Changes between Version 3 and Version 4 of Trac Workflow


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Timestamp:
Dec 10, 2014, 10:01:01 PM (10 years ago)
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trac
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  • Trac Workflow

    v3 v4  
    22[[TracGuideToc]]
    33
    4 The Trac issue database provides a configurable workflow.
     4The Trac ticket system provides a configurable workflow.
    55
    66== The Default Ticket Workflow ==
    … …  
    5959There are several example workflows provided in the Trac source tree; look in [trac:source:trunk/contrib/workflow contrib/workflow] for `.ini` config sections.  One of those may be a good match for what you want. They can be pasted into the `[ticket-workflow]` section of your `trac.ini` file. However if you have existing tickets then there may be issues if those tickets have states that are not in the new workflow.
    6060
    61 Here are some [http://trac.edgewall.org/wiki/WorkFlow/Examples diagrams] of the above examples.
     61Here are some [trac:WorkFlow/Examples diagrams] of the above examples.
    6262
    6363== Basic Ticket Workflow Customization ==
    … …  
    6868Within this section, each entry is an action that may be taken on a ticket.
    6969For example, consider the `accept` action from `simple-workflow.ini`:
    70 {{{
     70{{{#!ini
    7171accept = new,accepted -> accepted
    7272accept.permissions = TICKET_MODIFY
    … …  
    7878
    7979The available operations are:
    80  - del_owner -- Clear the owner field.
    81  - set_owner -- Sets the owner to the selected or entered owner.
    82    - ''actionname''`.set_owner` may optionally be set to a comma delimited list or a single value.
    83  - set_owner_to_self -- Sets the owner to the logged in user.
    84  - del_resolution -- Clears the resolution field
    85  - set_resolution -- Sets the resolution to the selected value.
    86    - ''actionname''`.set_resolution` may optionally be set to a comma delimited list or a single value. Example:
    87      {{{
     80- **del_owner** -- Clear the owner field.
     81- **set_owner** -- Sets the owner to the selected or entered owner. Defaults to the current user. When `[ticket] restrict_owner = true`, the select will be populated with users that have `TICKET_MODIFY` permission and an authenticated session.
     82 - ''actionname''`.set_owner` may optionally be set to a comma delimited list of users that will be used to populate the select, or a single user.
     83- **set_owner_to_self** -- Sets the owner to the logged in user.
     84- **del_resolution** -- Clears the resolution field
     85- **set_resolution** -- Sets the resolution to the selected value.
     86 - ''actionname''`.set_resolution` may optionally be set to a comma delimited list or a single value. Example:
     87 {{{#!ini
    8888resolve_new = new -> closed
    8989resolve_new.name = resolve
    … …  
    9191resolve_new.permissions = TICKET_MODIFY
    9292resolve_new.set_resolution = invalid,wontfix
    93      }}}
    94  - leave_status -- Displays "leave as <current status>" and makes no change to the ticket.
     93}}}
     94- **leave_status** -- Displays "leave as <current status>" and makes no change to the ticket.
    9595'''Note:''' Specifying conflicting operations (such as `set_owner` and `del_owner`) has unspecified results.
    9696
    97 {{{
     97In this example, we see the `.name` attribute used.  The action here is `resolve_accepted`, but it will be presented to the user as `resolve`.
     98
     99{{{#!ini
    98100resolve_accepted = accepted -> closed
    99101resolve_accepted.name = resolve
    … …  
    102104}}}
    103105
    104 In this example, we see the `.name` attribute used.  The action here is `resolve_accepted`, but it will be presented to the user as `resolve`.
    105 
    106106For actions that should be available in all states, `*` may be used in place of the state.  The obvious example is the `leave` action:
    107 {{{
     107{{{#!ini
    108108leave = * -> *
    109109leave.operations = leave_status
    … …  
    115115There are a couple of hard-coded constraints to the workflow.  In particular, tickets are created with status `new`, and tickets are expected to have a `closed` state.  Further, the default reports/queries treat any state other than `closed` as an open state.
    116116
    117 While creating or modifying a ticket workflow, `contrib/workflow/workflow_parser.py` may be useful.  It can create `.dot` files that [http://www.graphviz.org GraphViz] understands to provide a visual description of the workflow.
    118 
    119 This can be done as follows (your install path may be different).
    120 {{{
     117Workflows can be visualized by rendering them on the wiki using the [WikiMacros#Workflow-macro Workflow macro].
     118
     119Workflows can also be visualized using the `contrib/workflow/workflow_parser.py` script.  The script outputs `.dot` files that [http://www.graphviz.org GraphViz] understands. The script can be used as follows (your install path may be different):
     120{{{#!sh
    121121cd /var/local/trac_devel/contrib/workflow/
    122122sudo ./showworkflow /srv/trac/PlannerSuite/conf/trac.ini
    … …  
    124124And then open up the resulting `trac.pdf` file created by the script (it will be in the same directory as the `trac.ini` file).
    125125
    126 An online copy of the workflow parser is available at http://foss.wush.net/cgi-bin/visual-workflow.pl
    127 
    128126After you have changed a workflow, you need to restart apache for the changes to take effect. This is important, because the changes will still show up when you run your script, but all the old workflow steps will still be there until the server is restarted.
