KB article - outdated workflow state

[Colleen]

How and when is the latest flag set and the workflow state change to outdated on a knowledge base article? 

I am trying to write an automated test for publishing a new KB article version, but the test is failing because the latest flag is not set to true on the new article version when it is published; and the workflow state is not changing to outdated on the old article version.

[Lauren Methena]

I may be able to answer at least partially. In our workflow, an article moves to "outdated" when:

• A new version of an article is published
• An article hits and goes past its Valid to date

Is it possible that there's an approval missing and the article isn't being fully published? For example, at one point, we had a workflow that required one set of approvals by knowledge managers and then a second level of approval by the knowledge owner. I frequently would go in and find articles close to the 'publish' finish line but just shy of it. 

Alternate idea: Is there somewhere in the backend where you set up the workflows to correct the flag issue? (I've not done this, but I've seen our admin do it.)

Hope this helps you troubleshoot. Please definitely let us know what the answer turns out to be! Would love to learn.

[Colleen]

Hi Lauren

Are you saying that the workflow state of an article is set to outdated when a new version is published AND the valid to date has passed?

I verified that the new article version had the workflow state set to published. How can I tell if an article is not "fully published"?  

Colleen

[Lauren Methena]

Hi, Colleen! The workflow state should move to outdated when one or the other happens - shouldn't have to be both an expired Valid to date and a newly published article.

The way I can tell if an article is fully published or not are two things:

• Workflow states that it's published (versus Review or Draft) in the backend.
• If I check the article in our customer portal, behind the KB#, it says "Draft" or "Review."

Not sure if having the Workflow field appear in the article form is OOB or not or if it has to be turned on or added somewhere. (We ran into this during testing at some point, which makes me think it has to be added, although it shouldn't be hard to do nor require major customization.

So, based on what you're describing, if workflow state says "published," it should be published. If you needed another approval, it would still be in "review."

Is your version number changing? Does it go from 1.0 to 2.0 in the newly published version, for example? (And you're saying the 1.0 version doesn't automatically go to "outdated"? What workflow state does it say instead? Does this happen outside your testing environment?) 

[Colleen]

Hi Lauren

Based on your suggestion to check the version number, I had another look at the ATF test and realised there was an error in the test.  When I went through the process manually, it does look like the outdated state is set when the new article version is published.

Thanks for your help.

Colleen