1. What is the best way to edit user forms (*.ftl files) in a graphical environment (something like Intalio does)?
I have managed to open them in Eclipse as html files. Are there better options?
You can use various editors including an Eclipse plug-in from FreeMarker (http://freemarker.sourceforge.net/editors.html)
2. Is there an automatic (user-oriented) way of linking together user form fields with corresponding User Task variables?
Currently it looks to me that all the variables' mappings with form fields (and variables in the ftl form) must be written manually in the code. Is it so or are there any better ways to automate it?
It is true for now.
6) Add the form to
${install.home}/jboss-{version}.GA/server/default/jbpm-gwt-console-server.war -> /deploy/WEB-INF/lib/jbpm-gwt-form-5.1-SNAPSHOT.jar
7) Make a PNG file of the diagram, name it <processName>.png and add it to
${install.home}/jboss-{version}.GA/server/default/jbpm-gwt-console-server.war -> /WEB-INF/lib/jbpm-gwt-graph-5.1-SNAPSHOT.jar
You basically need artifacts (ftl and png) in CLASSPATH of the jbpm-gwt-console-server. You can do the above or copy the files into CLASSPATH so that jbpm-gwt-console-server can load. For example you can keep the arfifacts into a jar file
and copy the jar file into appserver's lib direcory (JBOSS_HOME\server\default\lib for JBOSS or TOMCAT_HOME\lib for TOMCAT)
See the examples:
http://community.jboss.org/people/bpmn2user/blog/2011/02/27/jbpm5-console--hello-process-example
http://community.jboss.org/people/bpmn2user/blog/2011/02/21/jbpm5-example-for-forms-with-variables
3.1. Is the process correct (at least it works)?
Yes! It should work
3.2. Am I right that by default no user form is created in the jBPM project in Eclipse when I create a User Task?
That is true for now (if you are comparing with the feature of auto generating forms in Eclipse in jBPM3/jBPM4)
3.4. Is there a solution for deploying a user form automatically on the server?
You can use this approach http://people.redhat.com/kverlaen/jBPM5-guvnor-integration.swf