Overview

This blog post illustrates how to generate a custom solution in K2 to generate a Pdf from a Word document in SharePoint, without making use of 3^rd party components.

K2 provides the capability to generate a Pdf out-of-the-box – but is limited to a web page by supplying its URL as well as a smart form. In order to generate a Pdf on the fly for a Word document within SharePoint, WAS or Word Automation Services is utilized to help solve this requirement.

 

Components

The components involved are:

• Word Automation Services service application
• SharePoint server-side object model custom code to access WAS
• Web service to expose logic as public method
• Custom K2 Service Type and Instance to medium web service
• Custom K2 Smart Object to expose functionality in K2 context
• K2 workflow process to apply functionality via Smart Object method call
• SharePoint document library to host K2 workflow process and documents to generate Pdf’s for

Configuration

The configuration involves:

• Word Automation Service Application
• Open Central Administration
• In section Application Management, select option Manage Service Applications

• On the ribbon bar, select the New drop down button and select option Word Automation Services

• Complete the wizard to create a new Word Automation Services service application by specifying a name, application pool, security account, database server and database as well as authentication type

• Assign full control permission on the service application to the desired account, usually the SharePoint farm account using the Permissions ribbon bar button

• Web Service
• Create a service of your choice e.g. WCF or ASMX to host the custom functionality
• Add the required referencing assemblies for:

• Add the required references from the assemblies to the service

• Create a public method with necessary signature to accommodate a document location and details in SharePoint

• Add the code logic to access the Word Automation Services service application of SharePoint and document to be converted

• Publish and host the service in your desired hosting software, e.g. IIS
• Test the web service method

SharePoint Configuration

• Create a document library to host the workflow and documents to be converted
• Upload documents for testing purposes

• Prep the new library for K2 integration by clicking on the Library ribbon bar link and selecting the Application button in the K2 category
• Select the option to create smart objects

Custom K2 Service Type

• Open the K2 SO Tester Tool
• Create a new service type using the option Register Service Type on the top main menu bar

• For field Service, select the appropriate option depending on the type of service that was created. In this case a ASMX web service was created, thus WebService broker service is selected
• Specify a value for field System Name
• Specify a value for field Display Name
• Click on Add
• Verify that the new custom service type was created

Custom K2 Service Instance

• Open the K2 SO Tester Tool
• Find and select the service type previously created Velocity IT Blogs K2 Services
• Create a new service instance using the option Register Service Instance on the top main menu bar

• For field Service Types, select the previous created service type
• For field Authentication Mode, select your desired mode. This example used Static
• For field User Name, provide the SharePoint farm account
• For field Password, provide the SharePoint farm account password
• For field WebService URL, provide the URL that points to the custom created web service
• Click on Next

• Specify a value for field System Name
• Specify a value for field Display Name
• Click on Add

Custom K2 Service Instance Smart Objects

• Open the K2 SO Tester Tool
• Find and select the service instance previously created Velocity IT Blogs K2 Services Instance
• Create the necessary smart objects by selecting the previous create service instance, right click and select option Create SmartObjects

• Accept all default selections and options and click on OK

Workflow Process

• Open K2 Studio
• Create a new default workflow process
• Create new process data fields to accommodate the document in SharePoint as well as the name for the created Word Automation Services service application

• Assign a default value to data field SourceSiteUrl, e.g. https://portal.denallix.com
• Assign a default value to data field SourceLibraryName, e.g PDFs
• Assign a default value to data field WasServerName, e.g Word Automation Services
• Add a single activity to the process and provide a name for it, also connect it to the Start activity

• Integrate SharePoint to the process by adding a SharePoint 2013 Process Wizard to the Start activity

• Specify a values for the SharePoint 2013 Process Wizard, and click on Finish

• Add a smart object event to the activity, and complete its wizard configuration

• Map the smart object event to the method exposed on the custom service instance created previously, integrating with the custom web service

• Map the input properties using the process data fields created previously

• Map the service call result back to a process data field to interpret for next actions

• Complete the wizard by click on Finish

• Add an email notification event to the activity, and complete its wizard configuration

• Provide the email settings configuration

• Provide the message body configuration, display the process data fields created and populated

• Click on Next to advance to the Attachments screen which may be ignored, click on Next again and then on Finish to complete the wizard configuration

• Save and deploy the process
• Assign the necessary permissions on the process in K2 Workspace

Need further technical advice or support?