution (for example, through a custom iView).

Background

Each task item in the UWL has a specific task item type. The task item type has a default action. The default action is performed when the user clicks on the subject of the item.

The section ‘Configuring the Universal Worklist’ describes under “Webflow Item Type Registration” that the UWL connects to the registered system and generates item types from the Business Workflow task definitions. Each system defines a new WebFlow configuration namespace. 

As described in section ‘Configuring the Universal Worklist’, when you successfully register a work item type, the XML text that defines the execution of the task is made available.  The item type links the task definition with the item execution by UWL. 

Sample generated ItemType

The following is an example of generated XML text for an item type. This XML defines the execution of the ItemType by launching an SAP ITS template.

<ItemType name="uwl.task.webflow.T50012283" connector="WebFlowConnector"         defaultView="DefaultView" defaultAction="launchMiniApp" >       <ItemTypeCriteria  externalType="T50012283"            connector="WebFlowConnector"/>       <Actions>         <Action name="launchMiniApp" handler="SAPMiniAppLauncher">           <Properties>             <Property name="Template" value="BWWF_WI_DECI"/>           </Properties>           <Descriptions default="">             <ShortDescriptions/>           </Descriptions>         </Action>       </Actions> </ItemType>

 

The following table describes the function of the key tags highlighted in the example XML code. These are the tags that you need to customize.

ItemType	defaultAction	Refers to an action defined under <Actions>. This action is performed when the user clicks on the item subject.
ItemTypeCriteria		Map the UWL item type to the connector provider for the item type (Webflow, the connector attribute, contains “WebFlowConnector”)
ItemTypeCriteria	systemId	The system alias the item type is valid for. If no systemId is specified, this definition is valid for all systems.
ItemTypeCriteria	externalType	Task Id of a Business Workflow in the specified system. For example the WebFlow documentation specifies task ids. Task ids uniquely identify types of work items
Action	handler	An action handler implements how an action is executed in detail. Available launchers: ●      SAPTransactionLauncher launches the SAP GUI for HTML. ●      SAPMiniAppLauncher launches an SAP ITS MiniApp. ●      SAPIACLauncher launches SAP Internet application components including ITS MiniApp. ●      SAPWebDynproLauncher launches a Web Dynpro for Java applications. ●      SAPWebDynproABAPLauncher launches a Web Dynpro for ABAP applications. ●      SAPAppLauncher launches generic SAP applications based on SAP integrator templates. ●      IViewLauncher launches any iView, portal component or portal pages. ●      URLLauncher launches Web locations (URL). ●      SAPTransactionLauncher launches an SAP transaction using the SAP GUI for HTML. ●      SAPBSPLauncher launches an SAP BSP. ●      ObjectLinkLauncher evaluates and navigates to the BSP blueprint display of the underlying object of the item. ●      ObjectNavigationLauncher launches iViews and Portal Pages defined for a Business Object and a given operation. ●      XhandlerLauncher launches execution of items using Launch Handler or Webservice Handler. ●      TerminatingEventHandler handles execution of items for which a workflow with terminating events is defined. ●      FunctionModuleActionHandler handles execution of items for which a workflow is executed through a given function module. ●      UpdatingContainerHandler handles execution of items which update the workflow container with the specified values. ●      UserDecisionHandler handles execution of items of types UserDecision.
Action / Properties	Template	Action Properties define specifically supported parameters for the action handler. For example, the SAPMiniAppLauncher requires a template parameter that specifies the ITS template to be launched, “BWWF_WI_DECI” in this sample.

 

Business Workflow Task Launch Customization Alternatives

There are two basic alternatives to customize task launch for Business Workflow:

●      SAP Transaction SWFVISU and

●      UWL item type customization. 

...

SAP Transaction SWFVISU

Customization is done in the Business Workflow system where the items originate. This transaction is available in SAP systems from Release 6.20 Support Package 23. This transaction is documented from Release 6.40.

Possible customizations are iView, Portal Page, Portal Component, BSP, BSP Object Link, WebDynpro. This transaction provides participation in SAP transportation infrastructure.

For details see Parameters for Work Item Visualization in the UWL.

UWL Item Type Customization

With this alternative more customization options are provided. Fine tuning is possible. 

This type of customization provides for additional advanced customization (custom attributes, specific views).

Future transportation support is provided for customization data in Business Packages.

 

UWL Item Type Customization Steps

The general steps for customization are:

...

       1.      Identify the task IDs to customize in the Business Workflow systems. Also identify if these customizations should be applied for all Business Workflow systems or few specific systems.

       2.      Existing ItemType XML can be viewed as follows:

                            a.      Open the Universal Worklist Content Configuration (Universal Worklist Administration  ® Universal Worklist Content Configuration).

                            b.      Select the option Display or Remove Current configurations and their Customization (usually the first option), click Start.

                            c.      Select the generated Business Workflow systems configuration. For example, for Business Workflow system with system alias “U9CCLNT800”, configuration name is uwl.webflow.U9CCLNT800.

                            d.      Select Display content as XML.

                            e.      Look for the item type which has the task ID defined as externalType within ItemTypeCriteria.

You may not find a corresponding item type. All Webflow items which do not have a specific execution assigned through their task id are implicit of type uwl.webflow.default (see the namespace uwl.webflow). This type uses SAPTransactionLauncher as default action handler, and launches items using the Business Workflow transaction SWK1 in the SAP GUI for HTML. You can create a new specific type for the task ID, which follows the same procedure as customizing an existing one.

       3.      Copy the XML for the item types of interest. Create an UWL configuration XML file which contains this item type (and all other item types in the same configuration which are to be customized).

       4.      Define how the action handler and its parameters should launch items of that item type. See the next section for a description of the action handlers available.

       5.      If you create a new itemtype, an item type name has to be specified accordingly. 

       6.      If it is intended that this customization should affect all Business Workflow configurations, remove any system specific information from the XML. So the XML looks like the following with no system information in the ItemType name and no systemId attribute in the ItemTypeCriteria.

<ItemType name="uwl.task.webflow.T50012283" connector="WebFlowConnector"         defaultView=“DefaultView" defaultAction=“LaunchSAPAction" >       <ItemTypeCriteria externalType="T50012283"            connector="WebFlowConnector"/>       <Actions>         <!!--- all the customized actions go here -- >.       </Actions> </ItemType>

       7.      Verify that XML file created is a valid XML as follows:

                            a.      Download DTD (Data Type Definition) file. Navigate to Universal Worklist Content Configuration  ®  Display or Remove Current configurations and their Customization ®  Click Start  ®  Download DTD.

                            b.      Refer to the DTD file in the XML file that is created and place DTD file in the same folder as the XML file created.

                            c.      Open the XML file using Internet Explorer. If XML is valid then it will be displayed correctly in the browser.

       8.      Upload the customized item type XML using the Universal Worklist Administration iView.

If you want to see the results for items which have already been cached from backend systems, you have to clear the entire cache first in the Universal Worklist Cache Admin iView.

You must now start a new session, the results are not visible in the same browser session in which the upload occurred.