Customizing Approval And Feedback Workflows Changing Task Status With InfoPath Forms

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In the realm of SharePoint workflow automation, approval and feedback workflows stand as cornerstones for streamlining business processes. These workflows, often built using SharePoint Designer, facilitate structured reviews and approvals of documents, tasks, and other items. When combined with InfoPath forms, they offer a powerful platform for data capture and interaction. This article delves into a specific customization challenge: how to alter task statuses within approval and feedback workflows using a custom button embedded in an InfoPath form. This enhancement provides users with a more intuitive and efficient way to interact with workflow tasks, deviating from the standard task completion mechanisms.

Understanding Approval and Feedback Workflows

To effectively customize task status changes, a solid grasp of approval and feedback workflows is essential. Approval workflows are designed to route items through a predefined sequence of reviewers, each tasked with either approving or rejecting the item. Feedback workflows similarly involve a review process, but their primary goal is to gather input and comments rather than strict approval or rejection. Both workflow types rely on tasks assigned to users, and the status of these tasks reflects the progress of the workflow.

Core Components of SharePoint Workflows

SharePoint workflows, whether approval or feedback-oriented, comprise several key components:

  • Tasks: Workflows generate tasks assigned to users, representing actions they need to take.
  • Task Lists: These lists store workflow tasks, tracking their status, assignees, and due dates.
  • Workflow History: A log of workflow events, including task assignments, status changes, and completion.
  • Initiation Forms: Used to start a workflow and collect initial data.
  • Task Forms: Displayed to users when they interact with a task, often customized using InfoPath.

The Role of InfoPath Forms

InfoPath forms serve as the user interface for interacting with workflow tasks. They allow for the presentation of task-related information, capture user input, and facilitate task completion. By embedding custom buttons within an InfoPath form, we can extend the standard task interaction capabilities and introduce tailored actions, such as changing the task status based on specific user actions or conditions.

The Challenge: Custom Task Status Updates

The standard SharePoint workflow interface typically provides options for completing tasks, such as approving, rejecting, or requesting changes. However, in many scenarios, a more granular level of control over task statuses is desired. For instance, a user might want to mark a task as "In Progress," "On Hold," or "Needs Clarification" before formally completing it. This is where the need for custom task status updates arises.

The challenge lies in seamlessly integrating a custom button within the InfoPath task form that, when clicked, triggers a change in the task status within the SharePoint workflow. This requires understanding how to access and modify task properties programmatically, leveraging InfoPath's capabilities and SharePoint's object model.

Solution Overview: Custom Button and Code-Behind

The solution involves a multi-faceted approach, combining InfoPath form customization with code-behind logic. Here's a high-level overview of the steps involved:

  1. Customize the InfoPath Task Form: Add a custom button to the InfoPath form associated with the workflow task.
  2. Implement Code-Behind Logic: Write code that executes when the custom button is clicked. This code will:
    • Access the current task item.
    • Modify the task status field.
    • Save the changes to the task item.
  3. Deploy the Form Template: Publish the customized InfoPath form template to the SharePoint site.
  4. Test the Workflow: Initiate the workflow and test the functionality of the custom button.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Let's delve into the detailed steps required to implement this solution:

1. Customizing the InfoPath Task Form

  • Open the Task Form: Locate the InfoPath form template associated with your workflow task list. This can usually be found in the task list's settings under "Form Web Parts."
  • Add a Custom Button: In InfoPath Designer, add a button control to the form. Position it appropriately within the form layout.
  • Configure Button Properties: Set the button's text to reflect the desired action (e.g., "Mark as In Progress," "Set On Hold").
  • Add a Rule: Create a rule for the button that executes when the button is clicked. This rule will trigger the code-behind logic.

2. Implementing Code-Behind Logic

This is the core of the solution, where the task status update is performed programmatically. The code will typically be written in C# or VB.NET and executed within the InfoPath form's code-behind.

  • Accessing the Task Item: The first step is to access the current task item. This can be done using the SharePoint object model, specifically the SPListItem object.
  • Modifying the Task Status Field: The task status is typically stored in a field named "Status" or a similar variant. The code needs to update the value of this field to the desired status (e.g., "In Progress").
  • Saving Changes: After modifying the status field, the changes must be saved back to the task item using the SPListItem.Update() method.

