Description:

This step cancels the checkout of a document in the FlowWright Document Management System (DMS).

The Undo Document Checkout workflow step identifies a checked-out document using its Document ID and reverses the checkout operation. Any pending changes not checked in are discarded, and the document is returned to its previously checked-in state.

This step provides an efficient way to automate document recovery when changes should be abandoned, a workflow is canceled, an approval is rejected, or an editing session ends without publishing a new revision.

The step supports:

• Undoing document checkout
• Document selection using a Document ID
• Releasing document locks
• Restoring the last checked-in document revision
• Integration with the FlowWright Document Management System
• Automated document lifecycle management

This step can be used for:

• Canceled editing sessions
• Rejected document approvals
• Workflow rollback
• Document recovery
• Repository administration
• Compliance workflows
• Business process automation

Usage:

The Undo Document Checkout step is typically placed after a workflow cancellation, a rejected approval, a failed document update, or another scenario where document changes should be discarded.

The workflow retrieves the specified document using its Document ID and cancels the active checkout, restoring the document to its previous checked-in state.

A typical workflow might look like this:

Once the document checkout has been undone, later workflow steps can:

• Notify document owners
• Restart the editing process
• Begin a new approval workflow
• Generate audit reports
• Resume document collaboration
• Continue document lifecycle management

The document must already exist within the FlowWright Document Management System and currently be checked out before this step is executed.

Example:

Let’s build and execute the “DMSUndoCheckOutDocumentDef” example:

• Create a new process definition named “DMSUndoCheckOutDocumentDef” and open it in designer mode. 
• Drag a “DMSCreateDocument, DMSCheckOutDocument, Task, DMSCheckInDocument, DMSUndoCheckOutDocument” step to the canvas.
• Connect the dots between the “Start” and other steps, as shown above. 
• Click the "DMSCreateDocument" step to configure its "Required" properties. Provide a name for the step. Click the button to select the DMS folder from the drop-down list. Provide the document file path on the application server. Click the Save button. Note: Click the "AI Predict" button to have Copilot add new process steps that match your process description. 

• Click the button to select the DMS folder from the drop-down list. A pop-up window is displayed for configuration. Alternatively, you can use the filter to select the folder, or provide a variable or global reference containing the DMS folder ID. Click to expand or collapse the DMS folders. Select the folder and click the Save button. 

• Click the "DMSCreateDocument" step to configure its "Optional" properties. Provide a variable or global reference to store the Document ID. Enter the document name and description. Click the Save button.

• Click the "DMSCheckOutDocument" step to configure its "Required" properties. Provide a name for the step. Provide a variable or global reference to store the Document ID and Revision ID. Click the Save button. Note: Click the "AI Predict" button to have Copilot add new process steps that match your process description. 

• Click the "Task" step to configure its "Required" properties. Provide a name and a description for the step. Click the Save button. Note: Click the "AI Predict" button to have Copilot add new process steps that match your process description. 

• Click the "Task" step to configure its "Optional" properties. Select the users to whom to route the Task. Provide the task's detailed description. In this example, the Task Duration is set to 10 minutes. Click the Save button.

• Configure the connection between the “Task” and “UndoDocument” steps as “Rejected”, and between the “Task” and the other “UndoDocument” as “Timeout”. Click the Save button. 

• Click the "DMSCheckInDocument" step to configure its "Required" properties. Provide a name for the step. Provide the variable or global reference that contains the “Document ID” value from the “DMSCheckOutDocument” step. Click the Save button. Note: Click the "AI Predict" button to have Copilot add new process steps that match your process description. 

• Click the "DMSCheckInDocument" step to configure its "Optional" properties. Provide an appropriate comment. Click the Save button.

• Click the "DMSUndoCheckOutDocument" step to configure its "Required" properties. Provide a name for the step. Provide the variable or global reference that contains the “Document ID” value from the “DMSCheckOutDocument” step. Click the Save button. Similarly, configure the other “DMSUndoCheckOutDocument”. Note: Click the "AI Predict" button to have Copilot add new process steps that match your process description. 

• The “Logging” setting configuration is necessary for documentation and also for measuring workflow progress and completion percentage. This is achieved by configuring the step state and percent fields individually, as shown in the images below. Configure the “Logging” using the following properties.

• Save the Process Definition. Create a new Process Instance and execute it. When the workflow reaches the Undo Document Checkout step, FlowWright retrieves the specified document using the configured Document ID and attempts to cancel the checkout operation. If the operation completes successfully, any uncommitted changes are discarded, the document lock is released, and the workflow follows the True return path. If the document cannot be found, is not currently checked out, the executing user does not have permission to perform the operation, or the checkout cannot be canceled, the workflow follows the False return path. Click the process step to view its properties. The step should successfully undo the document checkout and return True upon completion. Verify within the Document Management System that the document is no longer checked out and is available for other users to edit.

• Hover the mouse over the “Task” status to view it and confirm that 1 Task is assigned to the user who initiated this process instance. Click the “View All Tasks” button to navigate to the Task page. In this example, let us allow this task to expire after the time duration. 

• On the DMS page, select the folder to view the document you have checked in. Click the ellipsis button to access context features. Click the View History option. 

• The document history is displayed as shown in the example below, and the document status is seen as checked out. 

• Navigate to the Process Instance page and observe that the Task step is “timeout” complete, and the DMS document status is now “undone” checkout. 

• The document history information confirms the “undone” status, as shown in the example below. 

Tips:

• Verify that the specified Document ID references an existing document.
• Ensure that the document is currently checked out before executing this step.
• Ensure that the executing user has permission to cancel the document checkout.
• Be aware that undoing a checkout permanently discards any uncommitted changes made since the document was checked out.
• Use this step after canceled workflows or rejected approvals to restore document availability.
• Use the True and False return paths to implement appropriate success and error handling.
• Combine this step with the Check Out Document, Update Document, Check In Document, Get Document Link, or Notify Users workflow steps to automate complete document-editing and approval workflows.

Notes:

• The specified document must already exist in the FlowWright Document Management System.
• The document must currently be checked out for this step to succeed.
• The executing user must have sufficient permissions to undo the document checkout.
• Undoing a checkout discards any changes that have not been checked in as a new revision.
• The previously checked-in version of the document remains unchanged.
• Invalid Document IDs, insufficient permissions, or documents that are not checked out may cause the step to return False.
• The workflow should include appropriate error handling for the False return path.
• Undo checkout operations should be audited in accordance with your organization's document governance and compliance policies.

Definition Sample:

You may download the sample definition(s) from the link provided and later import them (drag-and-drop) into your FlowWright Process Definition (XML file) or Form Definition (HTML file) page.

Note: Verify and complete any missing configuration after importing the sample, including:

• Document ID mapping
• Workflow variable mappings
• DMS security permissions
• Document checkout configuration
• Environment-specific settings

After verifying the configuration, save the Process Definition before execution.

Click here to download the sample file.