workflows-overview.xml #1

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<section id="workflows.overview">
    <title>Overview</title>

    <para>
        A workflow is a group of <emphasis>states</emphasis> that are used to guide content
        from creation to publication. Before content is published, you can define states that
        provide a simple and linear workflow, or states that provide a branching workflow of
        arbitrary complexity. An example of a simple, linear workflow would be:
        <emphasis>draft</emphasis> -&gt; <emphasis>review</emphasis> -&gt;
        <emphasis>published</emphasis>.
    </para>

    <para>
        Each state is defined by its name and a set of <emphasis>transitions</emphasis> to other
        states. For example, the default workflow provided by &product.longname; provides
        transitions to the <emphasis>draft</emphasis> and <emphasis>published</emphasis> states from
        the <emphasis>review</emphasis> state.
    </para>

    <para>
        Each transition can specify <emphasis>conditions</emphasis> that must be met before the
        transition is permitted, and <emphasis>actions</emphasis> that should occur when transitions
        are made. For example, it is possible to specify a condition requiring content to be
        categorized before the transition to the next state, and to specify that all site users with
        the reviewer's role be sent an email informing them of the transition to the review state.
    </para>

    <para>
        A workflow applies to content when it has been assigned via the content's content type. All
        content of a particular content type inherits the same workflow. If you edit a content type
        to use a different workflow, the disposition of content created with the original workflow
        may change: content in a state that exists in both workflows remains in that state, content
        in any other state is considered to be in the new workflow's default state. If no workflow
        has been assigned to a content type, all content of that type is considered to be
        <emphasis>published</emphasis>.
    </para>

    <para>
        Your interaction with workflows occurs each time you save content. If a workflow is
        assigned to your content's content type, when you save the content options are presented to
        transition the content to other states, provided the appropriate conditions have been met.
        If no workflow has been assigned, your content is considered published when it is saved.
        While saving the content, a transition only occurs when the content's workflow state differs
        from its previous state, or when the content entry is new and is being saved with a
        non-default state.
    </para>

    <para>
        Workflow states, and their transitions, conditions and actions are specified in the States
        field on the <xref linkend="workflows.add"/> screen. Workflow syntax is presented in
        <xref linkend="workflows.configure"/>.
    </para>

    <note>
        <title>The "Published" State</title>

        <para>
            When content has an assigned workflow and is in the
            <emphasis role="bold">published</emphasis> state, or if the content has no workflow
            assigned, the content is considered to be <emphasis>published</emphasis>. Content in any
            other state is considered to be <emphasis>unpublished</emphasis>. This is important when
            considering the permissions labelled <emphasis>Access Unpublished Content</emphasis> and
            <emphasis>Publish Content</emphasis>.
        </para>
    </note>
</section>
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