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Developing Custom Step Processors With IBM Content Navigator

Ron Rathgeber is an Enterprise Content Management Software Architect at IBM. IBM Content Navigator (ICN) is becoming a popular client for enterprise content management applications. Many ECM applications use workflows to automate processes, and ICN provides step and launch processors out of the box to interface with workflow steps. However, custom step processors can be created by extending the existing ones to add additional functionality required by specific use cases. The document describes the high-level steps to create a custom step processor that adds a viewer widget to allow viewing attachments alongside properties in the same dialog.

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Developing Custom Step Processors With IBM Content Navigator

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mk59030

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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Developing Custom Step Processors with IBM Content Navigator

Jackie Zhu | Dec 1

2013 | Tags: navigator customizing process workflow ecmredbooks step processor icn content |
1 Comment | 8,363 Views

Ron Rathgeber is an Enterprise Content Management Software Architect working on the IBM Enterprise Records
product in the IBM Software Group in the United States. Previously, he worked on the IBM FileNet Capture and
FileNet WorkForce Desktop products. Ron has over 20 years of experience in the imaging and content management
fields, working in the software development group. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information and
Computer Science from the University of California, Irvine.

IBM Content Navigator (ICN) is quickly becoming the client of choice for enterprise content management (ECM)
applications. Many if not most ECM applications have integrated workflows to automate different processes and to
ensure proper procedures are followed.

One of the key features of workflows are the step and launch processors. These processors provide the user
interface that end users will see when performing a step in the workflow process. Since they are the interface that
end users will see, they become one of the key factors to provide the overall workflow capability and for enabling end
users to easily perform their tasks.

ICN provides both a step processor and a launch processor out of the box. These processors are designed to provide
the capabilities that will be needed in many scenarios including:

Display the instructions for the step as well as general information about the step such as any deadlines.

Provide a property tab that will display the properties configured for that step.

Provide an attachment tab where attachments can be added or viewed.

Provide standard buttons for completing the step, reassigning the work, saving the work, and canceling the
work.

If you have requirements to have a more customized step processor or need functionality that is not provided by the
out of the box step processors, then you can easily create your own step and launch processors. The easiest way to
do this is to create a step processor that is based on and derived from the existing step processor. This allows you to

utilize the functionality provided by the existing processors and concentrate on providing the additional functionality
needed for your use case.

In the IBM Content Navigator Redbooks publication, there is a chapter that describes how to extend the existing step
processor by adding a Viewer widget. This allows the user to view the attachments in the same dialog where they are
setting and viewing properties. This side by side layout is useful in many cases.
The high level steps for creating the custom step processor are described below.
Special note: Before you start, read the following BLOG post by Marcel to have an overall understanding of the
various options you have when attempting to extend and customize
ICN:ONE UI - IBM Content Navigator as an application framework

1. Create a custom step processor layout.

In this step, you create a copy of the example step processor HTML file. You then modify this file to add a container
for the viewer.

2. Create the new widget.

Next you copy the JavaScript file to create the new Viewer widget. This Viewer widget will display the ICN Viewer
embedded in the step processor page. The startup code is modified to perform specific initialization such as creating
the Viewer.

3. Modify JSP page.

Finally, you create a modified version of the JSP page to instantiate the new widget created in the previous step.
After you have created these files, deploy them to ICN, register them in the Process Configuration Console, and
create a workflow that uses the custom step processor.

See the IBM Content Navigator Redbooks publication for details on creating a custom step processor.

Additional references
For IBM Content Navigator related blog posts, see:

ONE UI - IBM Content Navigator as an application framework

Getting started with the new Eclipse Plug-in for IBM Content Navigator development

How to build a plug-in with custom search for IBM Content Navigator