WorldServer - Error at 'Generate Translation Kit' or 'Create Project Package' step - Pending claimant must be one of the assignees of the next task-step

Error at Create Project Package or Generate Translation Kit step:

Completed Create Project Package step of task 2 in time [00:00:02] on engine [XXXX003:clone#1643725918:engine#8] with result Error. Execution output: Error while executing automatic action: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Pending claimant must be one of the assignees of the next task-step
 

Note: the dependency causing this error has been removed in WorldServer 11.8.1 so the error will no longer appear in this version. For a resolution, upgrade to version 11.8.1.

For earlier versions:

The Create Project Package is a human step introduced in WorldServer 11.6. with additional features. In earlier versions, the step was called Generate Translation Kit. The symptoms described here apply to both automatic steps.

Resolution 1: Update the project creator's user settings to include the user the Workflow Role(s) assigned to the human step after Create Project Package or Generate Translate Kit. You can also do this ad-hoc for the specific project's tasks by selecting all the Tasks and go to Change Assignee and assign the project submitter to the human step (i.e. Translate). Once this is done, complete the Autoerror. 

Resolution 2: if #1 is not a valid option for you because you do not want a project submitter to be assigned to - for example -  a Translate step, you can configure your workflow to overcome this restriction following these steps:

1- Go to Management > User Setup > Users and click on Add to add a new User
2- Create a user with following settings:

Username: transkit
Password: any password of your choice, it is irrelevant.
First name: Translation
Last Name: Kit User
Locales: select all Locales
Clients: select all Clients
Workgroups: select all Workgroups
Workflow role: Administrators

3- Once the user is created, go to Management > Administration > Customization and in the Custom component type: drop down menu, select Attributes. The list of Attributes will display.
4- Click on the Add button to create a new Attribute
5- Create an Attribute of type Applicable Object Type Project and Attribute Type User.
6- The Internal (API) Name must be TranslationKitUser. The External (UI) Name can be whatever you want, i.e simply Translation Kit User.
7- Attribute Validator: use Sample-Administrator User Validator
8- Default Value: Translation Kit User
9- Save your project attribute. This is how it would look like:




10- Now you need to add a Set Project Attribute (LIB) step to your workflow before the Create Project Package (or Generate Translation Kit). Important: do not use the Set Project Attribute step, but make sure to use the library version of the step, which is: Set Project Attribute (LIB).

11- Configure the Set Project Attribute (LIB) step as follows:

Project Attribute Name: TranslationKitUser
Attribute value: transkit

This is how the Set Project Attribute (LIB) will look like, following the settings above:




12- Once you have added the Set Project Attribute (LIB) step to your workflow, save your changes in the Workflow Editor. Now the submitter won't have to be an assignee of the human step. The Translation Kit User will - however - be automatically the Claimant of the Task in the human step following the Create Project Package step. This means that the assignee will need to unclaim the Task from the Translation Kit User user to be able to complete the human step. Example:




Resolution/Workaround 3:

Another possible workaround to avoid the restriction is to configure the Kit Exporter Type in the Create Project Package (or Generate Translate Kit) Automatic Action to use Assets instead of Tasks. Using Assets is not dependent on the submitter being an assignee of the human step set after the Create Project Package (or Generate Translate Kit) step. In fact, if you select this option, there is no requirement for a human step to be set right after Generate Translate Kit.

A side effect of selecting Kit Exporter Type: Assets is that although the exported WSXZ package will be named after the project. 

For instance, once exported by the Create Project Package step, an exported WSXZ package will appear with name (for example) project_Test Create project package7_assets_32256_French (France)_workbench.wsxz. 



However, once a translators opens the package in Trados Studio, the WorldServer (Studio) project will display with a  generic project name such as Adhoc_Project_xxxxxxx_xxxxxx"(where the first 8 digits stand for the date of the export and the last 6 digits are random). Here is an example:



The Return package will automatically also be named Adhoc Project_xxxxxxx_xxxxxx.sdlrpx.wsxz. However, it can be renamed manually. The import/upload back to WorldServer will still work perfectly, but the fact that the project name is not displayed in Trados Studio might be confusing to translators so they need to be aware of this behaviour.

Another side effect of working with WSXZ packages exported with the option Assets instead of Tasks is that the import of Return packages is not recorded in the Task History, although the import had no error. 

This dependency has been removed in WorldServer 11.8.1 so the error will no longer appear in this version. Upgrade to 11.8.1 for a permanent resolution.

In earlier versions, the error happens under two conditions: 

- The Create Project Package Automatic Action is configured with Kit Exporter Type: Tasks
- The Create Project Package Automatic Action is followed by a human step, for instance, Translate (or it could be any other human step), but this human step is assigned to users with a specific Workflow Role, for instance, Project Manager. However, the project creator is not associated with the Project Manager workflow role, which is a normal requirement.

Note: if the human step following Create Project Package is assigned to two different Workflow Roles (i.e. Translators and Reviewers), the project creator must belong to both Workflow Roles, not just one of them. 

This article is relevant:

WorldServer - How to configure the Generate Translation Kit Automatic Action and add it to your Workflow
WorldServer - How to configure the 'Create Project Package' Automatic Action and add it to your Workflow