JP2002183652A - Work flow item slip forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To daily surely input data off-line by using a mobile PC, and to dispense with reinput of the data by forming a work flow application, on the basis of data on a work sheet of table calculation software. SOLUTION: In this work flow item slip forming system, a work flow processor has a work flow server including first software provided with an object for processing an uploading file. The work flow server starts the object of the software for processing the file, when uploading a data inputted file off-line via a network by a client PC by using second software installed in the client PC, processes the uploaded file via the started object, takes out information, and forms a slip by starting the work flow application, on the basis of the taken-out information by starting the object of work flow software.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a workflow item issuing system, and more particularly to a workflow item issuing system using a worksheet of spreadsheet software.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional workflow system using a Web, when drafting a case, it is premised that the PC of the drafting party is connected to a network. In recent years, the pattern of salesmen going straight to customers and returning home has been established. Mobile PCs are distributed to salespeople, and an environment has been established in which information on daily sales activities can be stored as data on PCs. However, the current connection of mobile PCs from mobile phones and public phone IS
Methods such as DN connection and RAS connection from home are being developed, but there are many restrictions such as high line usage fee, low line speed, and time required to exchange required information for network connection. . For this reason, application slips that do not require real-time processing, such as settlement of transportation expenses, do not need to be connected to the company from a mobile PC every day for processing instead of order processing such as next-day delivery. When it comes to processing daily, it takes time to process and hinders the original sales activities.

In order to solve this problem, a mechanism for uploading a local file to a server using a JAVA (registered trademark) applet, FTP, or the like is constructed. It has been considered that a workflow matter is raised, and it has become possible to start a workflow application using a local file.
A conventional mechanism for uploading a local file to a server can now be constructed using standard HTML functions.

[0004]

However, the method of activating a workflow application uploaded to a server is not yet unified, and at present, it is necessary to deal with each application. Therefore, even if a local file is uploaded to the server, it may not always be possible to start an existing workflow application based on this uploaded file. I was late.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional workflow case drafting system and to provide a workflow case drafting system capable of uniformly starting a workflow application.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems First, the present invention will be described conceptually. According to the present invention, a draft of an application for a workflow application is loaded on a mobile PC or the like distributed for sales activities. Use a spreadsheet software that has been processed offline, and use the spreadsheet worksheet that was processed offline when it is ready to connect to a high-speed network, such as when you return home. The conventional problem can be solved.

According to a broad concept, the present invention is a workflow item drafting system based on spreadsheet worksheets.

[0008] The workflow item drafting system based on the worksheet of the spreadsheet software according to the present invention operates in the following two main steps. (1) Procedure for uploading a local file to a server (2) Procedure for starting a workflow application using a worksheet of spreadsheet software uploaded on a server Has become almost a standard function by using the standard technology of HTML 3.2 or later. As in the past, a file transfer control method between a server and a client related to file upload, authentication, and file upload, and a client side No applet is required.

Regarding the procedure of the above item (2), an object of the spreadsheet software is activated on the server side in order to process the uploaded file, and the file (the spreadsheet software of the spreadsheet software) is uploaded through the activated object. Worksheet), retrieve information, activate workflow software objects, and activate a workflow application based on the retrieved information. As for the workflow application to be activated, the same application is activated if the processing route is the same even if the worksheets of the spreadsheet software are different. In addition, the user interface of the worksheet of the spreadsheet software can be individually set, and the data may be transcribed to different locations on the worksheet.

