This chapter deals with the customizing of the workflow by programming own extensions and configuring the workflow. The following types of workflow beans are supported:
Actions (server-side and client-side actions)
Expressions (used in guards, conditions, validators)
Rights policies
Performers policies
In addition, you can implement own
Clients,
Workflow startups.
You will find some programming guidelines and examples for each bean in the following subsections. Please refer to the Workflow API or Site Manager API for more details on the classes described in the following chapters.
Note that this manual describes the old Workflow API that was the sole means for writing extensions up to CMS 2005. From CMS 2006 on, it is also possible to use the Unified API for writing extensions, there called plugins. Please consult the Unified API Developer Manual for details regarding this new API. Most information from the following sections carries over to the new API.
Because the old Workflow API is still used in the Site Manager, it is not formally deprecated. However, using the Unified API is recommended for new server-side actions, expressions, rights policies, and performers policies, because development has become easier and faster. In general, old and new extensions mix without problems. Please see the Unified API Developer Manual for details.