Workflow configuration using the Product Library steps and tokens
The following sections illustrate how the Product Library custom steps may be configured in a workflow and provide additional guidance and best practices.
Identify Product step
The Identify Product step associates a product with a job by specifying the product library, solution, product class, series, and product. The Check Out and Check In steps use this association to perform their operations. The Launch ArcMap step may also be configured to use this association.
A series of parameters is available to customize the step execution behavior to align with the way you organize and manage products within the product library.
The table below outlines each step type argument and associated behavior:
Name | Description | Argument example | Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
Product Library (optional) | Identifies the product library of the product to be associated with the job. Three options are available:
| Define on Job is the default; no argument specified. | On step execution, you are prompted to choose a product library by selecting a Workflow Manager data workspace or browsing to a personal or file geodatabase. |
/ProductLibrary:MyProductLibrary | On step execution, the product library is set to a Workflow Manager data workspace. This property cannot be updated. Only products within this product library can be associated with the job. | ||
/ProductLibrary:”C:\Data\My Product Library.gdb” | On step execution, the product library is set to a personal or file geodatabase. This property cannot be updated. Only products within this product library can be associated with the job. | ||
Solution (Optional) | Specifies the solution of the product to be associated with the job. Two options are available:
| Define on Job is the default; no argument specified. | On step execution, you are prompted to choose a solution from a list populated based on the selected product library. |
/Solution:MySolution | On step execution, the solution set on the step type is displayed but cannot be updated. Only products within this solution can be associated with the job. | ||
Class (Optional) | Specifies the product class of the product to be associated with the job. Two options are available:
| Define on Job is the default; no argument specified. | On step execution, you are prompted to choose a class from a list populated based on the selected solution. |
/Class:MyClass | On step execution, the class preset on the step type is displayed but cannot be updated. Only products within this class can be associated with the job. | ||
Series (Optional) | Identifies the series of the product to be associated with the job. Two options are available:
| Define on Job is the default; no argument specified. | On step execution, you are prompted to choose a series from a list populated based on the selected class. |
/Series:MySeries | On step execution, the series preset on the step type is displayed but cannot be updated. Only products within the series can be associated with the job. | ||
Product (Optional) | Identifies the product to be associated with the job. Two options are available:
| Define on Job is the default; no argument specified. | On step execution, you are prompted to choose a product from a list populated based on the selected series. |
/Product:MyProduct | On step execution, the product preset on the step type is displayed but cannot be updated. This product will be associated with the job. | ||
Map Document (Optional) | Specifies the map document to be checked out with the product. Three options are available:
| Use Existing Product MXD is the default; no argument specified. | Each product has a primary map document. With this option, the primary map document is associated with the job. On checkout, the product's primary map document is checked out. This is the appropriate setting for most workflows. |
/MXD:DefineOnJob | In some scenarios, multiple map documents are associated with a product. On step execution, you are prompted to choose which map document you want to work with from a list of map documents associated with the product. On checkout, the selected map document is set to be the primary MXD for the product and is checked out. | ||
/MXD:MyMapDocument2.mxd | In some scenarios, multiple map documents are associated with a product. On step execution, the map document preset on the step type is displayed but cannot be updated. This map document will be associated with the job. On checkout, this map document is set to be the primary MXD for the product and is checked out. | ||
Update AOI (Optional) | Specifies whether or not the job's area of interest is updated to match the product's area of interest. Two options are available:
| Update AOI is the default; no argument specified. | On step execution, the job's area of interest is set to the product's area of interest. |
/UpdateJobAOI:False | On step execution, no action is taken. The job's area of interest is not updated. |
Note:The arguments outlined above must be input according to the product library structure. For example, to predefine the product class, the solution and product library must also be defined. Further, the product class must exist within that solution and product library. The argument editor enforces this behavior.
Check Out step
The Check Out step checks out the product associated with the job. A series of parameters is available to define how the checkout location is specified.
The table below outlines each step type argument and associated behavior:
Name | Description | Argument example | Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
Check Out Location (Optional) | Specifies the checkout location. Two options are available:
| Define on Job is the default; no argument specified. | On step execution, you are prompted to browse to a checkout location. |
/CheckOutLocation:C:\Data | The checkout location preset on the step type is displayed. The Update Check Out Location argument determines whether you can update this default checkout location. | ||
Update Check Out Location (Optional—Only available when default checkout location is set) | Determines whether the default checkout location may be updated on step execution. Two options are available:
| Allow Update is the default; no argument specified. | On step execution, you are presented with the checkout location preset on the step type. You can choose to update this location. |
/UpdateCheckOutLocation:False | On step execution, you are presented with the checkout location preset on the step type but cannot update this property. |
Note:The Identify Product and Check Out steps are maintained independently to allow workflows to be defined where a manager might assign a product to technical staff. Product library permissions are therefore only validated on execution of the Check Out step.
Launch ArcMap step
When using the Product Library custom steps as part of a workflow, some specific settings on the Launch ArcMap step are required to configure the step behavior to do the following:
- Open the map document that has been checked out of the product library.
- Save the map document to the checkout location. This is necessary so that the map document can then be checked back in to the product library.
The Product Library tokens are used as part of this configuration. On the Launch ArcMap step, the following parameters are required and should be input as follows:
The table below describes each token in the Launch ArcMap step.
Name | Description | Argument example | Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
Use Alternate MXD | Specifies an alternate MXD to be used as the map template for the job | /mxd:[PL:TOKEN_MXD_LOCATION][PL:TOKEN_MXD_NAME].mxd | On step execution, Workflow Manager opens a copy of the map document checked out from the product library. |
Store MXDs in Shared Location | Specifies a location where the job MXD should be saved | /mxdfolder:[PL:TOKEN_MXD_LOCATION] | Workflow Manager saves the map document back to the same location where it was checked out from the product library. |
See Working with custom steps for general information about configuring the Launch ArcMap custom step.
The final requirement to enable this workflow is to set the job type MXD naming scheme to use the [PL:TOKEN_MXD_NAME] token. This ensures that when Workflow Manager names the map document, the name matches the product map document name.
Check In step
The Check In step checks in the product associated with the job. No arguments are available with this step type.
On step execution, the following occur:
- The user is given the option to enter a comment.
- The product library product version number is automatically increased by one.
- A local copy is not maintained.