Method and image forming apparatus for generating workflow of image forming job

1. A method of generating a workflow of an image forming job, the method comprising:

providing a first list of selectable first functions;

receiving a user input for selecting a first function from the first list;

running an application for executing the selected first function to provide a user interface (UI) for receiving setting values for the selected first function;

storing the received setting values for the selected first function;

determining output data of the selected first function;

determining, based on the output data of the selected first function, a second list of selectable second functions that are continuously executable to the selected first function;

providing the second list;

receiving a user input for selecting a second function from the second list; and

generating a workflow to sequentially execute the selected first function based on the received setting values for the selected first function and the selected second function,

wherein the second list of selectable second functions is determined based on whether input data of the second functions corresponds to the output data of the selected first function.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing of the first list of the selectable first functions comprises:

acquiring metadata of applications for executing the first functions,

analyzing the acquired metadata, and

displaying functions that are usable for constituting the workflow as the first list of the selectable first functions.

3. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the providing of the first list comprises displaying functions for which input data is not required as the first functions based on metadata of applications for executing the corresponding functions, and

wherein the providing of the second list comprises displaying functions for which output data is not required as the second functions based on metadata of applications for executing the corresponding functions.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein each of the metadata of the applications for executing the first functions and the metadata of the applications for executing the second functions comprises at least one of names of the corresponding functions, information about output data of the corresponding functions, information about input data of the corresponding functions, or icons of the corresponding functions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing of the second list comprises displaying functions requiring input data corresponding to output data of at least one of the first functions as the second functions.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein, in the second list, the second functions requiring the input data corresponding to the output data of the at least one of the first functions are displayed in an activated state.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, upon the receiving of the user input for selecting the second function from the second list:

running an application for executing the selected second function;

providing a UI for receiving setting values for the selected second function; and

storing the received setting values for the selected second function,

wherein the generating of the workflow is further based on the received setting values for the selected second function.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising storing the workflow in one of a private storage of the user or a public storage.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

reading the stored workflow if an execution request for the stored workflow is received; and

sequentially executing the first function and the second function included in the workflow.

10. An image forming apparatus for generating a workflow of an image forming job, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a user interface (UI) device to:

provide a first list of selectable first functions,

receive, from a user, a user input for selecting a first function from the first list,

receive, from the user, setting values for the selected first function, and

receive, from the user, a user input for selecting a second function from a second list of selectable second functions;

at least one processor to:

run an application for executing the selected first function to provide a user interface (UI) for receiving the setting values for the selected first function,

store the received setting values for the selected first function,

determine output data of the selected first function,

determine, based on the output data of the selected first function, the second list of selectable second functions that are continuously executable to the selected first function,

provide the second list to the UI device, and

generate a workflow to sequentially execute the selected first function based on the received setting values for the selected first function and the selected second function; and

a storage to store the workflow,

wherein the second list of selectable second functions is determined based on whether input data of the second functions corresponds to the output data of the selected first function.

11. The image forming apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor:

acquires metadata of applications for executing the first functions,

analyzes the acquired metadata, and

displays first functions that are usable for constituting the workflow as the first list of the selectable first functions.

12. The image forming apparatus of claim 10 ,

wherein the at least one processor displays functions for which input data is not required as the first functions based on metadata of applications for executing the corresponding functions, and

wherein the providing of the second list comprises displaying functions for which output data is not required as the of second functions based on metadata of applications for executing the corresponding functions.

13. The image forming apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each of the metadata of the applications for executing the first functions and the metadata of the applications for executing the second functions comprises at least one of names of the corresponding functions, information about output data of the corresponding functions, information about input data of the corresponding functions, or icons of the corresponding functions.

14. The image forming apparatus of claim 10 , wherein, to provide the second list, the at least one processor displays functions requiring input data corresponding to output data of at least one of the first functions as the second functions.

15. The image forming apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor displays the second functions requiring the input data corresponding to the output data of the at least one of the first functions in an activated state.

16. The image forming apparatus of claim 10 ,

wherein the at least one processor, upon the receiving of the user input for selecting the second function from the second list, runs an application for executing the selected second function,

wherein the UI device, upon the receiving of the user input for selecting the second function from the second list, receives setting values for the selected second function,

wherein the storage stores the received setting values for the selected second function, and

wherein the generating of the workflow is further based on the received setting values for the selected second function.

17. The image forming apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the storage stores the workflow in one of a private storage of the user or a public storage.

18. The image forming apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor:

reads the stored workflow if an execution request for the stored workflow is received, and

sequentially executes the first function and the second function included in the workflow.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon instructions for performing a method of generating a workflow of an image forming job, the non-transitory computer-readable recording medium comprising:

instructions to provide a first list of selectable first functions;

instructions to receive a user input for selecting a first function from the first list;

instructions to run an application for executing the selected first function to provide a user interface (UI) for receiving setting values of the selected first function;

instructions to store the received setting values of the selected first function;

instructions to determine output data of the selected first function;

instructions to determine, based on the output data of the selected first function, a second list of selectable second functions that are continuously executable to the selected first function;

instructions to provide the second list;

instructions to receive a user input for selecting a second function from the second list; and

instructions to generate a workflow to sequentially execute the selected first function based on the received setting values for the selected first function and the selected second function,

wherein the second list of selectable second functions is determined based on whether input data of the second functions corresponds to the output data of the selected first function.