Unit 4: Defining and Inserting Task "Create Notification of Absence" 

Use

The notification of absence is created in the first step of the workflow. You will also need a task that executes this function. You can create the task separately from the workflow definition or directly from the Workflow Builder. This unit describes how you create the task from the Workflow Builder.

For further information on creating an individual task, refer to Definition of Single-Step Tasks in the SAP Business Workflow documentation.

Prerequisites

This task is a single-step task and it references one object method. The object type used (FORMABSENC (notification of absence)) and the required method (Create) are already defined and implemented in the Business Object Repository.

You are in the Workflow Builder and the initial workflow definition is displayed.

Procedure

Creating an Activity as a Step in the Workflow Definition

Add a first step of the type Activity to the workflow definition.

  1. Choose under step type. The cursor changes shape.
  2. Position the cursor on the Undefined step and click.

By doing so, you add an activity to your workflow definition. The step definition is shown in the right-hand part of the screen. You are on the tab page Control.

Defining a Task "Create Notification of Absence"

You now create a new task, with which a notification of absence can be created.

  1. Choose the arrow on the right next to the and then Create task.

    2. The Basic data tab in the Standard task: Create screen is then displayed.

    Entering the basic data
  2. Enter an abbreviation (of your choice) and a name (of your choice) for the standard task to be created.

    3. Abbreviation: < ini _creat>

    Name :<Create notification of absence (ini)>

    Work item text

    The work item text appears as an information text in the Business Workplace as soon as there is a work item for the step with this task.

  3. Enter Create notification of absence in the Work item text field.

    4. Object type and method
  4. Enter an object type and a method:

    5. Object type: FORMABSENC

    Method: CREATE

    You can also use the F4 input help to select the method. Additional indicators associated with this method are set automatically.

    You can view the definition of the object type entered by double-clicking on it. Information about its components is provided.

  5. Save your task as a local object.

The system has now allocated an 8-digit number for your task. This number is made up of the 3-digit prefix number (Customizing setting) and a 5-digit number taken from a number range. The identification of this task consists of TS and the eight digit number.

Determining agents

Selecting the possible agents for this task determines who is to be authorized to make leave requests. For this task, this should be all employees in your enterprise. Define the task as a general task.

  1. Select Additional data ® Agent assignment ® Maintain

    2. This takes you to the Standard task: Maintain Agent Assignment screen.

  2. Position the cursor on the name of your task.
  3. Choose Properties…

    4. The dialog box Task: <Notification of absence (ini)> is displayed.

  4. Set the General task indicator.
  5. Choose Copy and then .
  6. Exit the task definition with .

Interim result

You have now defined your first task in full. This task is used in the activity that you created in the Workflow Builder.

Completing Activity

The Define Container Elements and Binding dialog box is then displayed in which the system proposes a change to the workflow container and a binding definition.

The system proposes that you create a local container element in the workflow container, which can store the reference to the notification of absence created in this step. The element has the technical name AbsenceForm .

The system proposes that you define a binding from the task container to the workflow container. This binding transports the reference to the generated object (i.e. the created notification of absence) from the task (from the _WI_Object_ID element in the task container) to the workflow (to the AbsenceForm element in the workflow container).

Further information on automatic binding definition proposals is available under Binding Definitions from the Workflow Container and Binding Definitions from the Task Container in the documentation on SAP Business Workflow.

  1. Confirm the proposal with .

    2. The new AbsenceForm container element is displayed in the workflow container. Local container elements are marked . The remaining elements in the workflow container are workflow system elements. For further information, please refer to Workflow System Elements in the Workflow Container.

  2. Enter a text to describe the step.

    3. You can, of course, leave the description of the task that is proposed by the system.

    (The current step in your workflow definition appears here.)

  3. Go to the Outcomes tab.

    4. All of the outcomes for this step are displayed here.

  4. Enter a text for the description.

The description (proposal: < Application filled out> ) in the Task executed synchronously line.

Each step has at least one subsequent event (in this case: Task executed synchronously). The description is the text with which the outcome is labeled in the workflow definition.

The Form does not exist and Form could not be generated outcomes are the possible exceptions that could occur in the method execution. You "run the risk" of not intercepting these exceptions and not modeling any exception handling in your workflow definition. If one of the exceptions actually occurs at runtime, the workflow will assume the error status.

Checking the binding definition (optional)

  1. Go to the Control tab.
  2. Choose Binding (present).

The WF Builder: Binding for Step ‘<Create notification of absence>’ dialog box is then displayed.

This binding direction is not relevant for this step since no information is to be transported from the workflow to the task.

Here, the binding is _WI_ObjectId. &ABSENCEFORM& has been automatically defined here by the system. This binding ensures that the reference to the notification of absence created is not only known in the single-step task, but also in the workflow.

You can view the contents of both containers by choosing Workflow container or Task container.

(The element of the task container _WI_Object_ID is called Notif. of absence .)
  1. Choose .

You then return to the step definition.

Entering the agents responsible

On the tab page Control, choose the entry Workflow initiator (expression) in the area agent as the agent responsible.

The system enters the expression &_WF_INITIATOR& in the Expression field and in the input field beside the checkbox.

You start your executable workflow later manually. At this point in time, the system fills the workflow container element _WF_Initiator automatically with your user name.

The above assignment informs the workflow system that the first work item for creating the notification of absence should be addressed as the "starter" as the workflow.

You return to the screen Workflow definition: Create step: Activity

Concluding step definition

  1. Choose to check the step definition.
  2. Choose to exit the step definition.
  3. Choose to view the entire workflow definition in the workflow area on the screen.

    4. You will notice that your workflow definition now contains a new step (the activity just created). The undefined step is also still there.

  4. Choose .

    5. The workflow definition is checked, saved, and, provided it does not contain any errors, activated. The system displays a message if problems are encountered during the test.

  5. Exit the Workflow Builder.

Result

You have now completed this unit and can start the next unit.