The present invention can be applied to not only spreadsheet software but also software (word processing software such as MS Word) in which an object for processing an uploaded file is provided. For the workflow software, it is premised that the functions of the workflow software can be used as objects, but almost the same can be realized if the functions are disclosed as APIs.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in a workflow item drafting system including a workflow processing device, the workflow processing device includes software X provided with an object for processing a file to be uploaded. It has a workflow server,
The workflow server uses the software Y installed on the client PC to process the file when the file input by the client PC offline is uploaded via a network. Activate the object of the software X, process the uploaded file through the activated object, retrieve the information, activate the object of the workflow software, and activate the workflow application based on the retrieved information. A workflow matter drafting system characterized in that drafting is performed is provided.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the software Y is spreadsheet software.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the uploading of the file is performed by using the T of the <INPUT> tag of HTML.
This is done by using the function of YPE = “FILE”.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention,
The workflow application is started from a second step, skipping a first step, a drafting step.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention,
The data input by the client PC is transcribed and normalized.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention,
The workflow server can download the latest spreadsheet software worksheet to the client PC.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a machine-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as the above-mentioned workflow item issuing system.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program for causing a computer to function as a workflow item issuing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings according to embodiments and examples of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually showing the operation of a workflow item issuing system based on a worksheet of spreadsheet software according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows that the operations are performed in the order of the numerals. As shown in the conceptual diagram of FIG. 1, in the system of the present invention, first, a worksheet of spreadsheet software is downloaded from a server to a client workstation via a network. Next, the client inputs data using spreadsheet software offline. When the client can connect to the server via the network, the client specifies the worksheet of the spreadsheet software on the workstation side that was being processed offline, and then TYPE = "FIL" of the HTTP <INPUT> tag.
Upload the file to the server using the function "E".
On the server side, a worksheet of spreadsheet software is processed as an object, cell data is input to a workflow system, and a slip is issued. Since the drafting step is completed by a worksheet of spreadsheet software, the workflow application starts from the second step, skipping the drafting step which is the first step.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 2, the system of the present invention is configured such that the workflow processing apparatus 10 and a plurality of client PCs 20 can be connected to each other via a network 1 such as the Internet. The workflow processing apparatus 10 includes a workflow server 11 and a web server 12, and has spreadsheet software 13 installed therein. A workflow file 14 is linked to the workflow server 11. The client PC 20 needs to have a web browser 21 and spreadsheet software 22 installed.

In this system, when a client attempts to submit a workflow application using a worksheet of spreadsheet software, an operation as shown in FIG. 3 is performed. In FIG. 3, the numbers attached near the arrows indicate the order of operations indicated by the arrows.

The operation procedure will be described with reference to FIG. 3. First, the client downloads the latest worksheet of spreadsheet software from the server 11 using his or her own mobile PC 20 or the like which is distributed daily. Into the worksheet. FIG. 7 shows an example of a display screen of the mobile PC 20 when the worksheet of the spreadsheet software is downloaded from the server 11. Since the spreadsheet software is open to the public on the web page, the client can download the worksheet (entry form) by clicking on the corresponding worksheet (entry form) on the screen shown in FIG. . The latest version is registered, and the version can be checked when uploading a spreadsheet worksheet described later. FIG. 8 shows an example of a display screen when data is input offline to the worksheet downloaded to the mobile PC 20 of the user using spreadsheet software. The client enters data on the displayed worksheet of sheet 1. Injecting data into a PC without connecting to a network in this way may take several days. The data written on the sheet 1 in this manner is transferred to the sheet 2 and normalized.
Since the workflow application handles the normalized data of the sheet 2, the input form input by the user of the sheet 1 can be easily defined by freely defining the form.

In this way, when the client who has input data to the worksheet offline is ready to be connected to the network 1, the client in FIG.
As shown by, the program A is called from the web browser 21 to display the HTML document A. Then, in order to upload the worksheet of the spreadsheet software 22 of the mobile PC 20 to the server 11, FIG.
, As shown by the number 2, the file upload selection button is pressed. The program B is activated by the file upload button, and the HTM
The L document B is displayed. Press the file selection button for HTML document B, and as shown by number 4,
The file on the workstation side is selected, and the selected file is uploaded while activating the program C, as indicated by reference numeral 5. A program C for processing the uploaded file on the server side is started. The program C saves the uploaded file in the database of the server 11 and stores the HTML document C for notifying the upload result as the number 7 as shown by the number 6.
Are displayed on the web browser 21 as shown by. Number 8
As shown by the HTML document C, the result of uploading the worksheet of the spreadsheet software is
Notify L document A. This completes the worksheet upload processing of the spreadsheet software.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure on the client side as described above. In FIG. 4, in step S1, inputting data to the client PC without connecting to the network may take several days. The step S3 uses a standard function of TYPE = "FILE" of the HTML <INPUT> tag. A program for receiving the file is required on the server side, but there is a standard software corresponding to the data format determined. In the conventional system, this part had to be created as an individual system, but development was unnecessary using web technology, and it was versatile.

