Service Connect - Browse for File in Workflow

Aha. Since I wrote my original response I have become aware of a potentially better way to do it. The Requester element. Info in online help with heading "Configuring Request/Response Communication".

It works like a message placed into an output channel, except it waits for the response. It gives your workflow the chance to do error detection. Everything else is as described below.



--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "thedemondamian" <sheath@...> wrote:
>
> Alex,
>
> Would either of these methods work if the file already exists. The file is being placed by a Poster method from another workflow. It could be a few days before the scheduled workflow has to pick it up.
>
> The file location will never change so putting that in the channel setup is no problem. The file name will be determined by the PO Number of a Sales Order so I wont know which file I need until I am ready to grab the file.
>
> - Scott
>
> --- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Alex Fiedler" <alex.fiedler@> wrote:
> >
> > Ok there are two ways to achieve what you want to do:
> >
> > Both require you to write the required information (e.g. the file path etc) to an output channel.
> >
> > In the first case the output channel is a FILE output channel. Have a vbs script scheduled to poll for the appearance of this XML file, parse the XML for the path and then copy the specified file into an input channel.
> >
> >
> > In the second case your output channel is a COM output channel and your COM object does the file copy directly. I have not done any output channels which are COM objects, presumably having been written with Visual Studio.
> >
>
Does anyone know if it is possible to retrieve an XML document from a file
location while in the middle of a workflow. I know that I can use a Poster
method to save an XML document to a file location, but I want to retrieve one to
use in my workflow.

- Scott
Scott,

Looks to us as though you can use the DB Operation element and choose the "MS OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers" to get to just about any ODBC compliant connection.

You'll need to have the ODBC Drivers/etc on the same server as the DESRouter, and as warned by the SC Workflow designer, this particular element should be edited on THAT server to make sure the connection strings are correct.

I guess it still depends on what you want to do with the data. This method should allow you to SELECT all the data in your file, assuming your file can be formatted like a table - excel, CSV, DIF, etc.

NOTE - We have not tried/tested this, but a quick mock-up should be pretty easy.

Mike
Can you describe exactly what you are trying to accomplish?

Christopher W. Marsch
IT/Database Administrator
Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis, Ltd.
19E British American Blvd.
Latham, NY 12110
(518) 399-3616 x272
Cell: (518) 795-0200

From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of thedemondamian
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2013 12:17 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Service Connect - Browse for File in Workflow



Does anyone know if it is possible to retrieve an XML document from a file
location while in the middle of a workflow. I know that I can use a Poster
method to save an XML document to a file location, but I want to retrieve one to
use in my workflow.

- Scott



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I have a workflow that is started from a schedule. At some point during the processing of the workflow I would like it to go to a file location that I specify, pick up an XML file, and use the data from the XML file in the workflow.

It would almost be like starting the workflow from a file drop except that the workflow would pick up the file in the middle of running.

I hope that helps.

- Scott

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Marsch, Chris" <cmarsch@...> wrote:
>
> Can you describe exactly what you are trying to accomplish?
>
> Christopher W. Marsch
> IT/Database Administrator
> Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis, Ltd.
> 19E British American Blvd.
> Latham, NY 12110
> (518) 399-3616 x272
> Cell: (518) 795-0200
>
> From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of thedemondamian
> Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2013 12:17 PM
> To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Vantage] Service Connect - Browse for File in Workflow
>
>
>
> Does anyone know if it is possible to retrieve an XML document from a file
> location while in the middle of a workflow. I know that I can use a Poster
> method to save an XML document to a file location, but I want to retrieve one to
> use in my workflow.
>
> - Scott
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Ok there are two ways to achieve what you want to do:

Both require you to write the required information (e.g. the file path etc) to an output channel.

In the first case the output channel is a FILE output channel. Have a vbs script scheduled to poll for the appearance of this XML file, parse the XML for the path and then copy the specified file into an input channel.


