[Erp5-dev] New transition in edit_workflow ?

[Alexandre Boeglin]

Hello,

For the moment, the edit workflow only has one transition, 'edit', which
is triggered by the call of the edit function on an object
(WorkflowMethod).

Thus, it is not possible to add comments in the edit wotkflow, as every
parameters passed to edit() are apply to the object itself, and not to
the workflow.

Then, I'ld like to add something like 'edit_action', as a transition
which would be triggered by the user (and would thus allow to add a
comment to the transition in the workflow). This would allow to add
info related to the object in the workflow, like 'This object was
created as a copy of object X'.

Actually, I added something like this in ERP5Type/CopySupport as I use a
transition named 'copy', but then, I think it could be usefull to have
it more generic.

What do you think about this ? Could it be usefull, or is it a bad way
to achieve this ?
Is it okay to assume from now that the edit_workflow has a transition
named 'edit_action' ?

Regards,
Alex

[Yoshinori Okuji]

Post by Alexandre Boeglin
Then, I'ld like to add something like 'edit_action', as a transition
which would be triggered by the user (and would thus allow to add a
comment to the transition in the workflow). This would allow to add
info related to the object in the workflow, like 'This object was
created as a copy of object X'.

I don't say that it is a bad idea, but it would be better to have a
different workflow rather than modifying edit_workflow.

As you know, edit_workflow is used for many portal types, and it is
triggered each time when you save a document. If you require the user
to do one more step even when the user simply wants to fix a typo, it
is too irritating. For software development, this kind of feature is
useful, but this is very inefficient for data management.

BTW, do you need to have such a comment by using a workflow really?
Doesn't it fit into a description of an object instead?

YO

[Alexandre Boeglin]

Post by Yoshinori Okuji
As you know, edit_workflow is used for many portal types, and it is
triggered each time when you save a document. If you require the user
to do one more step even when the user simply wants to fix a typo, it
is too irritating. For software development, this kind of feature is
useful, but this is very inefficient for data management.

Actually, when Jean Paul proposed this, the goal was only to track the
object from the begining, so that we can see how the object was created
(which object it was copied from, in our case).

Of course, I didn't modify the 'edit' transition, which is still
transparent to the user. Maybe the "_action" part of the name was
confusing... but in fact, these two transitions are completely
independant.

Post by Yoshinori Okuji
BTW, do you need to have such a comment by using a workflow really?
Doesn't it fit into a description of an object instead?

Well, I think we could see this as a deeper trace of objects' lifes.
Then, when there is a mistake in a copied object, we can easily check
is the mistake was made in the source object or in its copy.

In this way, the information belongs to the history workflows, and not
only to the description.

What are your feelings about this?

Regards,
Alex

[Yoshinori Okuji]

Post by Alexandre Boeglin
Of course, I didn't modify the 'edit' transition, which is still
transparent to the user. Maybe the "_action" part of the name was
confusing... but in fact, these two transitions are completely
independant.

I'm a bit confused now. How do you plan the user will use it? As an
object action?

Post by Alexandre Boeglin
In this way, the information belongs to the history workflows, and
not only to the description.

You are right.

YO

[Alexandre Boeglin]

Post by Yoshinori Okuji
I'm a bit confused now. How do you plan the user will use it? As an
object action?

Well, I didn't intend it to be used by users, but only by scripts or
python code, so that they can be more verbose when they do 'important'
things to the object...

But after giving it a second though, I don't really see _when_ it can be
usefull, apart on creation of an object by copying another one...
It could be interresting to have it, if we want to trace things done by
the simulation, for instance. But I don't know if it has any meaning,
apart from debugging (in which case it has nothing to do with
workflows).

[Yoshinori Okuji]

Post by Alexandre Boeglin
Well, I didn't intend it to be used by users, but only by scripts or
python code, so that they can be more verbose when they do
'important' things to the object...

Ok.

But I now think that your idea might be very useful if the user can use
it optionally. If the user can choose "Save this document with a
comment" from the menu, this can be used like a change log. For
instance, an user may say, "I decrease the number of the product 'toto'
because the customer asked me that he didn't want that much any longer
by phone" then this change could be less confusing for other users.

YO