Cool ways to use Nintex Workflow

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

Cameron_McConnell — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:56:15 GMT

There is also a note about unblocking the content in the forum post itself: http://connect.nintex.com/files/folders/nw_help/entry1549.aspx.

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

Peter D — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:23:44 GMT

Hi Ninny,

We made a FAQ about this already:

Q: Trouble accessing the CHM Help Files in Vista
I downloaded the CHM version of your help files but none of the content displays - what is wrong?

A: It sounds like you are using Windows Vista. Here's what to do:

* Close the Help Viewer application.
* Right click on the CHM file and click "Properties".
* Click "Unblock" then OK.
* Reload the file. It should then work.

(http://nintexfaq.nintex.com/workflow/faq/index.asp?CATE=0#29)

We have stated this in the past on connect as well, please see this post: http://connect.nintex.com/forums/thread/3769.aspx.

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

Ninny — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:09:51 GMT

Ok, I found the problem.... a picture says 1Kb, as they say ;-) ...

The download site should carry a note that the file may need to be unblocked.

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

Ninny — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:50:31 GMT

All the contents links are invalid in the Compiled Help file downloaded from the url provided above, and from your Support page Download link. The index is either missing or invalid. The error is "Cannot find Server or DNS error" for every item in the index. Evidently there is an internal Nintex host name in there somewhere and so it probably works fine for Nintex people but nobody else. All we see is the table of contents, but get an error page for every item in the Table of Contents and in the Index.In short, there is no help!

Are you even able to replicate the problem yet ?? It seems like its any easy thing to correct and I find it hard to believe you've let this go on for so long. At the moment you no longer provide any useable NW Documenation online - ie at all !!!

That's a pretty dramatic omission, IMHO. :-)

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

coneslager — Tue, 05 May 2009 07:03:42 GMT

HI all,

I am in the pre-sales/trial period and inline functions are something of interest to me as well. I have tried the links post above and still have not been able to find the reference. I also tried finding it on the site as mentioned in the last post without any luck.

I am really hopeing this with help with things like date calc (date +/- date, etcs)

Thanks

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

Cameron_McConnell — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:36:44 GMT

Have a look for it here and let us know if you still can't find it: Nintex Workflow 2007 > Using the Workflow Designer > Inline functions.

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

mvdungen — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:55:31 GMT

Morning,

Thanks for the reply. I downloaded this file via the link, but I still do not have to inline functions help references. Searching for "fn-" does not show any result...!?

Maarten

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

Cameron_McConnell — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:43:29 GMT

Strange...

Can you try this link instead please? http://www.nintex.com/en-US/Support/Documents/NintexWorkflow2007Help.chm

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

mvdungen — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:51:10 GMT

The help files are not updated yet. I downloaded the file to (kinda stupid...), but still no Inline Function reference...

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

milangross — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:41:54 GMT

Are you sure the help files referenced in that link have been updated? The link has a date from 2008 and the CHM I downloaded did not have any entries for inline functions

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

Cameron_McConnell — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:00:52 GMT

They are documented in hte Help Files, located here: http://connect.nintex.com/files/folders/nw_help/entry1549.aspx

Look in the section "Using the Workflow Designer > Inline functions".

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

milangross — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:46:31 GMT

Hi James,

Where are the new functions documented?

Thanks

Re: Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

JamesTyzack — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:04:52 GMT

And I'll add to this that in the next build, we are going to support inline functions that can be used in any of the insert reference text inputs. So you will be able to type in, for example fn-ToUpper({ItemProperty:Title}) and it will evaluate at runtime.

You will also be able to register any extra functions that you need by specifying the .NET type and method to invoke.

cheers

James

Easy extension of Nintex Workflow calculation capabilities (using SQL or Web Services)

parelst1 — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 07:43:49 GMT

I am a new user of NW and I am enthusiastic about developing workflows, but I run into the need to perform more advanced calculations (even at the level of calling user defined functions) from those offered in the standard set of NW actions.

So far I found two methods to achieve this:

A) By using SQL

B) By using Web Services

Here is the description of the first method (using SQL):

1) Create in an MS SQL Server (or other RDBMS) a table with one field (arbitrary field name ) and one record (arbitrary field value). Let us name it xTable.

2) In your Workflow insert "Execute SQL" actions and use SQL commands like:

- select substring('{ItemProperty:Title}',1,3) from xTable (using standard RDBMS functions)

- select dbo.f('{ItemProperty:Title}') from xTable (using scalar user defined functions)

Here is the definition of the simplistic function f just for demonstration purposes:

CREATE FUNCTION f (@x varchar(50) = '')
RETURNS varchar(50) AS
BEGIN
declare @y varchar(50)
select @y = Upper(@x) + '>>'
return @y
END

So this method exploits the capabilities of the SQL language and the RDBMS system.

Now I will describe the (more) orthodox and flexible method (web services):

1) Create a asmx file using notepad or VS 2005 similar to the following:

<%@ WebService Language="VB" Class="TempConvert" %>

Imports System
Imports System.Web.Services

Public Class TempConvert :Inherits WebService

<WebMethod()> Public Function WSF_UCase (ByVal xVar As String) As String

return UCase(trim(xVar))
end function

... other user defined functions ....

end class

Name it xxx.asmx and copy it into : C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\CustomWebServices

where CustomWebServices is a new sub-folder which should be created by you.

2) In your Nintex workflow add a "Call Web Service" Action, put as Url the following : http://yoursite/_layouts/customwebservices/xxx.asmx and now you can calculate your workflow variables using the functions in your xxx.asmx file.

Now you have the (almost) unlimited capabilities and flexibility of web services !!!

I hope that this post will be of some help to some colleagues in the NW community.

Best Regards from Athens Greece,

Stratos Parellis