e-form and WorkFlow

Try to evaluate different e-form products in the past few days. Now have a clearer concept about difference between "e-Form" and "WorkFlow":

Basically "WorkFlow" management and "e-form" are two separated modules (or functions).

An "e-form" is an entity which allows user to "open/fill/save" content of a form. Each “e-form entity” is a single entity which may be stored as a physical file (or a XML record in database). Additional programming effort is required to store the content to separated fields of a relational database.

"WorkFlow” is build on top of "e-form" with other tasks. For example, for a workflow which related to OT cliam/approval. The work flow involves the following tasks:

• Open e-form of OT claim, fill-in information, save the form to repository and database.
• Submit (eg: through email) the e-form to Staff A for checking
• Checked by Staff A and submit (eg: through email) the e-form to Staff B for approval
• Approved by Staff B and return the e-form to the staff who claim for OT.

The above workflow involves 4 tasks which base on handling and status update related to ONE e-form.

To provide above functions in a flexible e-form system with prelim workflow function, one of the solution will be the following:

The "e-form" provides functions of "e-form filling" with 3 buttons (Submit, Check, Approval) When button of “Submit”, “Check”, “Approval” is clicked, it will call related “Web Services (or function)” of WorkFlow Engine to provide related operation.

• [Submit]: Save e-form as entity and record in database. Update workflow status and send email alert to Staff A
• [Check]: Update workflow status and send email alert to Staff B
• [Approval]: Update workflow status and send email alert to staff who submit the OT Claim.

The e-form interpreter should be capable to enable/disable the button(s) which depends on status of the work flow. Status should be an entity of the XML which represents the e-form.

For simplicity, may consider above is a web-service based solution in which "e-form" is an entity which provides "open/fill/save" operation. Other logic related to workflow operation is done through web service.

web 4.0

Find an image related to web 4.0, seems interesting and it is related to intelligent personal agent.

C# - Send email by using CDO

Ref:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310212


Example:
try
{
CDO.Message oMsg = new CDO.Message();
CDO.IConfiguration iConfg;

iConfg = oMsg.Configuration;

ADODB.Fields oFields;
oFields = iConfg.Fields;

// Set configuration.
ADODB.Field oField = oFields["http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing"];

//TODO: To send by using the smart host, uncomment the following lines:
//oField.Value = CDO.CdoSendUsing.cdoSendUsingPort;
//oField = oFields["http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver"];
//oField.Value = "smarthost";

// TODO: To send by using local SMTP service.
//oField = oFields["http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing"];
//oField.Value = 1;

oFields.Update();

// Set common properties from message.

//TODO: To send text body, uncomment the following line:
//oMsg.TextBody = "Hello, how are you doing?";


//TODO: To send HTML body, uncomment the following lines:
//String sHtml;
//sHtml = "\n" +
// "\n" +
// "\n" +
// "\n" +
// "

\n" +
// "

Inline graphics

\n" +
// "\n" +
// "";
//oMsg.HTMLBody = sHtml;

//TOTO: To send WEb page in an e-mail, uncomment the following lines and make changes in TODO section.
//TODO: Replace with your preferred Web page
//oMsg.CreateMHTMLBody("http://www.microsoft.com",
// CDO.CdoMHTMLFlags.cdoSuppressNone,
// "", "");
oMsg.Subject = "Test SMTP";

//TODO: Change the To and From address to reflect your information.
oMsg.From = "someone@example.com";
oMsg.To = "someone@example.com";
//ADD attachment.
//TODO: Change the path to the file that you want to attach.
oMsg.AddAttachment("C:\\Hello.txt", "", "");
oMsg.AddAttachment("C:\\Test.doc", "", "");
oMsg.Send();
}
catch (Exception e)
{
Console.WriteLine("{0} Exception caught.", e);
}
return;
}

PDF Writer

http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp

C# - Example of using Web Application for HTTP POST request

Below is an example of using ASP.NET (with C#) to create Web Application (.ASPX file, with code-behind DLL written in C#) for HTTP POST command:

1) HTTP Post Request (from a windows form application)

string strResult = "";
string strXML = "";
string strMD5 = "key";
string strUserID = "12345678";

try
{
// ----------------------------------------------------------------
// Send HTTP POST command
// ----------------------------------------------------------------
HttpWebRequest request = (HttpWebRequest)HttpWebRequest.Create(
"http://172.18.2...../Test_HTTPPost.ASPX");
request.Method = "POST";

