Use metadata to increment a content version

Overview

Different events can be used to increment a composite version number.

The workflow uses the following trigger actions

• initialize a version value using the set-metadata macro

• increment the version value using the increment-metadata macro using different triggers for each element of a composite version number

You will need to refresh the page content to view changes in the metadata value if you use the get-metadata macro on the page to display the metadata value.

Published version

Confluence versions change on each page update. You can use a metadata value and the increment-metadata macro to keep track of the number of times your document transitions to the final state - effectively using this metadata value as your published version value.

{workflow:name=Increment a Metadata Version}
    {description}
        A simple approval workflow with use of metadata to identify the published versions. The simple version is incremented on approval of content
    {description}
    {pageheader}
        ||Type|| Version||Version Number||
        |Page metadata|Publishedversion value|@publishedversion@|
        |Confluence metadata|Confluence version value|@version@|
    {pageheader}
    {state:Review|approved=Approved|taskable=true}
        {approval:Review}
    {state}
    {state:Rejected|submit=Review|taskable=true}
    {state}
    {state:Approved|final=true|updated=Review|hideselection=true}
    {state}
    {trigger:pagecreated}
        {set-metadata:publishedversion}0{set-metadata}
    {trigger}
    {trigger:pageapproved|approval=Review}
        {increment-metadata:publishedversion}
    {trigger}
{workflow}

The workflow is added and enabled as a space workflow in the space tools Document Management dashboard for the space.

On creating a page in the space, the value for the metadata publishedversion is set as”0”.

The page has not yet been approved as there has been no transition to the final state - the Approved state in our workflow.

Each page edit updates the Confluence version.

Approving the page in the Review state transitions the workflow on the page to the Approved state.

The workflow trigger listening for this page approval event increments the value of the metadata publishedversion.

Editing the page in the Approved state transitions the workflow on the page back to the Review draft state.

Each subsequent approval of the page and transition to the Approved state increments the publishedversion value.

Composite major-minor version content

{workflow:name=Increment a Metadata Version major minor}
    {description}
        A simple approval workflow with use of increment-metadata macro to set the major and minor versions. Major version incremented on approval of content, minor version on any update on the approved content
    {description}
    {state:Review|approved=Approved|taskable=true}
        {approval:Review}
    {state}
    {state:Rejected|submit=Review|taskable=true}
    {state}
    {state:Approved|final=true|updated=Review|hideselection=true}
    {state}
    {trigger:pagecreated}
        {set-metadata:currentversion}0.0{set-metadata}
    {trigger}
    {trigger:pageupdated}
        {increment-metadata:currentversion|increment=0.1}
    {trigger}
    {trigger:pageapproved|approval=Review}
        {increment-metadata:currentversion|increment=1.0}
    {trigger}
{workflow}

Here's how each trigger action works.

Trigger Event	Action macro	Notes	Confluence and Metadata version displayed on content using get-metadata macro
pagecreated	set-metadata	sets the metadata currentversion and initializes the value to 0.0 on the creation of the page This only occurs on the creation of a page if the workflow is applied in space mode.	o
		Applying this workflow in ‘page mode’, the pagecreated trigger will never fire because the page is created before the workflow is applied. To use within a page workflow, the metadata value would need to be initialized using a different event trigger.
pageupdated	increment-metadata	increments the currentversion minor value by 1 each time the page is updated major value is not changed	Editing the page updates both the Confluence version value metadata minor value of the currentversion metadata increments the minor value by 1
pageapproved	increment-metadata	increments the currentversion major value by 1 each time the content is approved and transitions to Approved minor value is reset to zero	On approving the page and transitioning to the Approved state the pageapproved trigger increments by 1 the major value of the currentversion metadata sets the minor value to 0 of the currentversion metadata
pageupdated	increment-metadata	increments the currentversion minor value by 1 each time the content is updated major value is not changed	Editing the page in the Approved state transitions the updated page to the Review state updates the Confluence version increments the minor value by 1 of the currentversion metadata
pageupdated	increment-metadata	increments the currentversion minor value by 1 each time the content is updated major value is not changed	Editing the page in the draft Review state, with a previously approved version updates the Confluence version increments the minor value by 1 of the currentversion metadata The minor version value in this example is the number of page updates since the last approved version.
pageapproved	increment-metadata	increments the currentversion major value by 1 each time the content is approved and transitions to Approved minor value is reset to zero	On approving the page and transitioning to the Approved state the pageapproved trigger increments by 1 the major value of the currentversion metadata sets the minor value to 0 of the currentversion metadata The major version value in this example is the number of times the page has been approved and published. In this example, a page in the Approved state always transitions to the Review state when the page is updated. This means in the example the published version will always be a major version with no minor version (for example 2.0; 3.0; 4.0 etc) the minor versions will only be displayed for the page in a draft state (for example (2.1; 2.2; 2.3 etc).

An individual reviewer rejection decision on its own does not impact the metadata currentversion value. 

Manage composite major-minor-patch version of the content

Additional triggers may be useful to initiate major-minor-patch value changes.

This second example below uses the increment-metadata macro to support the custom versioning of a page using a composite numeric metadata value.

The elements of the composite version are incremented when different specific events occur.

{workflow:name=Composite Increment Metadata}
    {state:Draft|submit=Review}
    {state}
    {state:Review|approved=Approved}
        {approval:Review|assignable=true}
    {state}
    {state:Approved|final=true|submit=Draft}
    {state}
    {trigger:pagecreated}
        {set-metadata:comp-version}
            0.0.1
        {set-metadata}
    {trigger}
	{trigger:pageupdated}
        {increment-metadata:comp-version|increment=0.0.1}
    {trigger}   
    {trigger:statechanged|state=Review}
        {increment-metadata:comp-version|increment=0.1.0}
    {trigger}   
    {trigger:statechanged|state=Approved}
        {increment-metadata:comp-version|increment=1.0.0}
    {trigger}
{workflow}

The metadata name and initial value are set on the creation of the page using a trigger macro and the set-metadata action macro.

{set-metadata:comp-version}0.0.1{set-metadata}

A version change will occur:

• for every page edit (a PATCH version change)

• on a state change to the Review state(a MINOR version change).

• on a state change to the Approved state (a MAJOR version change).

Metadata value initialization

Page creation creates the metadata comp-version and sets the initial value as 0.0.1

{set-metadata:comp-version} 0.0.1 {set-metadata}

Minor element value update

A state change to the Review state updates the second numeric version element (MINOR element) by 1.

The workflow uses a trigger macro on the statechanged event for state=Review and the increment-metadata action macro.

{increment-metadata:comp-version|increment=0.1.0}

Major element value update

A state change to the Approved state will update the first numeric version element (MAJOR element) by 1. 

The workflow uses a trigger macro on the statechanged event for state=Approved and the increment-metadata action macro.

{increment-metadata:comp-version|increment=1.0.0}

Patch element value update

A page edit will increase the final numeric version element (PATCH element) using a trigger macro listening for the pageupdated event and using increment-metadata action macro.

{increment-metadata:comp-version|increment=0.0.1}

Setting the metadata value when using a content label filter workflow

{trigger:statechanged|state=Draft|initial=true}
    {set-metadata:currentversion} 0 {set-metadata}
{trigger}

{trigger:statechanged|state=Approved}
    {increment-metadata:currentversion|increment=1}
{trigger}

Related examples

• Requiring a parameter on an approval transition to set a condition for the trigger to increment metadata for one of major, minor or patch composite version