SharePoint 2013 Workflow Task Process Wait Feature

rg2021 1

Hi,

When a task is created by 2013 task process, how does the workflow is notified when the task is completed?

Thanks,

ChelseaWu-MSFT 6,316 Reputation points

2020-09-21T01:51:15.323+00:00

Hi @rg2021 , do you have any progress on this thread? Please feel free to let us know if you need further assistance.

1 answer

ChelseaWu-MSFT 6,316 Reputation points

2020-09-17T02:54:54.92+00:00

The Task Actions in SharePoint 2013 Workflows carry a performance of "Wait for task completion" in the process.
It automatically creates a variable named “Variable: Outcome” and log the responses from participants to make corresponding reactions.

To help you understand this process better, there is a similar task process in SharePoint 2010 Workflow you can check via Start Approval Process action > Customization > Change the behavior of a single task.

Please see the image below:

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rg2021 1 Reputation point

2020-09-17T03:28:04.047+00:00

Thank you for the response.

When the task is created by the task process, is the task process actively checking the status of the task, or is the task process somehow notified when task user completes the task (submit form button)? My issue is that I would like to modify the default task from to create a view using InfoPAth, but I do not know how to create the submit form (button) to complete the task and notify the task process.

I was able to do this in 2010 workflows, but so far it seems that in 2013 workflows this is not an option.

ChelseaWu-MSFT 6,316 Reputation points

2020-09-17T03:50:50.167+00:00

@rg2021 Yes you are right. This option is no longer available in SharePoint 2013 Workflow since the task process has been simplified and we no longer use InfoPath forms during this process.
But in both versions, the workflow identifies the status of the task, instead of reading the submit form button to run the following actions.

rg2021 1 Reputation point

2020-09-17T04:56:17.343+00:00

Can you please elaborate on identifies the status of the task? Do you mean that it checks the status on a given intervals?

ChelseaWu-MSFT 6,316 Reputation points

2020-09-17T05:47:15.687+00:00

@rg2021 The workflow sends the task to participants and waits for responses to return. The responses will give different values to Variable: Outcome, then the workflow performs the next actions depend on the task outcome.
Please see my first reply in this Answer, where I have added screenshots for explanation.

rg2021 1 Reputation point

2020-09-17T05:59:17.737+00:00

When you said "waits for responses to return". This is what I trying to understand. Is the task process reading information from the task once the task is completed, or is the task notifying the task process once the task is completed?

ChelseaWu-MSFT 6,316 Reputation points

2020-09-17T06:19:56.57+00:00

@rg2021 Thank you for the clarification.

Workflow has an action that waits for event to happen in current object it is handling.
The correct expression would be: the workflow is reading information from the task process, and continues once the task is completed.

rg2021 1 Reputation point

2020-09-21T18:08:59.803+00:00

Chelsea,

I think you have provided me good information.

Related issue, I am using a custom "Task Content Type" under the "Task Outcome" option in the "Task Process" (TP). The "Workflow Task (SharePoint 2013)" is the parent of this custom content type. When the task is completed, the output variable from the TP is always returning the value of 0.
Do you know why this is the case?

ChelseaWu-MSFT 6,316 Reputation points

2020-09-22T03:03:23.517+00:00

@rg2021 Thanks for the update.

This is the expected behavior since output variable from the TP (Variable: Outcome) is a workflow variable of Integer type. It returns 0 for “Approved” outcome and 1 for “Rejected”.

rg2021 1 Reputation point

2020-09-22T04:12:43.69+00:00

It doesn't matter what was selected. The Task Outcome is always 0.

ChelseaWu-MSFT 6,316 Reputation points

2020-09-22T06:06:20.743+00:00

@rg2021
Can You share the workflow process you test with? Are you using the default workflow variable in the task action? I have tested with both task actions and cannot reproduce this issue.
Please make sure you have added the custom task content type to the workflow task list. You can create a new variable for task outcome of Integer type and see the result.

rg2021 1 Reputation point

2020-09-22T12:29:30.797+00:00

I think the missing piece to replicate this is modify the custom task content type form using InfoPath.
In the form I have a submit button that is setting a column. Then I have a workflow waiting on task column to be updated (user clicks button). The workflow is then updating the following fields, "task status, % Completed and "task outcome".

The task process continues/completes, but outcome is not reflected in the task process output variable. I think it is just providing the default value.
It seems that the task process is not reading the outcome field in the task for some reason.

I looked at the task process properties (see attachment), and I noticed that the "DefaultTaskOutcome" says "Used to indicate what the outcome should be if the task does not complete successfully.

The task seems to be completed successfully. Am I missing something here?

ChelseaWu-MSFT 6,316 Reputation points

2020-09-23T09:35:12.26+00:00

@rg2021
Try changing the "DefaultTaskOutcome" from “0” to “Current Item:Approval Status”. It should read the same result as the actual task outcome.
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