Here's a sample code snippet (C#) demonstrating the core logic:

using Microsoft.SharePoint;
using Microsoft.SharePoint.Workflow;

public void CustomButton_Clicked(object sender, ClickedEventArgs e)
{
    try
    {
        // Get the current task item
        SPListItem taskItem = SPContext.Current.ListItem;

        // Set the task status to "In Progress"
        taskItem["Status"] = "In Progress";

        // Update the task item
        taskItem.Update();

        // Optionally, update the workflow status as well
        SPWorkflowTask.AlterTask(taskItem, SPWorkflowTaskStatus.InProgress, null);

        // Display a success message
        XPathNavigator mainNav = MainDataSource.CreateNavigator();
        mainNav.SelectSingleNode("//my:SuccessMessage", NamespaceManager).SetValue("Task status updated successfully!");
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        // Handle errors
        XPathNavigator mainNav = MainDataSource.CreateNavigator();
        mainNav.SelectSingleNode("//my:ErrorMessage", NamespaceManager).SetValue("Error updating task status: " + ex.Message);
    }
}

Explanation of Code Snippet:

  • using Microsoft.SharePoint;: Includes the necessary SharePoint namespaces.
  • using Microsoft.SharePoint.Workflow;: Includes the workflow-specific namespaces.
  • SPListItem taskItem = SPContext.Current.ListItem;: Retrieves the current task item using the SharePoint context.
  • taskItem["Status"] = "In Progress";: Sets the value of the "Status" field to "In Progress." Ensure that the field name match with the status field name.
  • taskItem.Update();: Saves the changes to the task item.
  • SPWorkflowTask.AlterTask(taskItem, SPWorkflowTaskStatus.InProgress, null);: Optionally updates the workflow task status as well. This can be useful for maintaining consistency between the task list and the workflow engine. This might not apply to all workflows and custom implementation is required.
  • Error Handling: The try...catch block handles potential exceptions and displays an error message in the InfoPath form.

3. Deploying the Form Template

  • Publish the Form: In InfoPath Designer, publish the form template to the SharePoint site. You can publish it as a site content type or to a form library.
  • Associate with Task List: If you published as a site content type, ensure that the task list is configured to use this content type.

4. Testing the Workflow

  • Initiate the Workflow: Start the workflow to generate a task.
  • Open the Task Form: Navigate to the task list and open the task.
  • Click the Custom Button: Click the custom button you added to the form.
  • Verify Status Update: Verify that the task status has been updated correctly in the task list.

Advanced Considerations

  • Dynamic Status Updates: The code can be modified to allow users to select from a range of status options (e.g., using a dropdown list). This requires adding a data connection to the form and binding the dropdown list to a list of status values.
  • Workflow Integration: For more complex scenarios, the task status update can be integrated with the workflow logic. For instance, changing the status to "On Hold" could trigger a pause in the workflow execution.
  • Permissions: Ensure that users have the necessary permissions to modify task items.
  • Error Handling: Implement robust error handling to gracefully handle unexpected issues.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Code Not Executing: Verify that the code-behind is correctly associated with the button click event and that the form is deployed correctly.
  • Status Not Updating: Double-check the field name used in the code to ensure it matches the actual status field in the task list. Also, verify that the user has the necessary permissions to modify the task item.
  • Errors in Code: Use debugging tools to identify and resolve any errors in the code-behind.

Conclusion

Customizing task status updates using a custom button on an InfoPath form empowers users with greater control and flexibility in managing their workflow tasks. This approach, while requiring code-behind implementation, offers a significant enhancement over standard task completion mechanisms. By following the steps outlined in this article and adapting the code samples to specific needs, organizations can streamline their approval and feedback processes and improve user experience. Implementing custom buttons and status updates can lead to more efficient workflows and better data tracking, making it a worthwhile investment for any organization using SharePoint workflows. Remember to thoroughly test the solution and handle potential errors gracefully to ensure a smooth and reliable workflow experience.

By implementing this solution, you can significantly enhance the usability and efficiency of your SharePoint workflows. This approach not only provides users with more control over their tasks but also allows for a more nuanced and informative tracking of workflow progress. The key to success lies in a thorough understanding of SharePoint workflows, InfoPath forms, and the SharePoint object model, as well as meticulous implementation and testing. The ability to customize task statuses empowers organizations to tailor their workflows to meet specific business requirements, ultimately leading to improved productivity and streamlined processes. InfoPath forms combined with SharePoint workflows provides a powerful platform for creating robust and user-friendly solutions. By taking advantage of these capabilities, businesses can optimize their operations and achieve greater efficiency.