Rule type "Agent determination: Function to be Executed Asynchronously" (IF_SWF_IFS_ASYNCHRONOUS_RULE)

[Kjetil Kilhavn]

While creating a new ABAP Objects-based workflow I thought I'd venture into 
some unknown territory when I discovered there is a type of rule I have not 
encountered before.

The rule type has (technical) key G - with English description "Agent 
determination: Function to be Executed Asynchronously". Implementing it is 
done by supporting interface IF_SWF_IFS_ASYNCHRONOUS_RULE in an ABAP class.
I've tried this, and it doesn't appear to work very well in my opinion, but it 
may be me who is not doing the right things.

One strange thing (but not a showstopper) is that method LIST_NAMES() of 
parameter IM_CONTAINER which I thought would tell me the names of all 
parameters returns nothing. However, since I can call method GET() and get the 
value of my known parameter this is not a problem in my case.

>From what I've seen it seems function module SAP_WAPI_ASYNC_RULE_COMPLETE 
should be used to return the agent list to the work item, and it seems to not 
do so. It returns a success message, and I have debugged the function module 
without noticing anything strange, but the agents are not set. The task is 
currently a general task, so there's no problem with selected agents not being 
possible agents.

There is not much information on the interface, and two of the three 
implementations available in the system seem incomplete while the third one 
seems to rely on a different method being called to actually set the agents.

So, am I trying something which I should stay far away from here, or has 
anyone here implemented a rule of this type successfully?
-- 
Kjetil Kilhavn (+47 40220607) - Blue Consulting AS (http://www.bluec.no)