How to trigger a workflow only when a specific property is updated ?

Stephane_Bouillon

Hi,

I'm struggling with workflows on update of an item that trigger for every possible update even when Nothing relevant for my scenario has updated. How can I trigger the workflow on updates of a specific property only ?

Jeff_Lang

@Stephane_Bouillon

to have it pick up any change to a specific field, you would need to edit the management pack, i've found the easiest way to do this is to put a check in on the property you want to check for changes, say for example i want it to run whenever the title of a service request is changed. i would setup the changed from only and add the title field, and any text eg "Title changed". then export the management pack and do a search for "Title Changed" in it and you will find something like

<Expression><br>  <SimpleExpression><br>	<ValueExpression><br>	  <Property State="Pre">$Context/Property[Type='CustomSystem_WorkItem_Library!System.WorkItem']/Title$</Property><br>	</ValueExpression><br>	<Operator>Like</Operator><br>	<ValueExpression><br>	  <Value>%Title Changed%</Value><br>	</ValueExpression><br>  </SimpleExpression><br></Expression><br><br>

to modify the above so that it works on any update to the title field, ensure the Operator is set to NotEqual

then copy the <Property state="pre" line, and replace the <Value> line with it. on the line you just replaced change the "Pre" to "Post" and you should end up with something like

<code>	  <Property State="<b>Post</b>">$Context/Property[Type='CustomSystem_WorkItem_Library!System.WorkItem']/Title$</Property><br>	</ValueExpression>
  </SimpleExpression>
</Expression>
</code><code><Expression><br>  <SimpleExpression><br>	<ValueExpression><br>	  <Property State="Pre">$Context/Property[Type='CustomSystem_WorkItem_Library!System.WorkItem']/Title$</Property><br>	</ValueExpression><br>	<Operator><b>NotEqual</b></Operator><br>	<ValueExpression><br>

re-import the management pack, and it should now work on any update where the title before the update is not the same as the title after the update

NOTE: this will prevent you from updating the criteria again in the console, depending on the changes you do this way the fields in the console will be disabled, or if they are enabled you should not use them as that would then override what was changed manually in the management pack.

Justin_Workman

There's several ways to accomplish this.  If you're wanting just a notification, you could do a subscription where the targeted class is updated and the criteria "changed from" is not the target value and the "changed to" is the target value.

Stephane_Bouillon

I understand, but what I essentially want to accomplish is the "changed from" value of a property is different from the "changed to" value for that same property without having to identify the value. Also I noticed that for Incidents, certain properties such as the AffectedUser are not available in the changed from criteria.

Jeff_Lang

@Stephane_Bouillon

to have it pick up any change to a specific field, you would need to edit the management pack, i've found the easiest way to do this is to put a check in on the property you want to check for changes, say for example i want it to run whenever the title of a service request is changed. i would setup the changed from only and add the title field, and any text eg "Title changed". then export the management pack and do a search for "Title Changed" in it and you will find something like

<Expression><br>  <SimpleExpression><br>	<ValueExpression><br>	  <Property State="Pre">$Context/Property[Type='CustomSystem_WorkItem_Library!System.WorkItem']/Title$</Property><br>	</ValueExpression><br>	<Operator>Like</Operator><br>	<ValueExpression><br>	  <Value>%Title Changed%</Value><br>	</ValueExpression><br>  </SimpleExpression><br></Expression><br><br>

to modify the above so that it works on any update to the title field, ensure the Operator is set to NotEqual

then copy the <Property state="pre" line, and replace the <Value> line with it. on the line you just replaced change the "Pre" to "Post" and you should end up with something like

<code>	  <Property State="<b>Post</b>">$Context/Property[Type='CustomSystem_WorkItem_Library!System.WorkItem']/Title$</Property><br>	</ValueExpression>
  </SimpleExpression>
</Expression>
</code><code><Expression><br>  <SimpleExpression><br>	<ValueExpression><br>	  <Property State="Pre">$Context/Property[Type='CustomSystem_WorkItem_Library!System.WorkItem']/Title$</Property><br>	</ValueExpression><br>	<Operator><b>NotEqual</b></Operator><br>	<ValueExpression><br>

re-import the management pack, and it should now work on any update where the title before the update is not the same as the title after the update

NOTE: this will prevent you from updating the criteria again in the console, depending on the changes you do this way the fields in the console will be disabled, or if they are enabled you should not use them as that would then override what was changed manually in the management pack.

Stephane_Bouillon

Wow, what an opportunity for Cireson to make life easier...

Next question, I generally try to stay far away from touching a management pack, but I guess for my scenario there will be no alternative. What are the end to end steps to edit and update a management pack as described ? I'm assuming putting these in a separate MP would be a good idea ?

Jeff_Lang

for anything like this i would suggest always having as a separate MP, just to lower the chance of anything else being affected by it or anything else affecting it.

it literally is how i described above, create what you are after in a separate mp, then export the mp, edit it as above (it will just be a simple xml text file), then import the mp again

Stephane_Bouillon

I did what you suggested, and -interestingly- when I reopen the workflow configuration in the UI (without saving), I see the the following expression in the "Changed From":

Affected User [Domain User or Group]User Name does not equal Post