FIG. 9 shows an example of an operation screen for designating a worksheet of the spreadsheet software on the workstation side which has been processed offline as described above and uploading the worksheet to the server side. As shown in the screen 1 of FIG. 9, the client designates the URL of “launch a workflow from an attached file” and displays an HTML document on a web browser. Next, when the client clicks the selection of the attached file drafting form on the screen 1, a screen 2 is displayed. On this screen 2, a file upload is selected. That is, when the environment for connecting to the network is established, the client uploads the worksheet by clicking on the attached file and clicking on the file for transmission to the server on this screen 2. You can specify the worksheet to which the data is input from the menu to upload it to the server.

Next, the details of the upload method will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific code of a “draft form” on screen 2 in FIG. 9. In a conventional system, this part had to be created as an individual system, but development was unnecessary using web technology, and it was versatile. In the code shown in FIG. 10, the portion indicated by the reference numeral A is a program that is operated on the server side when “selection of file upload” is performed on the screen 2 in FIG. 9. For details, see FIG. And will be described later in detail. In the code shown in FIG.
Use the standard function of TYPE = "FILE" of L <INPUT> tag.
The program that receives the file on the server side (reference number A
(Refer to the code part shown in FIG. 2), but since the format of the data is determined, there is a corresponding standard software, and the processing can be performed by using the standard software.

FIG. 11 shows a program (application form.asp) for receiving a file on the server side. As shown in the corresponding code portion of FIG. 11, the file is received as binary data, the spreadsheet software object is started, the worksheet is analyzed, and the transcribed and normalized data is analyzed. It analyzes the uploaded file and starts the workflow application.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a description will be given of a process until the workflow application is started based on the uploaded worksheet. In FIG. 5 as well, the numbers attached near the arrows indicate the order of operations indicated by the arrows. Now that the worksheet has been uploaded and the result has been notified to HTML document A, the client
After confirming that, as shown by reference numeral 1 in FIG. 5, the URL of the program D on the server side is designated, and the program D is activated while passing the information of the worksheet of the spreadsheet software uploaded. The program D uses the spreadsheet software object, opens the uploaded spreadsheet worksheet, and extracts information from cells of the worksheet.

As a method of extracting the information, there is a method of activating a macro command incorporated in a worksheet and extracting the information. Using a multi-sheet function of spreadsheet software, a normalized cell is stored in a specific cell of a specific sheet, and the information is extracted therefrom. As a result, it is possible to give flexibility to the GUI to be input to the sheet of the spreadsheet software.

The program D starts the spreadsheet software object, analyzes the worksheet, and analyzes the worksheet data based on the analyzed worksheet data, as indicated by reference numeral 2 in FIG. Then, using the object of the workflow software, the workflow application is activated with the information based on the information obtained by the analysis indicated by the number 2.

Here, it is necessary for the workflow software to have the workflow function as an object, similarly to the spreadsheet software. In the conventional workflow software of the type of starting EXE while passing information, the workflow function is started. Since the EXE is always started from the beginning, it is difficult to perform various processes or add functions. Currently, the latest software such as EXCEL and WORD which operate on Microsoft Windows OS can operate as objects. As a result, EXCEL, WO
The RD can be used as a component, and a business application or the like having a spreadsheet function can be easily created.