In the second case your output channel is a COM output channel and your COM object does the file copy directly. I have not done any output channels which are COM objects, presumably having been written with Visual Studio.
Mike, I am glad you brought this up. It appears that I do not have the DB Operation method on my toolbar. I am running version 9.05.700 of Service Connect so I know it should be there. I will be giving Epicor a call about that today.

Once I have the option I can research it and see if it will work for me.

- Scott

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Michael" <mkgross69@...> wrote:
>
> Scott,
>
> Looks to us as though you can use the DB Operation element and choose the "MS OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers" to get to just about any ODBC compliant connection.
>
> You'll need to have the ODBC Drivers/etc on the same server as the DESRouter, and as warned by the SC Workflow designer, this particular element should be edited on THAT server to make sure the connection strings are correct.
>
> I guess it still depends on what you want to do with the data. This method should allow you to SELECT all the data in your file, assuming your file can be formatted like a table - excel, CSV, DIF, etc.
>
> NOTE - We have not tried/tested this, but a quick mock-up should be pretty easy.
>
> Mike
>
Alex,

Would either of these methods work if the file already exists. The file is being placed by a Poster method from another workflow. It could be a few days before the scheduled workflow has to pick it up.

The file location will never change so putting that in the channel setup is no problem. The file name will be determined by the PO Number of a Sales Order so I wont know which file I need until I am ready to grab the file.

- Scott

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Alex Fiedler" <alex.fiedler@...> wrote:
>
> Ok there are two ways to achieve what you want to do:
>
> Both require you to write the required information (e.g. the file path etc) to an output channel.
>
> In the first case the output channel is a FILE output channel. Have a vbs script scheduled to poll for the appearance of this XML file, parse the XML for the path and then copy the specified file into an input channel.
>
>
> In the second case your output channel is a COM output channel and your COM object does the file copy directly. I have not done any output channels which are COM objects, presumably having been written with Visual Studio.
>
That sounds odd that it is not available on your toolbox/toolbar. Maybe part of the installation that you missed although I don't recall that it was an option.

Good Luck, and I've got some names at Epicor and a 3rd party I can relay if you run into a wall.

Mike
Did you upgrade from Vantage 8. This should show up if you are using the E9 Service Connect License.

Christopher W. Marsch
IT/Database Administrator
Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis, Ltd.
19E British American Blvd.
Latham, NY 12110
(518) 399-3616 x272
Cell: (518) 795-0200

From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Michael
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2013 2:09 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Re: Service Connect - Browse for File in Workflow



That sounds odd that it is not available on your toolbox/toolbar. Maybe part of the installation that you missed although I don't recall that it was an option.

Good Luck, and I've got some names at Epicor and a 3rd party I can relay if you run into a wall.

Mike



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
It was a license issue. I got the latest full license from Epicor and now how the DB Operation method.

I played around with it, but I do not see a Provider that I can use for an XML file.

Any ideas?

- Scott

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Marsch, Chris" <cmarsch@...> wrote:
>
> Did you upgrade from Vantage 8. This should show up if you are using the E9 Service Connect License.
>
> Christopher W. Marsch
> IT/Database Administrator
> Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis, Ltd.
> 19E British American Blvd.
> Latham, NY 12110
> (518) 399-3616 x272
> Cell: (518) 795-0200
>
> From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Michael
> Sent: Friday, July 12, 2013 2:09 PM
> To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Vantage] Re: Service Connect - Browse for File in Workflow
>
>
>
> That sounds odd that it is not available on your toolbox/toolbar. Maybe part of the installation that you missed although I don't recall that it was an option.
>
> Good Luck, and I've got some names at Epicor and a 3rd party I can relay if you run into a wall.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Well, I always start with a web search. Here are two quick (and non-researched) findings:

Progress has one:
http://www.datadirect.com/resources/odbc/xml-driver/index.html
http://www.datadirect.com/resources/odbc/xml-driver/document.html

From another Forum (links at bottom of post)
http://www.nullskull.com/q/10060190/links-needed-for-an-odbc-driver-for-xml.aspx

Looks like Crystal has one as well if you have a full license from Crystal...

Let us know what you have success with - I might need one of these in the near future. Your post has given me some ideas..

Mike