docs: en wiki — document xly's three workflow mechanisms

User asked: if Activiti isn't used, what implements workflow? Investigated and replaced the original two-path table with a proper three-path explainer. Findings: - Path 1 (single-step approval via stored proc + bCheck flag) is the dominant pattern. Each business table carries bCheck (426 tables), tCheckDate (400), sCheckPerson (398) — virtually universal. The 审核 button POSTs to /business/doExamine which calls the proc named in gdsmodule.sProcName; the proc owns the business validation and flips bCheck=1 directly. No engine, no state machine, no queue. - Path 2 (document chaining) is how multi-document business processes work: separate gdsmodule entries arranged as parent + ordered children, each with its own form and approval button. A "convert-to-next-doc" proc on form A creates the document for form B. The "01/04, 02/04…" KPI Work Center step numbering is just iOrder of children under a parent gdsmodule. No state machine; the workflow is the chain of procs wired by buttons. - Path 3 (Activiti BPMN) is GATED by ConstantUtils.bCheckflowCheck which is hard-coded false. So even if a tenant configured gdsmoduleflow rows and deployed BPMN, the gate in ExamineServiceImpl.doExcuExamine would short-circuit. To activate Path 3 a maintainer would have to recompile xly with the constant flipped, OR runtime-patch it. The page now leads with all three paths and a comparison table covering state storage, step transitions, reassignment/delegation, parallel branches, current activation status, and tooling. Concluding section explains why this design fits xly's audience (printing-industry ERP, where each business step is naturally its own document) and the trade-off (workflow logic scattered across stored procs rather than visualised in BPMN).

docs: en wiki — document xly's three workflow mechanisms
User asked: if Activiti isn't used, what implements workflow? Investigated and replaced the original two-path table with a proper three-path explainer. Findings: - Path 1 (single-step approval via stored proc + bCheck flag) is the dominant pattern. Each business table carries bCheck (426 tables), tCheckDate (400), sCheckPerson (398) — virtually universal. The 审核 button POSTs to /business/doExamine which calls the proc named in gdsmodule.sProcName; the proc owns the business validation and flips bCheck=1 directly. No engine, no state machine, no queue. - Path 2 (document chaining) is how multi-document business processes work: separate gdsmodule entries arranged as parent + ordered children, each with its own form and approval button. A "convert-to-next-doc" proc on form A creates the document for form B. The "01/04, 02/04…" KPI Work Center step numbering is just iOrder of children under a parent gdsmodule. No state machine; the workflow is the chain of procs wired by buttons. - Path 3 (Activiti BPMN) is GATED by ConstantUtils.bCheckflowCheck which is hard-coded false. So even if a tenant configured gdsmoduleflow rows and deployed BPMN, the gate in ExamineServiceImpl.doExcuExamine would short-circuit. To activate Path 3 a maintainer would have to recompile xly with the constant flipped, OR runtime-patch it. The page now leads with all three paths and a comparison table covering state storage, step transitions, reassignment/delegation, parallel branches, current activation status, and tooling. Concluding section explains why this design fits xly's audience (printing-industry ERP, where each business step is naturally its own document) and the trade-off (workflow logic scattered across stored procs rather than visualised in BPMN).
zichun
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Showing 2 changed files with 165 additions and 22 deletions
en/docs/api-reference/internal.md
en/docs/reference/maintainer/activiti.md
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ page is the catalog of HTTP entry points.
