1 Reply Latest reply on Mar 26, 2010 2:50 PM by idyoshin

    pageflow - How to start on different pages?

      Hello,


      i have a simple pageflow with e.g. page A, B and C. Page A is the start-page with transitions to A and B (and vise versa).  A bean method @Begin annotation starts the pageflow when the user log-in. So the pageflow is always active in the session-background.


      <pageflow-definition
        ...
           name="testFlow">
      
         <start-page name="pageA" view-id="/test/a.xhtml">
            <description>testFlow: Page A</description>
            <redirect/>
            <transition name="goB" to="pageB"/>
            <transition name="goC" to="pageC"/>
            ...
         </start-page>
          
         <page name="pageB" view-id="/test/b.xhtml" back="enabled">
            <description>testFlow: Page B</description>
            <redirect/>
            <transition name="close" to="pageA"/>
         </page>
         
         <page name="pageC" view-id="/test/c.xhtml" back="enabled">
            <description>testFlow: Page C</description>
            <redirect/>
            <transition name="close" to="pageA"/>
         </page>
         
         ...   
      </pageflow-definition>
      


      pages.xml:


        <page view-id="/test/a.xhtml">
          <begin-conversation join="true" pageflow="mainFlow"/>
        </page>
      



      Everything (transitions) is working fine, when the flow starts at the start-page A, so far.


      But know the user needs to start on a different page of the flow. That means the user is opening page B or C directly. He hasn't been on start-page A before (for example the user has bookmarked page B or C).


      In this case, the transitions (going back from B to A)are not working.


      The background is:


      page A: search form (e.g. search orders)


      page B: hits(e.g. list orders)


      page C: details (e.g. details of selected order)


      The user bookmarked pageC (one sprecial order).


      Can anybody give an advise how to make it work, when starting the pageflow on different pages of the flow, please


      Every help in welcome


      Many thanks
      tarsia

        • 1. Re: pageflow - How to start on different pages?
          idyoshin

          I guess you should remake this navigation model with states and events, rather than pages.


          Or redefine your pageflow process... i.e. start not from the pageA or pageB, but start from pageZ - from which the actual predefined pageflow starts... and lead user to that pageflow using navigation in pages.xml...


          or actually simply don't use pageflow for this path...    consider about pageflow as the wizard:  i.e.


          review basket - >(on some link or button )start pageflow checkout ->  provide detailed information on basket again-> provide place for discount entry -> request on payment method -> additional verify -> checkout ->  success    


          What happens before start pageflow checkout and what happens after success is laying in the user behaviour (thus very random).... but the checkout process is  linear (actually not linear but with several decisions) with predictable navigation - this is a good place for pageflow.


          actually it's useless to bookmark page inside of the pageflow. this pages shouldn't provide such information user like to bookmark. (last is my personal oppinion)


          Kind regards,


          Ilya Dyoshin