Approval / Reject functionality on custom buttons of object

Question

I am trying to implement the functionality of having the approve and reject buttons on custom button in the object.

I have 2 questions

1. Can we call apex method from a custom button?
2. How can we mimic the approval / reject functionality in apex class?

thanks

Solution 1

1) You'd need to create a VF page which does the work you need and the redirects back to wherever you want you user to be. Described here: http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2009/01/08/invoke-apex-from-a-custom-button-using-a-visualforce-page/

2) Have a look at 2nd half (the req2 part) of this example: http://www.salesforce.com/us/developer/docs/apexcode/index_Left.htm#CSHID=apex_process_example.htm|StartTopic=Content%2Fapex_process_example.htm|SkinName=webhelp . Then instead of getting the newWorkItemIds.get(0) value from the result, you'd probably want to query it from the ProcessInstanceWorkitem table

Hope this helps you move on

Solution 2

Option1 : Apex Code (http://blog.jeffdouglas.com/2010/01/04/automating-salesforce-approval-processes-with-apex-triggers/)

Below apex code can be used to submit record for approval

// create the new approval request to submit
Approval.ProcessSubmitRequest req = new Approval.ProcessSubmitRequest();
req.setComments('Submitted for approval. Please approve.');
req.setObjectId(Trigger.new[i].Id);
// submit the approval request for processing
Approval.ProcessResult result = Approval.process(req);
// display if the reqeust was successful
System.debug('Submitted for approval successfully: '+result.isSuccess());

Option2 : On click JS (http://jamesrsullivan.com/salesforcecom-start-and-approval-process-from)

Navigate To: Setup > Customize > Opportunities > Buttons and Links Press the "New" button and use these details: Label: Approve Name: Approve Display Type: Detail Page Button Behavior: Execute JavaScript OnClick JavaScript:

if ((Modal.confirm && Modal.confirm('Once you submit this record for approval, you might not be able to edit it or recall it from the approval process depending on your settings. Continue?')) || (!Modal.confirm && window.confirm('Once you submit this record for approval, you might not be able to edit it or recall it from the approval process depending on your settings. Continue?'))) navigateToUrl('/p/process/Submit?id={!Opportunity.Id}&retURL=%2F{!Opportunity.Id}');

Replace Opportunity with your object API name.

Comments

[Prady]

Thanks for the info.. I am able to submit for approval, the one thing i wanted to do was to allow the managers to approve the submitted record from the buttons. i have a VF page which submits the record for approval. I want the managers to have a look at the record and then approve or reject it

[Prady]

i am not sure if i understood when you meant query from ProcessInstanceWorkitem

[sorenkrabbe]

In the example, the WorkitemId which is being approved (using the req2 variable) is taken from when the examples launches the approval process. This is probably not the case in your code. I assume an approval process has already been kicked off, and you just want to approve the next step. Therefore you want to find the WorkItemId in the data layer. You do this by querying the from ProcessInstanceWorkitem. Something like this should give you the id you're after: [Select id From ProcessInstanceWorkitem where ProcessInstance.TargetObjectId=:idOfObjectToApprove];