 | `/business/getSelectDataBysControlId/{sId}` | POST | Dropdown population for a single control, by control `sId`. |
 | `/business/getSelectLimit/{sId}` | POST | Paginated variant of the dropdown call. |
 | `/business/addSysLocking` | POST | Optimistic-lock acquisition when a user starts editing a document — inserts a row in the system lock table keyed by `(sFormGuid, sUserId)`. The SPA fires this when entering edit mode so concurrent editors get a conflict warning. Handler: `BusinessBaseController.java:400-407`. |
-| `/business/doExamine` | POST | Simple "approve" — flips `bCheck = 1` on the named row via SQL. **Does NOT invoke Activiti**; this is xly's lightweight approval path used by every module that doesn't need multi-step workflow. Handler: `BusinessBaseController.java:384-391` → `BusinessBaseServiceImpl.doExamine` → `ExamineServiceImpl`. See [Two approval paths](../reference/maintainer/activiti.md#two-approval-paths) for when Activiti is used instead. |
+| `/business/doExamine` | POST | Simple "approve" — flips `bCheck = 1` on the named row via SQL. **Does NOT invoke Activiti**; this is xly's lightweight approval path used by every module that doesn't need multi-step workflow. Handler: `BusinessBaseController.java:384-391` → `BusinessBaseServiceImpl.doExamine` → `ExamineServiceImpl`. See [How xly handles workflow without Activiti](../reference/maintainer/activiti.md#how-xly-handles-workflow-without-activiti) for when Activiti is used instead. |
 | `/business/getProData` | POST | Generic stored-procedure invocation for a module — alternate path to `/procedureCall/doGenericProcedureCall`. Handler: `BusinessBaseController.java:350-358` → `BusinessBaseServiceImpl.getProData`. Used by FROUNT for module-level proc reads (the home dashboard `/getProData?sModelsId=...&sName=` pattern). |
  
 These endpoints are documented in detail by [Slice 1](../slices/01-hello-world.md)
@@ -7,32 +7,175 @@
 > `gdsmodule.bCheck=1`. No `gdsmoduleflow` link. **The approval
 > button users see (`/business/doExamine`) bypasses Activiti
 > entirely** and just UPDATEs `bCheck=1` via SQL — see
-> [Two approval paths](#two-approval-paths) below.
+> [How xly handles workflow without Activiti](#how-xly-handles-workflow-without-activiti) below.
  
 This page documents what's actually wired (concrete classes, URLs,
 engine state) and what would have to be true for it to do anything.
  
-## Two approval paths
-
-xly ships two parallel approval mechanisms. They look similar from
-the UI but go through completely different code:
-
-| Path | Triggered by | Backend | Activiti involvement |
+## How xly handles workflow without Activiti
+
+xly has **three workflow-like mechanisms**, in decreasing order of how
+much they're actually used:
+
+### Path 1 — Single-step approval via stored proc + `bCheck` flag (the dominant pattern)
+
+This is what 99% of approvals in xly look like. There is **no engine
+and no state machine** — the workflow is the procedure call itself.
+
+The mechanics:
+
+1. Each business table carries the same three audit columns:
+   `bCheck` (the approval boolean), `sCheckPerson`, `tCheckDate`.
+   Empirical reach in this dev DB: `bCheck` on **426 tables**,
+   `tCheckDate` on 400, `sCheckPerson` on 398. So nearly every
+   business document has the audit trail built into its own row.
+2. Each module declares a *single* approval procedure name in
+   `gdsmodule.sProcName` (column comment: "存储过程（审核）名称" —
+   "stored-procedure (approval) name"). For example
+   `Sp_Quo_QuotationCheck` for the quotation module,
+   `Sp_SalSalesCheck` for sales orders.
+3. When the user clicks the 审核 button:
+   - `POST /business/doExamine` → `BusinessBaseController.java:384-391`
+     → `BusinessBaseServiceImpl.doExamine()` → `ExamineServiceImpl.doExcuExamine()`
+   - The service acquires a Redis lock keyed on the row id
+     (`ws_update_*_{sGuid}_*`) so two users can't approve concurrently.
+   - It dispatches to the proc named in `sProcName` via the generic
+     procedure-call machinery
+     ([proc-dispatch.md](proc-dispatch.md)).
+   - **The proc itself owns the business logic**: validate that all
+     required fields are populated, that child rows balance with
+     parent totals, that no related document is locked, etc.
+     If all checks pass, the proc UPDATEs the row to set
+     `bCheck = 1`, `sCheckPerson = <user>`, `tCheckDate = NOW()`.
+   - The proc returns `OUT sCode INT` (1 = success, ≤0 = error)
+     and `OUT sReturn LONGTEXT` (error message).
+4. Cancel-approval is the same call with `iFlag = 0` instead of `1`;
+   the proc handles both directions.
