Exporting and importing shared workflow and integrated applications
You can use the following features to manage cross-server development of integrated deployable applications:
- Include Shared Workflow option—Use this option in the Export wizard in Developer Studioto include shared workflow not controlled by the application in the application definition file. For more information, see Exporting shared workflow not owned by the application.
- Create-Workflow-Placeholders configuration option—Set this option in the configuration file of the destination development server to allow the creation of placeholder forms for any external forms associated with a shared workflow. For more information, see Importing shared workflow not owned by the application.
- Workflow Integration property for workflow objects—Set this property to allow the Export wizard to export only the integration workflow for two deployable applications.
In addition, when you import a shared workflow that is owned by the application, the full list of associated forms, including those owned by another application, is now preserved.
Exporting shared workflow not owned by the application
You might have a workflow object whose primary form is in another application but is also associated with a form in the current application. For example, consider the deployable applications and objects described in the following table:
AppA | AppB |
|---|---|
FormA | FormB |
ActiveLinkA is associated with FormA its primary form | ActiveLinkA is also associated with FormB (a secondary form) |
In this example, AppA owns FormA and ActiveLinkA. Both objects are exported with AppA by default because they are owned by it. AppB owns FormB but not ActiveLinkA. By default, ActiveLinkA is not exported with AppB. However, by using the Include Shared Workflow option of the Export wizard, you can include ActiveLinkA when you export AppB.
To include all shared workflow when exporting an application
- In AR System Navigator, right-click the application to export in the Applications list, and then select Export Application.
- In the Application Selection dialog box, enter a path and file name for the application definition file, and then click Next.
- In the Export Options dialog box, select Entire Application and Include Shared Workflow.
- Click Finish.
The application is exported and any shared workflow not owned by the application is included in the definition file.
Importing shared workflow not owned by the application
When you import an application definition file that contains a shared workflow not owned by the application, AR System servercan create a non-functional placeholder form for each external form associated with the shared workflow. This allows developers to modify the shared workflow owned by another application without installing the integrated application on the development server. It also ensures that the complete list of associated forms is preserved with any shared workflow.
Placeholder forms are created during application import in these cases:
- The import definition contains shared workflow from another application that includes a Push Fields or Set Fields action. In this case, a placeholder is created for the external form used by the Push Fields or Set Fields action.
- When the server configuration file (ar.cfg or ar.conf) contains the option Create-Workflow-Placeholders: T, a placeholder form is created for any external form associated with the shared workflow, regardless of the workflow action type. If the value is missing or is deleted from ar.cfg or ar.conf, it will be treated as False. The default value of Create-Workflow-Placeholders option is False.
A placeholder form has no fields and can only be deleted. If the actual definition of a placeholder form is imported, it replaces the existing placeholder. In the Forms object list in Developer Studio, placeholder forms are identified as form type None.
When importing an application definition that contains a shared workflow not owned by the application, the workflow object is created if it does not already exist. If the workflow object already exists, only the list of associated forms is updated. If the application that owns the shared workflow object is later imported, the workflow is replaced.