System and method for managing content by workflows

• US 20070094248A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhou, Xiaojiang, Posner, Brad, Saarva, Tanya, Patadia, Jalpesh, Roth, Steven, McVeigh, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/473,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094248A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for managing content by workflows. These mechanisms and methods for managing content by workflows can, in embodiments, enable users to define workflows for managing content, including defining one or more of a state in the workflow, a transition from a first state to a second state and an action to be associated with a state. Some embodiments can also provide the ability to select an applicable workflow from a set of workflows in order to provide actions for managing content.

Claims

1. A method for managing content by workflows in a content management system, the method comprising:

determining that an action needs to be taken on a document stored as content in at least one of a plurality of content repositories integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR), in which content is organized in the plurality of content repositories according to a content model that represents a combined content of the plurality of content repositories as a hierarchical namespace of nodes, and wherein each node in the hierarchical namespace is associated with at least one type;

determining, from a hierarchically arranged set of workflows that specify actions to be performed on a document stored as content, a selected workflow to be applied, the workflow including a plurality of states, each state including a set of actions, and a plurality of transitions indicating a change to a next state; and

returning an action to be performed on the document from an applicable state determined in accordance with the selected workflow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that an action needs to be taken on a document stored as content in at least one of a plurality of content repositories integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR) includes:

receiving, from a requester, a request to take an action on the document stored as content in at least one of a plurality of content repositories integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, from a hierarchically arranged set of workflows that specify actions to be performed on a document stored as content, a selected workflow to be applied, the workflow including a plurality of states, each state including a set of actions, and a plurality of transitions indicating a change to a next state includes:

determining whether a specific workflow has been specified for a node associated with the document and selecting the specific workflow as the selected workflow when the specific workflow exists;

otherwise,

determining whether a type workflow has been specified for the type associated with the node and selecting the type workflow as the selected workflow when the type workflow exists;

otherwise,

selecting a default workflow for a repository in the VCR that contains the document as the selected workflow.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein returning an action to be performed on the document from an applicable state determined in accordance with the selected workflow includes:

returning a next state in the selected workflow.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information about at least one of a state, a transition from a first state to a second state, and an action to be associated with a state; and

incorporating the information into at least one workflow associated with the VCR.

6. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for managing content by workflows in a content management system, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

determining that an action needs to be taken on a document stored as content in at least one of a plurality of content repositories integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR), in which content is organized in the plurality of content repositories according to a content model that represents a combined content of the plurality of content repositories as a hierarchical namespace of nodes, and wherein each node in the hierarchical namespace is associated with at least one type;

determining, from a hierarchically arranged set of workflows that specify actions to be performed on a document stored as content, a selected workflow to be applied, the workflow including a plurality of states, each state including a set of actions, and a plurality of transitions indicating a change to a next state; and

returning an action to be performed on the document from an applicable state determined in accordance with the selected workflow.

7. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 6, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of determining that an action needs to be taken on a document stored as content in at least one of a plurality of content repositories integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR) include instructions for carrying out the step of:

receiving, from a requester, a request to take an action on the document stored as content in at least one of a plurality of content repositories integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR).

8. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 6, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of determining, from a hierarchically arranged set of workflows that specify actions to be performed on a document stored as content, a selected workflow to be applied, the workflow including a plurality of states, each state including a set of actions, and a plurality of transitions indicating a change to a next state include instructions for carrying out the step of:

determining whether a specific workflow has been specified for a node associated with the document and selecting the specific workflow as the selected workflow when the specific workflow exists;

otherwise,

determining whether a type workflow has been specified for the type associated with the node and selecting the type workflow as the selected workflow when the type workflow exists;

otherwise,

selecting a default workflow for a repository in the VCR that contains the document as the selected workflow.

9. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 6, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of returning an action to be performed on the document from an applicable state determined in accordance with the selected workflow include instructions for carrying out the step of:

returning a next state in the selected workflow.

10. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 6, further comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of:

receiving information about at least one of a state, a transition from a first state to a second state, and an action to be associated with a state; and

incorporating the information into at least one workflow associated with the VCR.

11. An apparatus for managing content by workflows in a content management system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

determining that an action needs to be taken on a document stored as content in at least one of a plurality of content repositories integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR), in which content is organized in the plurality of content repositories according to a content model that represents a combined content of the plurality of content repositories as a hierarchical namespace of nodes, and wherein each node in the hierarchical namespace is associated with at least one type;

determining, from a hierarchically arranged set of workflows that specify actions to be performed on a document stored as content, a selected workflow to be applied, the workflow including a plurality of states, each state including a set of actions, and a plurality of transitions indicating a change to a next state; and

returning an action to be performed on the document from an applicable state determined in accordance with the selected workflow.

12. A method for transmitting code on a transmission medium, comprising:

transmitting code to determine that an action needs to be taken on a document stored as content in at least one of a plurality of content repositories integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR), in which content is organized in the plurality of content repositories according to a content model that represents a combined content of the plurality of content repositories as a hierarchical namespace of nodes, and wherein each node in the hierarchical namespace is associated with at least one type;

transmitting code to determine, from a hierarchically arranged set of workflows that specify actions to be performed on a document stored as content, a selected workflow to be applied, the workflow including a plurality of states, each state including a set of actions, and a plurality of transitions indicating a change to a next state; and

transmitting code to return an action to be performed on the document from an applicable state determined in accordance with the selected workflow.