+5. `Sp_System_CheckSave` is a generic post-approval hook that
+   `BusinessBaseServiceImpl.java:1828` calls after every save of an
+   `bCheck`-tracked row — it writes a `sFormId` audit field and
+   contains placeholder slots for cross-document validation
+   (currently mostly commented out).
+
+There's no notion of "next assignee" or "approval queue" in this
+path — once a single user with permission has clicked 审核 and the
+proc has succeeded, the row is approved. Period.
+
+### Path 2 — Document-chaining as implicit multi-step workflow
+
+Multi-document business processes (quote → customer-confirm →
+sales-order → delivery → invoice) are implemented as **separate
+modules with their own forms**, not as a single document advancing
+through states. The user's workflow:
+
+1. Module A (e.g., `quoQuotationMaster`) — fill it in, click 审核,
+   row gets `bCheck = 1`.
+2. Module A has a button (configured via `gdsconfigformslave.sButtonParam`
+   pointing at `Sp_Quo_ToSalesOrder` or similar) that, when clicked,
+   creates a row in module B (e.g., `salSalesOrderMaster`)
+   pre-populated from module A.
+3. The user navigates to module B, fills any extra fields, clicks
+   approve there too, etc.
+
+The "01/04, 02/04, 03/04, 04/04" step numbering on the FROUNT
+[KPI Work Center](runtime.md#the-kpi-work-center-front-end-home-dashboard)
+reflects this: each "flow" is a parent module containing N ordered
+child modules; the steps are *just the children of a parent
+gdsmodule entry*. There's no engine tracking "you're at step 2 of 4";
+the user is always working on whichever document is currently
+in front of them, and the framework displays `iOrder` of the
+parent's children for context.
+
+So multi-step "workflow" emerges from:
+
+- A parent gdsmodule grouping the steps thematically (`估价管理流程` =
+  "pricing management flow" with 4 children).
+- Each child module's `sProcName` (single-step approval).
+- Each child module's `sButtonParam` proc that, when fired, creates
+  the next document.
+- Each business document's `bCheck` flag tracking its own row's state.
+
+No state machine, no FSM library — just a **chain of stored procs
+wired together by buttons on forms**. This is the mechanism you'll
+see in the dev DB.
+
+### Path 3 — Activiti BPMN workflow (gated, currently disabled in code)
+
+Path 3 exists in the codebase as a **third channel** that *would*
+route through Activiti when activated. It is not running in this
+dev DB and currently can't be activated without recompiling.
+
+The gate is hard-coded in `xlyPersist/.../utils/ConstantUtils.java`:
+
+```java
+public static Boolean bCheckflowCheck = false;
+```
+
+Inside `ExamineServiceImpl.doExcuExamine()`, the dispatch is:
+
+```java
+if (ConstantUtils.bCheckflowCheck) {
+    Map<String,Object> reMap = checkExamineFlowService
+        .doSendCheckFolw(sGuid, sUserName, sBrandsId, sSubsidiaryId,
+                         sFormId, map, searMap, sBtnName, request);
+    if (MapUtil.isNotEmpty(reMap)) { return reMap; }
+}
+```
+
+So even if a tenant deployed BPMN and linked modules via
+`gdsmoduleflow`, the `if` would short-circuit because
+`bCheckflowCheck` is a Java constant `false`. To activate Path 3
+you have to:
+
+1. Change `ConstantUtils.bCheckflowCheck = true` in source and
+   rebuild the WAR, **or** patch the constant at runtime.
+2. Insert a `gdsmoduleflow` row keyed on `(sFormId, sBtnName)` —
+   this maps the form's approval button to a deployed BPMN.
+3. Deploy the BPMN through the modeler so `act_re_procdef` is populated.
+4. Make sure modules involved have `bCheck` semantics that align with
+   the BPMN's start/end events.
