Back to Previous Step Workflow Post-Function

What is it?

The problem you need to solve: Be able to go back to previous step, where the issue was before the current step.

How Minyaa solves this problem: Minyaa allows you to define a Workflow Post-Function usable in any Transition and able to force the new Step to Step where was the Issue.

Typical usage may be described with following Workflow Screenschot ...

How it works

By defining this Workflow Function in a Transition of your workflow, you are able to force as new Step, the Previous Step where the Issue was before to reach the current Step.

By example :

Sample Workflow with Back To Previous Post-Function
  • From Open and In Progress steps (the Previous Step), you are able to Request Info
  • From Need Info (the Current Step), when you Enter Info, the resulting Step is Open and In Progress, depending where you come from.


With current release of Minyaa, the Workflow Designer is not yet able to identify that a such the Back to Previous Step Workflow Post-Function is used, and it is why it displays a link to the Step that should be reach if the Post-Function was not defined.

Configuring the Feature

To configure the Back to Previous Step Workflow Post-Function, please follow these steps :
  1. Since this Workflow Function does not need to be associated with a screen containing the concerned CustomFields, the function can be added in any Workflow Transition.

    It might be:
    • A Step Transition,
    • Or a Common Transition,
    • Or a Global Transition.
  2. Add the Back to Previous Step to any wanted transition.

    For more information on adding a Post Function in Workflow, please see JIRA: Adding a Post Function Adding a Back to Previous Step Post-Function
  3. When added, the Post-Function should be the first one of defined Post-Function (its weight is set to 1).
  4. You will end up with a transition looking like:

    Back to Previous Step Post-Function

    And the XML Declaration as follow : 

    <post-function >
	<function type="class">
    	<arg name="class.name">com.minyaa.workflow.function.BackToPreviousStepFunction</arg>
	</function>
</post-function>
  5. Since Workflow Designer is not yet able to identify the this Post-Function is defined, it is better to qualify the transition as Recursive.

    It will have no effect on the behaviour, but in Workflow Designer, you will be able to see that the Transition as a Recursive Transition.

    It is fast a Recursive Transition !

See also