Workflow Process Reference workflow-process-reference

AEM provides several process steps that can be used for creating workflow models. Custom process steps can also be added for tasks not covered by the built-in steps (see Creating Workflow Models).

Process Characteristics process-characteristics

For each process step, the following characteristics are described.

Java Class or ECMA Path java-class-or-ecma-path

Process steps are defined either by a Java class or an ECMAScript.

Payload payload

The payload is the entity upon which a workflow instance acts. The payload is selected implicitly by the context within which a workflow instance is started.

For example, if a workflow is applied to an AEM page P then P is passed from step to step as the workflow advances, with each step optionally acting upon P in some way.

In the most common case the payload is a JCR node in the repository (for example, an AEM Page or Asset). A JCR Node payload is passed as a string that is either a JCR path or a JCR identifier (UUID). In some cases the payload may be a JCR property (passed as a JCR path), a URL, a binary object or a generic Java object. Individual process steps that do act on the payload will usually expect a payload of a certain type, or act differently depending on the payload type. For each process described below, the expected payload type, if any, is described.

Arguments arguments

Some workflow processes accept arguments that the administrator specifies when setting up the workflow step.

Arguments are entered as a single string in the Process Arguments property in the Properties pane of the workflow editor. For each process described below, the format of the argument string is described in a simple EBNF grammar. For example, the following indicates that the argument string consists of one or more comma-delimited pairs, where each pair consists of a name (which is a string) and a value, seperated by a double colon:

    args := name '::' value [',' name '::' value]*
    name := /* A string */
    value := /* A string */

Timeout timeout

After this timeout period the workflow step is no longer operational. Some workflow processes respect the timeout, while for others it does not apply and is ignored.

Permissions permissions

The session passed to the WorkflowProcess is backed by the service user for the workflow process service, which has the following permissions at the root of the repository:

If that set of permissions is not sufficient for your WorkflowProcess implementation, then it must use a session with the required permissions.

The recommended way to do this is to use a service user created with the necessary, but minimal, subset of permissions required.

Workflow Control Processes workflow-control-processes

The following processes do not perform any actions on content. They serve to control the behavior of the workflow itself.

AbsoluteTimeAutoAdvancer (Absolute Time Auto Advancer) absolutetimeautoadvancer-absolute-time-auto-advancer

The AbsoluteTimeAutoAdvancer (Absolute Time Auto Advancer) process behaves identically to AutoAdvancer, except that it times out at a given time and date, instead of after a given length of time.

AutoAdvancer (Auto Advancer) autoadvancer-auto-advancer

The AutoAdvancer process automatically advances the workflow to the next step. If there is more than one possible next step (for example, if there is an OR split) then this process will advance the workflow along the default route, if one has been specified, otherwise the workflow will not be advanced.

ProcessAssembler (Process Assembler) processassembler-process-assembler

The ProcessAssembler process executes multiple sub-processes sequentially in a single workflow step. To use the ProcessAssembler, create a single step of this type in your workflow and set its arguments to indicate the names and arguments of the sub-processes you wish to execute.

        args := arg [',' arg]
        arg := processname ['::' processargs]
        processname := /* A fully qualified Java Class or absolute
        repository path to an ECMAScript */
        processargs := processarg [';' processarg]*
        processarg := '[' nobracketprocessarg ']' | nobracketprocessarg
        nobracketprocessarg := listitem [':' listitem]*
        listitem := /* A string */

For example:

com.day.cq.dam.core.process.ExtractMetadataProcess,
    com.day.cq.dam.core.process.CreateThumbnailProcess::[140:100];[48:48];[319:319:false],
    com.day.cq.dam.core.process.CreateWebEnabledImageProcess::dimension:1280:1280;mimetype:image/jpeg,
    com.day.cq.dam.core.process.AssetSetLastModifiedProcess

Basic Processes basic-processes

The following processes perform simple tasks or serve as examples.

delete delete

The item at the given path is deleted.

noop noop

This is the null process. It performs no operation, but does log a debug message.

rule-false rule-false

This is a null process that returns false on the check() method.

sample sample

This is a sample ECMAScript process.

urlcaller urlcaller

This is a simple workflow process that calls the given URL. Typically the URL will be a reference to a JSP (or other servlet equivalent) that performs a simple task. This process should be used only during development and demonstrations and not in a production environment. The arguments specify the URL, login and password.

        args := url [',' login ',' password]
        url := /* The URL to be called */
        login := /* The login to access the URL */
        password := /* The password to access the URL */

For example: http://localhost:4502/my.jsp, mylogin, mypassword

LockProcess lockprocess

Locks the payload of the workflow.

The step has no effect under the following circumstances:

UnlockProcess unlockprocess

Unlocks the payload of the workflow.

The step has no effect under the following circumstances:

Versioning Processes versioning-processes

The following process performs a version-related task.

CreateVersionProcess createversionprocess

Creates a new version of the workflow payload (AEM page or DAM asset).