+
+Once activated, `CheckExamineFlowServiceImpl.doSendCheckFolw` reads
+the `gdsmoduleflow` row, calls
+`checkExamineFlowDataService.doSendCheckFolwData` to pre-stage the
+data, then `doSendFlowUrl` which kicks the request to xlyFlow's
+controllers. From there `ProcessServiceImpl.submitApply()` calls
+`runtimeService.startProcessInstanceByKey(...)` and Activiti is in
+charge — `biz_flow` + `biz_todo_item` populate, approvers see tasks
+in their inbox, and `CurrencyFlowController.complete(...)` advances
+the instance.
+
+### Comparison
+
+| Aspect | Path 1 (proc + bCheck) | Path 2 (doc chain) | Path 3 (Activiti) |
 |---|---|---|---|
-| **Simple "approve" toggle** | The "审核" button on a single-row form | `POST /business/doExamine` → `BusinessBaseController.java:384-391` → `BusinessBaseServiceImpl.doExamine()` → `ExamineServiceImpl` (xlyBusinessService). The service runs an UPDATE that flips `bCheck = 1` (and writes audit fields). | **None.** `grep` confirms `ExamineServiceImpl` calls neither `runtimeService`, `taskService`, `processService`, nor any other Activiti API. The `bCheck` flag is xly's own boolean, owned by `BusinessBaseServiceImpl`. Used widely as a list filter (`SalesOrderServiceImpl` and friends do `WHERE bCheck = 1` on every "show approved-only" query). |
-| **Multi-step BPMN workflow** | A user submits a row whose module has `bCheck = 1` AND a populated `gdsmoduleflow` row pointing at a deployed `act_re_procdef` | `ProcessServiceImpl.submitApply()` → `runtimeService.startProcessInstanceByKey(...)`. Subsequent approvers act through `CurrencyFlowController.complete(...)` → `taskService.complete()`. xly mirrors state in `biz_flow` + `biz_todo_item`. | **Full Activiti.** Requires a deployed BPMN (in `act_re_procdef`), an active process instance (in `act_ru_*`), and an assigned task (`act_ru_task`). |
-
-In this dev DB, **path 1 is the only path that runs**. Path 2 has zero
-configuration anywhere — no BPMN deployed, no `gdsmoduleflow` row, no
-`gdsmodule.bCheck=1` modules. So when a user clicks 审核 today, the
-record gets approved via the simple-toggle path and Activiti is not
-involved.
-
-Why the second path even exists: a customer that *does* need a real
-multi-step approval (warehouse → finance → GM, with reassignment and
-delegation) gets it by deploying a BPMN through the modeler and
-linking modules via `gdsmoduleflow`. That activates path 2 for those
-modules; path 1 still handles everything else.
+| State storage | `bCheck` column on the document row | None (state = which document the user opened) | `act_ru_task`, `act_hi_*`, `biz_flow`, `biz_todo_item` |
+| Step transitions | Single step per document | One button click per chain link, fires a "convert-to-next-doc" proc | Engine drives transitions per BPMN graph |
+| Reassignment / delegation | Not supported | Not supported | Supported via Activiti |
+| Parallel branches | Not supported | Not supported | Supported via BPMN gateways |
+| Currently active | Yes, on every 审核 click | Yes, in every multi-document business flow | No — `bCheckflowCheck = false` in code |
+| Tooling | Just a stored proc | Stored procs + module-tree configuration | BPMN modeler at `/modeler/*` |
+
+### Why this design works for xly's audience
+
+The printing-industry ERP customers run rule-driven business
+processes (quote → order → production → delivery → invoice → payment)
+where each step is **its own document with its own form** by
+convention. A user expects "Now I open the next form and fill it in"
+rather than "the system tells me a task is waiting for me." For
+that audience:
+
+- Path 1 + Path 2 cover every observed scenario in this dev DB.
+- Path 3's value (BPMN modeling, reassignment, parallel gateways) is
+  reserved for the rare tenant whose approval graph genuinely needs
+  it.
+
+The trade-off: workflow logic is **scattered across stored procedures**
+rather than declarable in one place. Adding a new step to a flow
+means writing or editing one or more procs, not editing a BPMN
+diagram. For complex, frequently-changing flows, this is brittle.
+For the printing-shop reality (quote-to-cash chain that doesn't
+change much per customer), it's pragmatic.
  
 ## Activiti is wired — engine ON