// additional parameters for HTTP header
request.Headers.Add("Encrypt", strMD5);
request.Headers.Add("UserID", strUserID);

// encode HTTP POST data in base-64 format
byte[] szBase64Bytes;

strXML = "....";

szBase64Bytes = new System.Text.UTF8Encoding().GetBytes(strXML);
strXML = System.Convert.ToBase64String(szBase64Bytes);
byte[] byteArray = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(strXML);

request.ContentType = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded";
request.ContentLength = byteArray.Length;

Stream dataStream = request.GetRequestStream();
dataStream.Write(byteArray, 0, byteArray.Length);
dataStream.Close();

// Get response
HttpWebResponse response = (HttpWebResponse)request.GetResponse();
dataStream = response.GetResponseStream();
StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(dataStream);

string strTemp = "";
while ((strTemp = reader.ReadLine()) != null)
{
strResult = strResult + strTemp;
}
dataStream.Close();
response.Close();

MessageBox.Show("Result=[" + strResult + "]");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show("Fault. Error=[" + ex.Message + "]");
}

2) Retrieve data for HTTP Post Request (from a ASPX Web Application)

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string strLogDir = this.Server.MapPath(".\\") + "Log";
Directory.CreateDirectory(strLogDir);
strLogDir = strLogDir + "\\";

LogToFile(strLogDir, "Load Page");

// get request information
int iSize = Request.ContentLength;

// get HTTP header
string strMD5 = Request.Headers["Encrypt"];
string strUserID = Request.Headers["UserID"];

// get HTTP post data
Stream dataStream = Request.InputStream;
StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(dataStream);

string strTemp = "";
string strResult = "";
while ((strTemp = reader.ReadLine()) != null)
{
strResult = strResult + strTemp;
}
dataStream.Close();

if (strResult != "")
{ // Base64 decode of input parameter
byte[] byteArray = System.Convert.FromBase64String(strResult);

System.Text.UTF8Encoding enc = new System.Text.UTF8Encoding();
strResult = enc.GetString(byteArray);
}

LogToFile(strLogDir, "Size=[" + iSize + "]");
LogToFile(strLogDir, "MD5=[" + strMD5 + "]");
LogToFile(strLogDir, "UserID=[" + strUserID + "]");
LogToFile(strLogDir, "Data=[" + strResult + "]");

// response for testing purpose
Response.Write("Test");
Response.End();
}

private static void LogToFile(string strURL,
string strMess)
{
DateTime Now = System.DateTime.Now;
string strLog = "";
string strNow = Now.ToString("yyyyMMdd");

string REQUEST_LOG = strURL + "XXX" + strNow + ".txt";

StreamWriter sr = File.Exists(REQUEST_LOG) ? File.AppendText(REQUEST_LOG) : File.CreateText(REQUEST_LOG);

strLog = Now.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss:") + Now.Millisecond.ToString() + "," + strMess;
sr.WriteLine(strLog);

sr.Close();
}

ASP.NET - Web Application

Types of ASP.NET project:

1. ASP.NET Server Control: A custom control which can be added by developer in web site through Visual Studio

2. ASP.NET Web Service: Web Service programming, access APIs through reference of ASMX file

3. ASP.NET Web Application: access C# code-behind function through access of .ASPX file. "Page load" function of code behind C# file will be invoked while the .ASPX page is accessed.

For both of "Web Service" and "Web Application", need to build / convert and / publish the files to server. Also, need to use IIS to create "Virtaul Directory" and select property to create "application" for the two functions.

ASP.NET - client script to pop-up window

Below is an example to use C# and client script to pop-up an explorer
{
....

string strCmd = "window.open('admin_report_mms_view.aspx?start=" + str_from + "&end=" + str_to + "&CID=" + cid + "', 'window', config='height=450,width=800,resizable=yes,toolbar=0,menubar=0,location=0')";

((ImageButton)e.Row.Cells[4].FindControl("btn_mms")).Attributes.Add("onclick", "return " + strCmd);

//((ImageButton)e.Row.Cells[4].FindControl("btn_mms")).Attributes.Add ("onclick", "return confirm('Test');"); ....

}