Database

I have just gone through this proposal. I have also seen and studied Plone Workflow tool (DCWorkflow - By Zope Corp.). Let me take this chance to describe how DCWorkflow works, so that other can have an idea as to what to expect from this project and contribute with their ideas and suggestions :-

1. Workflow is a chain of "actions" that occours on a "content type" to achieve an objective by transiting over "states".
   
2. Plone has two workflows build into it - folder workflow and default workflow.
3. These workflows can be applied to various content types - for e.g.,

• Discussion item
• Document
• Events
• Files/Folders etc.
  

Each workflow has predefined states. For e.g., default workflow has following states :-

1. Pending,
   
2. Private,
   
3. Published,
   
4. Visible

There is an initial state. For e.g., default workflow has Visible as the initial state.
Each workflow has predefined actions (or transitions). These actions take the subject from one state to another. For e.g., default workflow has following actions associated with it :-

1. Submit,
2. Hide,
3. Show,
4. Publish,
   
5. Retract (Undo Publish and/or Submit)

These actions take the workflow from one state to another.

1. Submit: Visible -> Pending
2. Publish: Pending -> Published
3. Hide: Visible/Pending -> Private
4. Show: Private -> Visible
   
5. Retract: Pending/Published -> Visible

There is a permission hierarchy for the content type (for which workflow is applied). For e.g., "Edit" > "View" are two permissions in decreasing hierarchy. "Edit" permission implies "View" permission.
Each state has predefined permissions for each type of users. For e.g. there can be a administrator ("Admin") and a normal user ("User"), for the default workflow :-

1. In Pending state, the "Admin" can "Edit" the document, but the "User" can only "View" the document.
2. In Private state, the "Admin" can only "View" the document, but the "User" has no permissions on the document.
3. In "Published" and "Visible" states, both the "Admin" and "User" have only the "View" permission over the document.
   

Plone allows the users to create their own workflows.
States can be added, initial state can be changed, and actions can be modified to existing workflows. Newly created workflows can be also assigned to various content-types.

Creating a workflow module as specified above is obviously beyond the scope of a SoC project. We can however, create a workflow module with :-

• Fixed content type
• Pre-defined workflows.

There are a few doubts I have, regarding these specific details. I would be really grateful if you could answer a few queries.

1. From what I understand, this project aims to apply a workflow to database record. What exactly is a "database record". I have outlined various content types above, but how is database record related to any of this. In the examples, you have mentioned "when student adds a new record", so it appears that database record is a content-type. Please elaborate on this.
2. Assuming that by database record, you don't intend to generalize a lot of content-types, do you plan to allow the user to apply a workflow to any content-type, or just the "database record".
   
3. Do you plan to provide users with the ability to create their own workflows ?? Or do we provide a few basic (or just one default) pre-defined workflows only and not the ability to create more workflows.
   

• My suggestion is that if content types are limited, then it makes sense to only provide few basic pre-defined workflows which can be thought of logically.

• For each workflow that user has created (assuming we are letting them), user will have to define :-
  • states
  • transitions
  • transition rules
  • initial state
  • permission to each type of user on content-type in each state
• This is too much pain for the user, and in an environment like Moodle, we can easily think of different content-types, and various workflows that a user may want to associate the content-type with.
  
  

Assuming that we are not letting a user create forkflows, we can (maybe) provide an inteface where a user can Export workflow. Note we allow him to "export" and not "create". The possibility of this aspect depends if there is a standard way workflows can be represented. Can you help me a bit in this direction ?? Or we can investigate this facility later.
I am highly interested in this project. And I have experience with Moodle previously. I know it is a bit late, but I would be grateful, if you can help me with these queries, so that I can create and submit a proposal.

Thanks,
Akshit Sharma

Recently I have started working on enhancing Moodle database module with support for workflow states.

Short-term goal is to enable submission and approval of applications of employees (like vacation/holiday requests, recreation funding, etc.) However, I've found that there was a similar feature considered for Moodle 2.0 - right here - but as it was rejected as potential Google Summer of Code project, it never came to the implementation.

My goal is to create such functionality, and if there's interest I will surely share my implementation in hope to be included in mainline of Moodle codebase.

I already support HelpDesk block for our univeristy installation of Moodle. I've noticed this block also uses statuses and paths (in their terminology) to determine possible status transitions of tickets. Just like workflow states here so I have at least a working reference to build upon.

