During this tech tip, we will explore some general tips and tricks to using the Workflow Designer.

Copying and Pasting Activities

When you copy/paste an activity, the activity’s configuration settings are duplicated along with the activity. This feature can often be used to save time.

For example, Bob’s workflow needs three separate Route Entry to User activities, each of which will route the document to a different person, add a tag, and send an e-mail. The most efficient way to build this workflow is to configure the first Route Entry to User activity from scratch, copy/paste the activity twice, and tweak the settings associated with the pasted activities. This method is significantly faster than configuring three separate but similar activities from scratch.

Keep in mind that you can also copy/paste activities from one workflow to another.

Setting a Default Connection Profile

All workflows must be associated with a connection profile that defines the Laserfiche Server, repository, and user that the workflow will use. If you want all new workflows to use the same connection profile, specify that profile as the default.

1. Select Options under Tools in the menu bar.
2. Select the Laserfiche Connection node.
3. Next to Default connection profile, select a profile from the drop-down list. If no profiles appear in the list, click the Manage button above and create a new profile.

Switch between Design and Search Mode

The Workflow Designer contains two preset pane layouts. Design Mode should be used for creating workflows. Search Mode should be used for searching for workflow instances that have been triggered. To quickly switch between the two modes, select Switch to Design/Search Mode under View in the menu bar, or press CTRL+~.

Switching between Tabs

When you have multiple tabs open in the Workflow Designer, you can quickly switch between them by pressing CTRL+TAB.

Workflow Templates

Workflow templates can be used as shortcuts to building workflow definitions, saving you from having to create new workflow definitions from scratch for similar workflows. For more information, search the Workflow 8 help files for “Building a Workflow Template.”

Quickly Adding Activities to Workflows

Instead of dragging an activity from the Toolbox Pane onto the Designer Pane, double-click the activity in the Toolbox Pane. The activity will be automatically added to the Designer Pane.

• Note: The activity will be added to a different location depending on the activity you have selected in the Designer Pane.

Saving Searches

Similar to the Laserfiche Client, you can save a search performed in the Search Pane to use again later.

1. Once all desired search types have been added to the Search Pane and configured, select Search.
2. Name the search at the top of the Search Pane.
3. Click the disk icon.

Tags: Workflow

Posted on Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 at 9:09 am under Support, UserNews. You can comment on this post.