container between before and main method with DECISION-PROCES S

[Dart, Jocelyn]

Hi Kim,
There are a few steps with special constructs that communicate directly with the workflow container thereby making the sort of thing you are trying to do not possible. The form steps are another example of special constructs.  There's no bug - its just "the way things are"...
 
Perhaps if you can describe what you are trying to do and why we can suggest an alternative.
Rgds,
Jocelyn
 
-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Schell, Kim
Sent: Thursday,19 August 2004 11:18 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: container between before and main method with DECISION-PROCESS
 
Workflow Gurus,
I have a very sticky technical problem with SAP Standard workflow runtime, I was hoping if somebody could clarify this for me.
 
I have placed a method in the before section of a workflow task.  This before method updates the container using the macro SWC_SET_ELEMENT.
The purpose of the before method is to update the container for the main method of the task.
I would like to emphasise this with the Quote....
   "However, before and after methods are called modally, i.e. as if
    they were extra steps in the same session as the work item.
    This means they can be used to manipulate the method container
    if you wish, to influence the main task-based method, or
    subsequent steps in the workflow"
 Quoting from the SAP Press book "Practical Workflow for SAP" page 470.
 
OSS has informed me that, between a before method and the main method, there is no database update of the container.
So if that's the case then the main method must need to read the container using the macro SWC_GET_ELEMENT instead of from the database.
 
Here's the twist, my main method is DECISION-PROCESS, an SAP Standard method.
DECISION-PROCESS reads the container from the Database, not using the macro.
 
Only one of these two designs can be correct, either containers are to be passed between methods using the macro and there's a bug in the way DECISION-PROCESS reads the container, or there must be a DB update between the before and main method, and thus DECISION-PROCESS can happily read the container from the DB.
 
OSS's latest response is that there is no bug, however stating that DECISION-PROCESS is a "very special construction.  This is not the way, how application methods should be implemented."
 
I agree with the OSS Response except that I believe this is a bug.
If you wish to lookup the OSS Query, it's 0120050409 233156.
 
Can anybody please calrify this for me?
It seems we have two aspects of Worfklow design which are mutually exclusive.
 
Regards
-Kim Schell
 
 
 
EOM
 
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