Setting the Guestbook Status

Supporting Workflow at the Service Layer
Step 1 of 3

Before now, you set the status of all added guestbooks to approved in the service layer. Now you’ll set it to draft and pass it to the workflow framework.

1. From guestbook-service, open GuestbookLocalServiceImpl and add the status fields below the existing setter methods in the addGuestbook method:

   guestbook.setStatus(WorkflowConstants.STATUS_DRAFT);
   guestbook.setStatusByUserId(userId);
   guestbook.setStatusByUserName(user.getFullName());
   guestbook.setStatusDate(serviceContext.getModifiedDate(null));
   

   This manually populates the status fields and sets the workflow status as a draft in the GB_Entry database table. At this point they’re identical to the similarly named non-status counterparts (like setUserId and setStatusByUserId), but they’ll be updated independently in the updateStatus method you write later.

2. Still in the addGuestbook method, place the following code right before the return statement:

   WorkflowHandlerRegistryUtil.startWorkflowInstance(guestbook.getCompanyId(), 
               guestbook.getGroupId(), guestbook.getUserId(), Guestbook.class.getName(), 
               guestbook.getPrimaryKey(), guestbook, serviceContext);
   

   The call to startWorkflowInstance detects whether workflow is installed and enabled. If it isn’t, the added entity is automatically marked as approved. The startWorkflowInstance call also calls your GuestbookWorkflowHandler class, which you’ll create later.

3. Organize imports ([CTRL]+[SHIFT]+O), and save your work.

The startWorkflowInstance method is where your entity enters the workflow framework, but you’re not finished yet. Just like you wouldn’t drop your child off at college and then change your number and move to a new address, you’re not going to abandon your Guestbook entity (yet).

Exert control over how the status fields are updated in the database. Create an updateStatus method in GuestbookLocalServiceImpl, immediately following the deleteGuestbook method. Here’s the first half of it:

 public Guestbook updateStatus(long userId, long guestbookId, int status,
		ServiceContext serviceContext) throws PortalException,
		SystemException {

	User user = userLocalService.getUser(userId);
	Guestbook guestbook = getGuestbook(guestbookId);

	guestbook.setStatus(status);
	guestbook.setStatusByUserId(userId);
	guestbook.setStatusByUserName(user.getFullName());
	guestbook.setStatusDate(new Date());

	guestbookPersistence.update(guestbook);

If this method is called, it’s because your entity is returning from the workflow framework, and it’s time to update the status values in the database. Set the status fields, then persist the updated entity to the database. Before saving, finish the method:

	if (status == WorkflowConstants.STATUS_APPROVED) {

		assetEntryLocalService.updateVisible(Guestbook.class.getName(),
				guestbookId, true);

	} else {

		assetEntryLocalService.updateVisible(Guestbook.class.getName(),
				guestbookId, false);
	}

	return guestbook;
}

This if statement determines the visibility of the asset based on its workflow status. If it’s approved, the assetEntryLocalService.updateVisible method sets the guestbook in question to true so it can be displayed in the Asset Publisher and in the search results. Otherwise (else) it sets the visibility to false to ensure that unapproved guestbooks aren’t displayed to users in the Asset Publisher or the Search portlet.

Organize imports ([CTRL]+[SHIFT]+O) and save your work. Then run the buildService Gradle task.

There’s one more update to make in the deleteGuestbook method. When deleting, you must clean up the workflow system’s database tables to avoid leaving orphaned entries when the backing entity is deleted. Before making the method call, open service.xml and add the following tag below the existing <reference> tags:

<reference entity="WorkflowInstanceLink" package-path="com.liferay.portal" />

Save and run Service Builder. It injects the WorkflowInstanceLinkLocalService service into a protected variable in GuesbookLocalServiceBaseImpl. Since GuestbookLocalServiceImpl extends the base class, you can use it directly. Back in GuesbookLocalServiceImpl, find the deleteGuestbook method and put this method call right before the return statement:

workflowInstanceLinkLocalService.deleteWorkflowInstanceLinks(
    guestbook.getCompanyId(), guestbook.getGroupId(),
    Guestbook.class.getName(), guestbook.getGuestbookId());

Save the file and run Refresh Gradle Project. Now the guestbook entity’s service layer populates the status fields in the database, sends the entity into the workflow framework, and cleans up when it’s deleted. You’ll do the same thing for guestbook entries next.