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Status Future consideration
Workspace z/OS
Categories z/OSMF
Created by Guest
Created on Sep 9, 2019

Workflow needs a place to document author, version, change log, etc.

Hi,

Currently, the workflow editor doesn't provide a place to keep track of the usual data that developers need. Things like author, version, changes, etc.
For example:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
File : provision.xml
Author : Norman Ouwerkerk (ouwerkn)
Function: Provision a stand alone WAS-Traditional application server.
Notes
~~~~~
This workflow:
- uses a registry to keep track of which RACF UID belongs to which WAS user.
See file ${instance-UID_REGISTRY_FILE} in the ${instance-WORK_PATH} directory.
- keeps track of who (de-)provisioned which WAS when.
See logfile ${instance-UID_REGISTRY_HIST} in the ${instance-WORK_PATH} directory.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Change log

Date Version Author Description
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2019-05-16 1.0 Norman Ouwerkerk First version
yyyy-mm-dd n.n Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Description field in the metadata section <workflowDescription> would seem to provide for this but, unfortunately, the description field is limited to 100 characters.

Please remove the size limit for the Description field, or introduce another field to contain the above data.

It appears (to me) that the limitation is imposed because the description is used in the GUI:
- in the "Workflow Name" column, when displaying a list of workflows, but only for called workflows
- in the CalledWorkflow column of the Workflows section when displaying a workflow
A more logical choice - in my opinion - would be to use workflowID instead, thus lifting the size restriction on workflowDescription.

We have devised a workaround: use the description field of a dummy variable named AAA_Header (to sort it to the top). A dedicated place in the workflow metadata would of course be much better, placing the information where you would expect to find it.

Our workaround brings another issue to bear: the display area for the variable's description field is quite small. To mitigate this, I'd like to suggest providing an enlarge function: a little icon next to the field that, when clicked, temporarily enlarges the field's display area to the size of the entire GUI window. This could also be used for other fields that are now statically sized, such as the step instructions, (inline) template contents, etc.

Kind regards,
Norman Ouwerkerk

Idea priority Medium