Total beginner - I need help...

  • 21 January 2011
  • 3 replies
  • 6 views
M
Badge +2

Hi Everyone,


I'm really hoping someone can help me out. I'm a total beginner with k2 - just installed it in our staging envrionement a few days ago.


Now I am trying to program a sharepoint workflow with K2 Studio and I have no clue where to start.


We tried a Nintex trial and I was able to program my workflow within a few days and it was completely easy to figure out. But with K2, it's night and day... I'm sitting at the Start step - and I have no clue what my next step should be... I've been looking at the help docs - but they aren't much help... I just find it overwhelmingly complicated...


So that's why I'm coming here - hoping somone can at least stear me the right direction with some help in laymen terms... I really need it to be explained in a detailed and basic way if possible.

Here are my requirements for the workflow:

- I have two lists. One called Release Plans and another called Conflict Tracker.
- The workflow needs to be started when items are added or changed in the Release Plans list (this I was able to figure out).
- If the newly added/modified item has a release date that is within 3 days of another Release Plans item - write a record to the Conflict Tracker list.
- Email the manager of the conflicting release with a link to the new record created item in Conflict Tracker so that they can acknowledge the conflict and approve it. 

To me, this workflow isn't very complex... Looping through data on a list and comparing the dates to the current items date and creating a tracking item for each conflict.... But interpretating it in K2 seems hard. 

Thank in advance everyone...

Martin

3 replies

R
Badge +9

Hi Martin,


 


Welcome to the forum and K2, let’s see what we can do to get you started and that 1st process created and deployed. I would suggest that you start off with the K2 Designer for SharePoint, it has a couple of easy to follow guides that should get you to understand the K2 way in no time. What you want to-do is the following:


 


-          In Internet Explorer browse to your SharePoint environment, browse to any document library or list and click on the Library tab(Assuming you have SharePoint 2010) else you can locate the “Create K2 Process” link under Settings menu


-          Click K2 Process to load K2 Designer for SharePoint


-          Create a new process, give it a suitable name and click Finish


-          Now that the K2 Designer for SharePoint is open, click the Process Guides tab and start following the tutorial, it also contains some videos to show some of the concepts.


 


Once done with that you should be good to go and create that first process.


  


Let me know your progress and if you have questions feel free to ask.

R
Badge +9

One more thing if you prefer to use K2 Studio we also have the same set of guides available in K2 Studio, you can start off with creating a new process in K2 Studio making use of the SharePoint template. Once created click the “Guide” tab and start following the step by step tutorial. 


Each workflow template has a different set of guides so feel free to play around with the various workflow templates and associated guides.

M
Badge +2

Hi Renier,


Thanks for the response! I am trying to get familiar with K2 Studio.


I was able to figure out how to open a Sharepoint Workflow Template. I added to the Start step - start when a new list item is created or modified.


My problem lies with my next step - I have no clue what option to pick from the left. Based on my requirements, my next would be to take the current items date and compare it against each record in the list to verify for conflicts... But I don't know what I need to do.


Here is what K2 support suggested:


"You could maybe bring back the release date of all items using a SharePoint SmO based on the list and then compare the release date of the current item in context to each to see if it is bigger/smaller using inline functions. If it is then use the SharePoint List Items event to create a new item in the 'Conflict Tracker list' using the metadata of the current item in context, which you've assigned to a Process XML field in the SharePoint Events Integration Wizard. You may also send the link using the email event to the manager and in the body put the 'Link item XML process field' also assigned in the SharePoint Events Integration Wizard. This is is something that might/might not work and a fair amount of trial and error will be necessary to find the correct solution for your business problem and this is why I say it is more of a consulting request. Hope this helps."


What is an SmO? SmartObject I'm guessing? I know I can enable a smart object on the list - but how do I "bring back" all the dates and compare them with the current item's date??


I guess - right now I'd like to get guidance on at least my next step - that might show me how K2 works...


I think part of the issue is that Nintex used common Sharepoint terminoligy with their workflow tool - as apposed to K2, which uses a whole new set of terms... This is why I'm having such a hard time...


Thanks for your help!!


Martin


 


 

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