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Advanced Actor Scripting

Introduction​

For complex workflow needs where standard actors (Manager, Group, Form Field) are not sufficient, Process Studio offers the ability to define Script Actors. This feature allows you to use C# code to dynamically determine the list of users who should receive a task.

Typical Use Cases​

  • Assign a task to a validator whose name is calculated by an external business rule (Web Service, third-party database).
  • Determine the validator based on a complex amount threshold and budget structure.
  • Distribute workload (Round-robin) among team members.

The Actor Editor​

When creating an Actor (Resources > New actor menu), choose the C# Script type.

The interface presents a code editor with syntax highlighting and compilation verification.

Script editor for actor

Code Structure​

The script must implement a class (named CSCode by default) with an Execute method that returns a collection of strings (ICollection<string>). These strings correspond to the Logins or DN (Distinguished Names) of the targeted users/groups.

Default Template​

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using Avanteam.Application.DataSource;
using Avanteam.Application.Security;
using Avanteam.Workflow.ComponentModel;
using Avanteam.Workflow.Runtime;

namespace Avanteam.Kernel.Scripting
{
    public class CSCode
    {
        public ICollection<string> Execute(Hashtable parameters)
        {
            // Get context
            var dataSource = parameters["ApplicationDataSource"] as ApplicationDataSource;
            var instance = parameters["Instance"] as Instance;
            
            var ret = new List<String>();

            // TODO - Add your logic here
            
            return ret;
        }
    }
}

Available Parameters​

The Execute method receives a Hashtable parameters containing:

  • ApplicationDataSource: Access to application data (database, SQL queries).
  • Instance: The workflow instance currently executing. Provides access to form fields via instance.XmlFields.

Concrete Example​

Scenario: We want to assign validation to a project manager, whose identifier is stored in a txt_resp_projet form field, but only if the amount exceeds €1000. Otherwise, the standard manager validates.

public ICollection<string> Execute(Hashtable parameters)
{
    var instance = parameters["Instance"] as Instance;
    var ret = new List<string>();

    // Read form fields
    string responsableProjet = instance.XmlFields.GetElementValue("txt_resp_projet");
    string montantStr = instance.XmlFields.GetElementValue("txt_montant");
    double montant = 0;
    Double.TryParse(montantStr, out montant);

    if (montant > 1000 && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(responsableProjet))
    {
        // Dynamic assignment to project manager
        ret.Add(responsableProjet); 
    }
    else
    {
        // Return empty string or null to let workflow use default mechanism
        // OR we can explicitly return the initiator's manager if we want to force the rule here
        // ret.Add(instance.Creator.Manager); 
    }

    return ret;
}

Best Practices​

  • Performance: Avoid heavy SQL queries or slow synchronous Web Service calls in the actor script, as this can slow down task creation.
  • Error Handling: Wrap your critical code in try/catch blocks to avoid blocking the workflow if data is missing.
  • Testing: Use the Check button to validate C# syntax before saving.