Custom forms for Web Workflow Management System Development

When developing a workflow management system, many people only pay attention to the process engine and the creation of the process model, while ignoring the custom form tool. A custom form tool is a visual editing tool for independent business modules. Business modules can be edited and generated using this tool. If the custom form is not the focus of the process implementation, you can connect to the form. The form business module can be generated by a form tool or Code In short, the most flexible form can be implemented using code.
However, in fact, the business data in each step of the process needs to be presented by forms, and the form is used to store business data. If it is always implemented by code, without the support of a powerful custom form tool, even a good workflow system is just a lame horse and cannot run for a long time, let alone the visual completion of business processes.

Anyone who has done MIS System Development knows that forms involve the presentation layer, human-computer interaction on the operation interface, business logic at the backend, and storage of business data, which are the key and difficult points for MIS system development. The workflow engine separates the implementation of this layer of business module, allowing users to implement it themselves. The workflow engine only implements an abstract flow. To customize processes and business modules, you must have a powerful custom form module to support the process definition visualization and operation, it can be provided to end users.

Custom forms: Page components must be enriched because interface display and human-computer interaction are involved.
Common components:Label, Textbox, ComboBox, spin, shape, checkboxlist, radiolist, dropdownlist, webgrid, upload, and so on;

Complex components:Table, tree control, statistics icon display control, multi-column drop-down list control, and so on.

Table presentation and input should be the most abundant, and functions should be very convenient and powerful, such as binding to a dataset to quickly and conveniently display data. Cell input supports multiple input methods, drop-down combox, multi-column drop-down input, pop-up date selection, pop-up window selection, back-up data and so on. Support for cell and row events, double-click, document, and exit.

Diverse and complete data verification functions:Such as null, number, value range, date, phone number, Province certificate, and Chinese Character verification.

Custom forms have a visual form design interface, which can be directly dragged, pulled, clicked, or dragged to design forms. Common data acquisition, storage, and so on. You can directly use page components without writing code (sometimes simple SQL statements still need to be written ).

It is designed in B/S mode to facilitate Web publishing and is provided to end users.

Ajax is used to achieve interaction with the background anytime, anywhere, to achieve local refreshing, granular updates, synchronization, asynchronous calls, etc., making the interface highly interactive and easy to operate.

Data Layer and style separation for easy integration with other systems;

Multiple background databases are supported;

The editing layer is separated from the final form to facilitate release and integration.

The following is an example of an eform, combined with the workflow management system:

Note:
An employee reimbursement process

 

Main business requirements:
The employee fills out the reimbursement form and the document is designed as the main sub-table. The department manager and the General Manager sign the form. If any manager rejects the form, the employee enters the form and enters the form again. After the return, the employee may invalidate the reimbursement form;
Refill in the report again until the manager passes the review and the financial notification receives the reimbursement amount. After the employee receives the report, the Process instance ends.

 

Business Flow chart:

 

Eform custom form module design: Expense Reimbursement Form

 

Start Process:

 

Process running track diagram: the process has just been initialized, and the steps for entering the reimbursement form are as follows:

 

 

 

Submit a expense reimbursement application. For example, click "Save for execution" to submit the application. The process is transferred to the review stage.

 

 

Manager review:

 

 

 

After both steps are passed, the finance department will send a notification

 

 

The employee receives the reimbursement fee.

 

The process instance ends.

Related links:
Workflow concept in Web Workflow Management System Development
Web workflow management system development 2 workflow engine
Web workflow management system development 3 visualization process designer
Four integrated workflows and Custom forms for Web Workflow Management System Development
Development of Web workflow management system 5 open source osworkflow-user system transformation
Six-form permission and process permission Control for Web Workflow Management System Development
Seven latest DTD format verification and modification in Web Workflow Management System Development
8. Open-source osworkflow Task Management in Web Workflow Management System Development