    129127
    … …  
    132130By adding the following to your [ticket-workflow] section of trac.ini you get optional testing.  When the ticket is in new, accepted or needs_work status you can choose to submit it for testing.  When it's in the testing status the user gets the option to reject it and send it back to needs_work, or pass the testing and send it along to closed.  If they accept it then it gets automatically marked as closed and the resolution is set to fixed.  Since all the old work flow remains, a ticket can skip this entire section.
    133131
    134 {{{
     132{{{#!ini
    135133testing = new,accepted,needs_work,assigned,reopened -> testing
    136134testing.name = Submit to reporter for testing
    … …  
    162160The new `reviewing` state along with its associated `review` action looks like this:
    163161
    164 {{{
     162{{{#!ini
    165163review = new,assigned,reopened -> reviewing
    166164review.operations = set_owner
    … …  
    170168Then, to integrate this with the default Trac 0.11 workflow, you also need to add the `reviewing` state to the `accept` and `resolve` actions, like so:
    171169
    172 {{{
     170{{{#!ini
    173171accept = new,reviewing -> assigned
    174172[…]
    … …  
    178176Optionally, you can also add a new action that allows you to change the ticket's owner without moving the ticket out of the `reviewing` state. This enables you to reassign review work without pushing the ticket back to the `new` status.
    179177
    180 {{{
     178{{{#!ini
    181179reassign_reviewing = reviewing -> *
    182180reassign_reviewing.name = reassign review
    … …  
    187185The full `[ticket-workflow]` configuration will thus look like this:
    188186
    189 {{{
     187{{{#!ini
    190188[ticket-workflow]
    191189accept = new,reviewing -> assigned
    … …  
    215213== Example: Limit the resolution options for a new ticket ==
    216214
    217 The above resolve_new operation allows you to set the possible resolutions for a new ticket.  By modifying the existing resolve action and removing the new status from before the `->` we then get two resolve actions.  One with limited resolutions for new tickets, and then the regular one once a ticket is accepted.
    218 
    219 {{{
     215The above `resolve_new` operation allows you to set the possible resolutions for a new ticket.  By modifying the existing resolve action and removing the new status from before the `->` we then get two resolve actions.  One with limited resolutions for new tickets, and then the regular one once a ticket is accepted.
     216
     217{{{#!ini
    220218resolve_new = new -> closed
    221219resolve_new.name = resolve
    … …  
    239237If you add additional states to your workflow, you may want to customize your milestone progress bars as well.  See [TracIni#milestone-groups-section TracIni].
    240238
    241 == some ideas for next steps ==
    242 
    243 New enhancement ideas for the workflow system should be filed as enhancement tickets against the `ticket system` component.  If desired, add a single-line link to that ticket here.  Also look at the [http://trac-hacks.org/wiki/AdvancedTicketWorkflowPlugin AdvancedTicketWorkflowPlugin] as it provides experimental operations.
    244 
    245 If you have a response to the comments below, create an enhancement ticket, and replace the description below with a link to the ticket.
    246 
    247  * the "operation" could be on the nodes, possible operations are:
    248    * '''preops''': automatic, before entering the state/activity
    249    * '''postops''': automatic, when leaving the state/activity
    250    * '''actions''': can be chosen by the owner in the list at the bottom, and/or drop-down/pop-up together with the default actions of leaving the node on one of the arrows.
    251 ''This appears to add complexity without adding functionality; please provide a detailed example where these additions allow something currently impossible to implement.''
    252 
    253  * operations could be anything: sum up the time used for the activity, or just write some statistical fields like
    254 ''A workflow plugin can add an arbitrary workflow operation, so this is already possible.''
    255 
    256  * set_actor should be an operation allowing to set the owner, e.g. as a "preop":
    257    * either to a role, a person
    258    * entered fix at define time, or at run time, e.g. out of a field, or select.
    259 ''This is either duplicating the existing `set_owner` operation, or needs to be clarified.''
    260 
    261  * Actions should be selectable based on the ticket type (different Workflows for different tickets)
    262 ''Look into the [http://trac-hacks.org/wiki/AdvancedTicketWorkflowPlugin AdvancedTicketWorkflowPlugin]'s `triage` operation.''
    263 
    264  * I'd wish to have an option to perform automatic status changes. In my case, I do not want to start with "new", but with "assigned". So tickets in state "new" should automatically go into state "assigned". Or is there already a way to do this and I just missed it?
    265 ''Have a look at [http://trac-hacks.org/wiki/TicketCreationStatusPlugin TicketCreationStatusPlugin] and [http://trac-hacks.org/wiki/TicketConditionalCreationStatusPlugin TicketConditionalCreationStatusPlugin]''
    266 
    267  * I added a 'testing' state. A tester can close the ticket or reject it. I'd like the transition from testing to rejected to set the owner to the person that put the ticket in 'testing'. The [http://trac-hacks.org/wiki/AdvancedTicketWorkflowPlugin AdvancedTicketWorkflowPlugin] is close with set_owner_to_field, but we need something like set_field_to_owner.
    268 
    269  * I'd like to track the time a ticket is in each state, adding up 'disjoints' intervals in the same state.
     239== Ideas for next steps ==
     240
     241New enhancement ideas for the workflow system should be filed as enhancement tickets against the `ticket system` component.  You can also document ideas on the [trac:TracIdeas/TracWorkflow TracIdeas/TracWorkflow] page.  Also look at the [http://trac-hacks.org/wiki/AdvancedTicketWorkflowPlugin AdvancedTicketWorkflowPlugin] as it provides experimental operations.