My current plan is as such:

• Modify existing database schema and enhnance table/columns creation code
• Manually add default workflow(s) and states
• Enhance existing roles/capabilities to distinguish between user types
• Modify code which handles record actions (for example, disable actions in certain states)
• Add code to handle transitions between states
• Add configuration option to enable workflow support for database
• (at this point the feature should be at least usable)

Later on:

• Create workflow editor - either for global workflows, per course, or per database (to be determined)
• i18n - to show names of states and actions in selected language (or at least local rename, like for roles in course)
• Support operations: backup, export, import

 Any help / suggestions are welcome.

Best regards,
Wiktor Wandachowicz

Below you can find proposed changes to database structure, as well as example data with workflow and states definitions.

mdl_data
========
Add: workflowenable, workflowid

mdl_data_wf
===========
Table: id, wfname, dataid (global if 'dataid'=>0), initstateid

Ref:
$MOODLE/lib/grade/grade_scale.php
public function fetch_all_global()
public static function fetch_all_local($courseid)

mdl_data_wf_states
==================
Table: id, wfid, statename, statedescr

mdl_data_wf_actions
===================
Table: id, wfid, fromstateid, tostateid, actname, actdescr, (optional: capabilityname)


Example data:

# mdl_data_wf
# -----------
id=1, wfname='Document publishing with review process', dataid=0, initstateid=1
id=2, wfname='Submission and approval of applications', dataid=0, initstateid=5

# mdl_data_wf_states
# ------------------
id=1, wfid=1, statename='Visible', statedescr='Editable by author, visible to reviewer'
id=2, wfid=1, statename='Pending', statedescr='Author requested publishing, non-editable by author'
id=3, wfid=1, statename='Private', statedescr='Only editable by author'
id=4, wfid=1, statename='Published', statedescr='Visible to everybody, non-editable'

id=5, wfid=2, statename='Editing', statedescr='Employee creates/edits application'
id=6, wfid=2, statename='Submitted', statedescr='Application waits for approval, non-editable'
id=7, wfid=2, statename='Approved', statedescr='Application was approved'
id=8, wfid=2, statename='Rejected', statedescr='Application was rejected'
id=9, wfid=2, statename='Retracted', statedescr='Application was retracted for complementing by employee'
id=10, wfid=2, statename='Updating', statedescr='Employee complements/edits retracted application'
id=11, wfid=2, statename='Complemented', statedescr='Application was re-submitted and waits for approval'
id=12, wfid=2, statename='Cancelled', statedescr='Application was withdrawn by employee'

# mdl_data_wf_actions
# -------------------
id=1, wfid=1, fromstateid=1, tostateid=2, actname='Submit', actdescr='Author requests publishing'
id=2, wfid=1, fromstateid=1, tostateid=3, actname='Hide', actdescr='Author makes content private'
id=3, wfid=1, fromstateid=2, tostateid=4, actname='Publish', actdescr='Reviewer publishes content'
id=4, wfid=1, fromstateid=2, tostateid=3, actname='Hide', actdescr='Author makes content private'
id=5, wfid=1, fromstateid=2, tostateid=1, actname='Retract', actdescr='Author retracts submission'
id=6, wfid=1, fromstateid=4, tostateid=1, actname='Retract', actdescr='Reviewer retracts submission'
id=7, wfid=1, fromstateid=3, tostateid=1, actname='Show', actdescr='Author makes content visible'

id=20, wfid=2, fromstateid=5, tostateid=6, actname='Submit', actdescr='Employee submits application for approval'
id=21, wfid=2, fromstateid=6, tostateid=7, actname='Approve', actdescr='Decision-maker approves application'
id=22, wfid=2, fromstateid=6, tostateid=8, actname='Reject', actdescr='Decision-maker rejects application'
id=23, wfid=2, fromstateid=6, tostateid=9, actname='Retract', actdescr='Decision-maker retracts application to be complemented by employee'
id=24, wfid=2, fromstateid=9, tostateid=10, actname='Update', actdescr='Employee complements retracted application'
id=25, wfid=2, fromstateid=10, tostateid=11, actname='Re-submit', actdescr='Employee re-submits complemented application for approval'
id=26, wfid=2, fromstateid=11, tostateid=7, actname='Approve', actdescr='Decision-maker approves complemented application'
id=27, wfid=2, fromstateid=11, tostateid=8, actname='Reject', actdescr='Decision-maker rejects complemented application'
id=28, wfid=2, fromstateid=9, tostateid=12, actname='Cancel', actdescr='Employee withdrawns application'
id=29, wfid=2, fromstateid=10, tostateid=12, actname='Cancel', actdescr='Employee withdrawns application'
id=30, wfid=2, fromstateid=5, tostateid=12, actname='Cancel', actdescr='Employee withdrawns application'

 

Attached is an image of workflow states for original proposal (Document publishing with review process), as well as states for my intended workflow (Submission and approval of applications).