Thus, the workflow application is started. Usually a workflow application is
Although the first step is a draft, this system considers that the draft was made on the spreadsheet software side,
It is possible to skip the first step and proceed to the second step. Thereafter, it operates as a normal workflow application. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure on the web server side as described above. This processing procedure processes spreadsheet software and workflow software as objects, and organically links the worksheet and workflow systems, and is the latest technology for linking business objects.

FIG. 12 shows that the worksheet of the spreadsheet software is processed as an object, the cell data is input to the workflow system, and the slip is issued in the first step, as described above. Figure 9 shows the code of a program that causes a workflow application to be skipped and started from the second step.

[0035]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Data can be reliably input offline every day using a mobile PC distributed to each person, and forgetting to input data can be prevented. (2) Since the workflow application is issued based on the worksheet data of the spreadsheet software, it is not necessary to re-input the data. Recent salespersons are familiar with spreadsheet software and can copy parts related to personal information such as name and name code from other worksheets, eliminating the need to double-input information. . (3) The latest spreadsheet software worksheet can be downloaded from the web, and valid data can be created offline even with the programming function of the spreadsheet software. (4) There is no need to connect to the server using a low-speed network, so when you return to the office, you can work together in a high-speed network environment and compare when processing each one using a low-speed network This can save a lot of time. (5) Also, from the viewpoint of the development of the workflow application, the workflow application can be constructed without particularly creating an HTML form for the web. Creation of HTML forms requires specialized skills, but spreadsheet software, such as MSExcel, allows end users to easily create input forms. In particular, if data has already been input using spreadsheet software and data has been collected using groupware, etc., a workflow application that can realize advanced office work only by defining a slip routing route is required. Can be built quickly. Further, the user interface of the worksheet of the spreadsheet software can be set for each user. The normalized data of the worksheet is transferred to another part, and the workflow application is started based on the data.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually showing an operation of a workflow item drafting system based on a worksheet of spreadsheet software according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation procedure of uploading a worksheet of spreadsheet software in the system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure on the client side in issuing a workflow application from a worksheet of spreadsheet software in the system of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining activation of a workflow application in the system of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure on the web server side in the system of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a mobile PC when a worksheet of spreadsheet software is downloaded from a server in the system of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a mobile PC of the present invention in the system of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when data is input to a worksheet downloaded offline using spreadsheet software.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation screen for designating a worksheet of spreadsheet software on a workstation side and processing the worksheet that has been processed offline in the system of the present invention and uploading the worksheet to a server side.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific code of a “draft form” on screen 2 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a program (application form.asp) for receiving a file on the server side in the system of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining in detail the operation of the workflow application on the server side in the system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Network 10 Workflow processing apparatus 11 Workflow server 12 Web server 13 Spreadsheet software 14 Workflow file 20 Client PC 21 Web browser 22 Spreadsheet software

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A workflow matter drafting system including a workflow processing device, wherein the workflow processing device includes a workflow server including first software provided with an object for processing a file to be uploaded. The workflow server uses the second software installed on the client PC to offline the client PC.
When the file populated with is uploaded via the network, launch the software object to process the file, process the uploaded file through the launched object, and A workflow matter invoicing system characterized in that it takes out the object, activates an object of the workflow software, and activates and issues a workflow application based on the extracted information. 2. The workflow case drafting system according to claim 1, wherein the second software is spreadsheet software. 3. The upload of the file is performed by an HTM.
3. The workflow matter drafting system according to claim 2, wherein the workflow matter drafting system is performed by using a function of TYPE = "FILE" of an L <INPUT> tag. 4. The workflow application according to claim 1,
4. The workflow matter drafting system according to claim 2, wherein the drafting step as the first step is skipped and the processing is started from the second step. 5. The workflow case drafting system according to claim 2, wherein the data input by the client PC is transcribed and normalized. 6. The workflow item drafting system according to claim 2, wherein the workflow server can download the latest spreadsheet software worksheet to a client PC. 7. A machine-readable medium in which a program for causing a computer to function as the workflow item drafting system according to claim 1 is recorded. 8. A computer program for causing a computer to function as the workflow matter issuing system according to claim 1. Description: