Question

Create workflow to email form.

Forms Workflow

Updated October 26, 2016

asked on October 25, 2016

I am new to Laserfiche Workflow and Forms, Ive been using quick fields and the laserfiche repository.

I have a form and as part of the process I would like to email the form to a group of users. They do not have to approve or reject, I just want them to see it and be aware of the submitted form.

It seems as if this isn't available in the Email service task and needs to be done in workflow. Can someone point me in the right direction on how to do this? What is the workflow item to get the form from Laserfiche forms so I can then use the email action in workflow?

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SELECTED ANSWER

replied on October 26, 2016

There are a number of ways your workflow can find the form that you saved to the repository. I use the metadata field 'Reference Number' and the submission id so that I guarantee that I am finding and sending the correct form. Using a metadata field and/or the submission id is not required to do any of this. You could just simply search for the name of your form in the directory you saved it to.

However each time a forms process runs it generates a unique submission id, so I use that to positively identify the form and prevent a possible mistake of sending the wrong form.

A quick breakdown of the entire process.

My forms workflow:

I configure the save to repository task to save the form to a specific directory and add the metadata field {/dataset/_submission_id}. This is the unique number that Forms generates.

The form is saved into the repository with the metadata field 'Reference Number'. Again, it will be unique for each form saved into the repository.

When forms calls the workflow, the submission id number is passed as a variable and we can use that to positively find the form we want to email out.

To see the default variables that forms passes to a workflow you need to tell your workflow that it will be initiated from a form.
Click the Green Arrow on your workflow, then 'View Workflow Properties' in the lower right corner, check the Attribute "Started by Laserfiche Forms".

You will then have a token set called Input Parameters available to your workflow that includes the unique submission id. (useful for a variety of things )

The basic workflow:

To configure the search repository activity I enter:
{[]:[Reference Number]="%(Submission ID)"} & {LF:LOOKIN="LFICHE\LFForms\HR_Forms"}

as the search ( change the folder to where you have saved your form )

The workflow searches the folder I specified for that unique submission id and I use that result in the email activity as my attachment to mail.

You will also probably want to tell the email activity to send the attachment as copy as it defaults to sending a shortcut link back into the repository and unless the recipient has a license they will not be able to view it.

Right click the attachment and select properties.

And select attach a copy of the document and any other options you need.

That should get you running. Modify as needed!

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Replies

replied on October 25, 2016

I have a few forms setup to do this. I use the submission id variable since it will be unique, to find the form once it has been saved in the repository so I know I always find the correct form.

In your form flow, save the form into your repository. Using the configure fieId options, assign the field 'Reference Number' to your saved form using the Submission ID ( {/dataset/_submission_id} ) Of course you can use any field variable you like.
Call your workflow from the form flow.

In your workflow, use Search Repository, searching the folder for the submission id.
{[]:[Reference Number]="%(Submission ID)"} & {LF:LOOKIN="LFICHE\LFForms\HR_Forms"}
Once your workflow finds the form it should be a simple matter to email it as an attachment using the the tokens created by your Search (entry id or path name).

I know that being able to directly email a form is an enhancement that has been suggested and hopefully will be available in future releases. Until then it's workflow.

Hope that helped,
Andrew

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replied on October 26, 2016

Thanks, that did help a lot but I think I still have some questions. Is that custom search query going to get the latest form in the folder that I am searching in or just any form?

My thought process is that the user fills out the form and submits it. The forms processer modeler will place the form in a folder in the repository. Then I have the next service task run a workflow and pickup the latest document in that folder and email it.

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replied on October 26, 2016

Yes, that is the way I have done it in the past

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replied on October 25, 2016

You should be able to send the form through Forms

Through workflow, you would first need to sent the form to Laserfiche. Send the form to a folder. Use workflow to email the form from there you can email the form and then either file or delete the form.

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Create workflow to email form.

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