Presented at JoomlaDay Australia Brisbane 2019. Learn how to leverage the core Joomla 4 features of workflows and custom fields to build simple applications, without having to be a coding geek. While custom fields have been in Joomla core for a couple of years, they become so much more powerful once you combine them with the new Joomla 4 workflows feature. We'll take a look at how it all works and give you some ideas about what you can create on your own Joomla sites.

1. Joomla 4 Custom Fields and
Workflow
By Tim Plummer
JoomlaDay Australia Brisbane 2019
August 3rd 2019

2. Workflow is a sequence of
steps a piece of content
passes from initiation to
completion.

3. Joomla 3 Content Workflow
Author Administrator

4. Content states in Joomla 3

5. What if we want more approval steps?
Author

6. Or maybe something more complex?

7. Can’t do that in Joomla 3
But let’s see what Joomla 4 can do

8. The Publishing Workflow
component is used to replace
static states (unpublished, published,
trashed and archived) with a more
generic approach.

9. This way you can easily
create a customized
workflow to manage your
articles within a component.

10. Terminology
State/Stage– published, unpublished, trashed, archived
Transitions– move one state to another

11. What if instead of content we built an app?
WorkflowForm
Create a leave request

12. Lets do it, using only core Joomla 4 features

13. Note that Joomla 4 is still in Alpha, so don’t
use on live sites yet.

14. Create a new category

15. Create a custom fields group

16. Just a reminder that
Custom fields were added
to core Joomla in version
3.7 (April 2017)

17. Make sure they are assigned to specific category
Create a custom fields

18. Create user groups
• Create a user group for the different people who
will be interacting with this workflow
Create a leave request

19. Enable Email Notifications
System->Manage->Plugins->Content – Joomla plugin

20. Add a new Workflow

21. Edit the Workflow Stages

22. Rename existing Stages if required
In our example, rename Unpublished to Rejected Rename
Published to Completed, and delete Trashed and Archive
Create a leave request

23. Add new workflow Stages
• Also set default (initial stage)
Create a leave request

24. Set up the Workflow Transitions
Create a leave request

25. Add your Transitions
• Give each a name, and decide which Stage can
transition to a specific stage. Also decide who can
move to next stage
Create a leave request

26. Transitions
• Each Workflow step should have a stage
Create a leave request

27. Check ACL Permissions
• Assign the appropriate permissions to the groups you created
• Content->Categories->Leave Application Form->Permissions

28. Article Permissions (com_content)
• Adjust article permissions for your new groups
(especially edit custom field value)

29. Now a menu item for front end

30. You only see this menu item if you are logged in

31. This looks too much like an article still

32. Override edit form
Copy /components/com_content/tmpl/form/edit.php to
/yourtemplate/html/com_content/form/edit.php and customise look for this category.
Note this is the geeking coding bit
that a regular Joomla user
wouldn’t be able to do. Maybe in
future there will be an easier way.

33. Create a My Approvals view
Note: You can adjust what columns you see on the List Layouts tab.
Note: We actually create this access level in a couple
of slides time.

34. My Leave Applications view
You could take this even further with an override and customise to include columns such as
workflow state

35. The view form looks pretty ordinary

36. Override the view form with alternate layout
• You can clean up and simply the view form with an alternate layout
Copy /components/com_content/tmpl/article/default.php to
/yourtemplate/html/com_content/article/default.php and rename as
leaveapplication.php
Edit as required, then assign that layout to your menu item
Another geeking coding bit that
a regular Joomla user wouldn’t
be able to do.

37. You can also use Access Levels (optional)
• If you want to further restrict access, use
access levels which you can apply to menu
item and category

38. Now let’s see it in action
• Employee creates a leave request. It goes to
manager approval
Create a leave request

40. Manager approval step
• When sent to manager, he can reject, approve,
or request more information
• Note if employee logs in, they don’t see the manager action transition states
Create a leave request

41. Payroll process step
• Payroll can now transition the state
Create a leave request

42. Leave request is now complete
There are no more transitional states for this workflow
Create a leave request

43. Limitations
• Can’t customise transition emails
• Everyone with “Execute Transition” permission will get the email
• Need coding skills to override form and view
• All the records are saved in com_content (Joomla articles)

44. We probably don’t have time for Questions
• Feel free to come and chat with me during one of the breaks or at the
social event. I’ll be around all weekend.

45. One more thing….

46. Most open source projects have a mascot
but Joomla doesn’t 

47. Disclaimer
This is not affiliated with or
endorsed by Open Source
Matters or the Joomla Project

48. Find out more at https://timplummer.com.au/jambo
The new unofficial
Joomla Mascot
My free gift to the Joomla Community

49. Tim Plummer
https://timplummer.com.au
@bfsurvey