Direct Format Entry Tab Page 

Use

On this tab page, you define the transfer format of the XML document, the function to be executed, and the data needed.

This tab page is only displayed if you select Transfer format on the tab page.

Features

Transfer format

Select the transfer format in which the XML document is to be sent. The following transfer formats are currently supported:

·        Wf-XML (draft version) - number 01

The system creates an XML document in accordance with the transfer format Wf-XML of the Workflow Management Coalition. All import parameters of the interface are transferred into this XML document. For more information on creating a Wf-XML document, see Creation of a Wf-XML Document.

·        Send XML data without envelope - number 02

SAP recommends that you only use this transfer format if the interface only contains one import parameter with the data type reference to the object type XML_DOC. If the interface contains an export parameter with the data type reference to the object type XML_DOC and the http reply contains an XML document, the XML document is written into the export parameter.

·        Wf-XML Version 1.0 – key number 03 and Wf-XML Version 1.1 – key number 04

The system creates an XML document in accordance with the transfer format Wf-XML of the Workflow Management Coalition. All import parameters of the interface are transferred into this XML document. For more information on creating a Wf-XML document, see Creation of a Wf-XML Document.

·        SOAP – key number 10

The system creates an XML document in accordance with the transfer format SOAP. All import parameters of the interface that refer to the ABAP Dictionary are transferred to the XML document.

Function

Various functions are available to you depending on the transfer format chosen and the type of address determination.

If you entered Send XML data without envelope or SOAP as the transfer format, then only the function Execute transfer is available.

If you chose the transfer format Wf-XML (draft version), then only the function Start workflow is available to you.

If the address is determined using a workflow proxy of a preceding Web activity, then a workflow was already started in an external system by the workflow. The transfer format is predefined using the workflow proxy and can only be Wf-XML Version 1.0 or above. You can choose from the following functions that refer to the workflow that was already started.

·        Change status of workflow

·        Determine workflow data

·        Notification (Wf-XML Version 1.1 only)

If the address is determined using a workflow proxy added in the basic data, this workflow is started by an XML document of an external system. The transfer format is predefined using the entry in the basic data and can only be Wf-XML Version 1.1 or above. By definition, you may only use the Notification function.

If the address is determined in a different way, the function Start workflow is also only available for the transfer format Wf-XML Version 1.0 or above.

Wait for feedback

This indicator can only be set for the transfer format Wf-XML. For the usual transfer formats, result data can already be transferred in the http response to the sending of the XML message.

If you set this indicator, the relevant work item is only completed during execution if an XML response document is received. The necessary response URL is included in the XML document by the system. The XML response document must contain the operation ProcessInstanceStateChanged and set the process status to closed.completed or closed.abnormalCompleted for the workflow to be continued.

Function control

The function control can only be selected if one of the following functions was chosen:

·         Change status of workflow

·         Determine workflow data

·         Notification

·         Execute transfer (only for transfer format SOAP)

You must then define the necessary binding whereby the elements of the target container are predefined by the selected function.

In the function Change status of workflow, you must select the status that you want to transfer to the started workflow from a quantity of defined statuses. The status valid for the transfer format Wf-XML Version 1.0 and 1.1 can be accessed as attributes of the ABAP class CL_SWF_IFS_WEB_CONST_WFXML_1_0. You can define a container element with reference to this class and use the requested status in the binding.

Choose  to create the binding. If the workflow container does not have a suitable container element to create a binding row, the workflow system makes a proposal for a new container element. If there are several container elements in the workflow container that can be used in a binding row, this binding row is not generated.

Data transfer

The data transfer can be selected if Start workflow, Execute transfer or Notification is selected as the function. You then define the interface of the Web activity here using container elements. Their data is transferred at runtime by the XML document that is generated by the Web activity. You transfer the data from the workflow container to the container of the Web activity using a binding.

Choose  to define the necessary container elements.

You must set the import indicator for all container elements whose content is to be sent with the XML document. You must set the export indicator for all container elements that are to be filled from an XML response document. Such an XML response document is only evaluated in this Web activity if the transfer format 02 (XML data without envelope) or 10 (SOAP) is used or if the indicator Wait for feedback is set for a Wf-XML transfer format.

You use the function Notification to send data to a workflow that was previously started by your workflow. If this workflow was started in an SAP system, the notification from this SAP system is converted to an event to which the started workflow can react in a wait step. The data that you transfer here is made available to the other workflow as the event parameter.

The Web activity has a reference workflow on the Control tab page whose container displays the interface of the Web activity. This reference workflow is automatically created by the workflow system and its container contains the container elements defined by you here.

If the XML document is sent to an SAP System and a Business Workflow is to be started there, the interface defined here must be identical to that of the workflow to be started. In particular, the same names must be used.

SAP recommends that you only use single-line parameters in the interface, which use the ABAP Dictionary or the object type XML_DOCas the data type reference.

Then choose  to create a binding. The workflow system automatically creates a binding from the workflow container to all import elements of the interface and from all export elements of the interface to the workflow container. If there are several container elements in the workflow container that can be used in a binding row, this binding row is not generated. If there is no suitable container element in the workflow container, the workflow system creates a proposal for a new container element.