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Workflow Events

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This content is no longer actively maintained. It is provided as is, for anyone who may still be using these technologies, with no warranties or claims of accuracy with regard to the most recent product version or service release.

This section provides detailed information about each of the five events. Included are the event order, the activities the event permits or denies, and any special rules that apply to the event, such as how many times it can be added to a state or a workflow process.

This topic contains the following sections:

  • Create: occurs when an item is created/saved to the folder.
  • Delete: occurs when an item is deleted from the folder.
  • Change: occurs when the item is changed/edited.
  • Receive: occurs when a response is received in the folder for the item in the workflow.
  • Expiry: occurs when a specified amount of time elapses from the moment the enter event is fired in the state.

Create

On the workflow design surface, Create is displayed as a transition from the starting block to the state containing the Create event. Select the starting block, and access the property pages to view all of the Create events for the workflow process.

Order of Events

  • Create Þ Enter

Limitations and Special Cases

  • To permit creation of items in a workflow-enabled folder, there must be at least one Create event included in your workflow process. If a workflow process does not have a Create event or the condition for the Create event returns False, items cannot be created.

Delete

On the workflow design surface, Delete is displayed as a transition from the state containing the Delete event to the ending block. Select the ending block, and access the property pages to display all of the Delete events for the workflow process.

Order of Events

  • Exit Þ Delete

Limitations and Special Cases

  • To permit deletion of items in a workflow-enabled folder, there must be at least one Delete event included in your workflow process. If a state does not have a Delete event or the condition for the Delete event returns False, items currently in that state cannot be deleted.

Change

Change events are displayed on the workflow design surface when they are used to create a state change. To see all the Change events for a state, select the state on the workflow design surface, and access the property pages.

Order of Events if Change Causes a State Change

  • Exit (current state) Þ Change (next state) Þ Enter (next state)

Order of Events if not a State Change

  • Exit (current state) Þ Change (current state) Þ Enter (current state)

Limitations and Special Cases

  • To permit edits or updates of items in a workflow-enabled folder, there must be at least one Change event included in your workflow process. If a state does not have a Change event or the condition for the Change event returns False, items currently in that state cannot be edited or changed in any way.
  • Each state can have multiple Change events.
  • If you have multiple Change events in a state, adjust the event order, so the transitions are evaluated in the order appropriate for your workflow process. A Change event that does not cause a state change always should be evaluated last.

Receive

Receive events are displayed on the workflow design surface when they are used to create a state change. To see all the Receive events for a state, select the state on the workflow design surface, and access the property pages.

Order of Events if Receive Causes a State Change

  • Exit (current state) Þ Receive (next state) Þ Enter (next state)

Order of Events if not a State Change

  • Exit (current state) Þ Receive (current state) Þ Enter (current state)

Limitations and Special Cases

  • To make it possible for the workflow to respond to e-mail, you must add a Receive events to the state. The Receive event does not execute every time e-mail is received in the workflow-enabled folder. The Receive event is triggered only when you send an e-mail message through script and the recipient replies. When the reply reaches the folder, the Receive event is triggered.
  • Each state can have multiple Receive events.
  • If you have multiple Receive events in a state, adjust the event order, so the transitions are evaluated in the order appropriate for your workflow process. A Receive event that does not cause a state change always should be evaluated last.

Expiry

Expiry events are displayed on the workflow design surface when they are used to create a state change. To see all the Expiry events for a state, select the state on the workflow design surface, and access the property pages.

Order of Events if Expiry Causes a State Change

  • Exit (current state) Þ Expiry (next state) Þ Enter (next state)

Order of Events if not a State Change

  • Exit (current state) Þ Expiry (current state) Þ Enter (current state)

Limitations and Special Cases

  • The Expiry event is executed after a designated amount of time has passed. The State Expires option of the Enter event sets the expiration time.

    The expiration time is an integer multiple of the base frequency which is initialized to be 15 minutes. If an item enters a state with an Expiry event, the expiration time begins to count down at the next 15-minute interval. Therefore, if an item with a 15-minute expiration time enters a state at 2:10 and the interval occurs at 2:15, the item expiration time starts count down at 2:15, and the item would expire 15 minutes later at 2:30.

  • Each state can have multiple Expiry events.

  • If you have multiple Expiry events in a state, adjust the event order, so the transitions are evaluated in the order appropriate for your workflow process. An Expiry event that does not cause a state change always should be evaluated last.

See Also

Choosing Workflow Events | Workflow Action Symbols | Order of Workflow Events | Displaying the Project Properties