3:46 p.m.
jemmerling [https://community.jboss.org/people/jemmerling] created the discussion
"Trying to set ActorId in On Entry Action - work item is null"
To view the discussion, visit: https://community.jboss.org/message/648746#648746
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hi,
I am trying to implement an On Entry Action to set the ActorId for a work item.
More generally, what I am trying to do is to assign a task to a specific actor under
certain circumstances. In the process definition, the ActorId is empty for the node
however GroupId is specified. So ordinarily, some member of a group will claim the task,
however given a certain condition, I want the task to be assigned to a specific actor.
This is probably the wrong way to do it, but I hope I am close.
So I implemented this On Entry Action, I can access the node instance but there is no work
item (as opposed to the situation encountered in an On Exit Action):
System.out.println("* * * * * * * * * manager: " + manager + " * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * ");
if (manager != null)
{
System.out.println("* * * * * * * * * setting ActorId to " + manager + " *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ");
WorkItemNodeInstance nodeInstance = (WorkItemNodeInstance)kcontext.getNodeInstance();
if (nodeInstance != null)
{
WorkItem workItem = nodeInstance.getWorkItem();
if (workItem != null)
{
System.out.println("* * * * * * * * * about to set ActorId to " + manager +
" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ");
workItem.setParameter("ActorId", manager);
String actorId = (String) workItem.getParameter("ActorId");
System.out.println("* * * * * * * * * ActorId was set to " + actorId + "
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ");
}
else
{
System.out.println("* * * * * * * * * workItem was null * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * ");
}
}
else
{
System.out.println("* * * * * * * * * nodeInstance was null * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * ");
}
}
else
{
System.out.println("NOT setting ActorId");
}
Here is what is written to stdout:
* * * * * * * * * manager: pmanager2 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * setting ActorId to pmanager2 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * workItem was null * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Can anybody see what I am trying to do and tell me what is the correct approach?
Thanks!
--JE
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12:53 a.m.
New subject: [jBPM] - Re: Trying to set ActorId in On Entry Action - work item is null
Maciej Swiderski [https://community.jboss.org/people/swiderski.maciej] created the
discussion
"Re: Trying to set ActorId in On Entry Action - work item is null"
To view the discussion, visit: https://community.jboss.org/message/648784#648784
--------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, on onEntry event work item is not yet created - unfortunately.
Just wondering what you are trying to achieve with the code above... since if you use
group id as main assignment criteria and then add actor id (meaning there will be both
group and actor) it wil not assign the task to that actor only. Task will be available for
all of them.
I can see two options here:
* use a XOR gateway and two user tasks (one for manager and one for group)
* use one userTask and make it only group assignable and one of the group will be a
manager's group (with possible only one member) and make GroupId to be set from
process variable that you can modify during process instance flow.
HTH
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8:16 a.m.
New subject: [jBPM] - Re: Trying to set ActorId in On Entry Action - work item is null
jemmerling [https://community.jboss.org/people/jemmerling] created the discussion
"Re: Trying to set ActorId in On Entry Action - work item is null"
To view the discussion, visit: https://community.jboss.org/message/648863#648863
--------------------------------------------------------------
What I am trying to achieve:
The node definition specifies a group. Ordinarily, when a new task is created, it can be
claimed by any member of that group.
However, when the process instance progresses to the next node, the actor working on that
(subsequent) task may reject what the previous actor (i.e. the one who claimed the
previous task in the flow) did and send it back to that actor to redo. In this case, I
would want it to be the same node.
I didn't know what is the effect of specifying ActorId and GroupId and I'm not
certain this is well understood in general. So given what you have said, I would want to
not only set ActorId but remove GroupId from that instance of the node (or task). But
hopefully the same node. So it should be immediately reserved by that actor without their
having to claim it.
As far as setting GroupId from a process variable, could you possibly give an example how
to do that? I haven't found a good reference for the EL and the examples are scattered
so I can't remember where to go for the example I need to emulate.
So anyway, let's assume that I want to specify eithor GroupId or ActorId (or both) on
the fly in this situation, how can I do that? Can I do it in an On Entry Action or a
Script Task or by using an expression in the BPMN2 node definition?
Thanks!
--JE
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12:10 p.m.
New subject: [jBPM] - Re: Trying to set ActorId in On Entry Action - work item is null
Maciej Swiderski [https://community.jboss.org/people/swiderski.maciej] created the
discussion
"Re: Trying to set ActorId in On Entry Action - work item is null"
To view the discussion, visit: https://community.jboss.org/message/648917#648917
--------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for more details about your case. If I got it right, you have two user tasks: one
for group of workers and the other for approver(s). So when first one is completed the
approver verifies the work and if (s)he is not happy with outcome you would like to get
the task back to the user who completed it. Is my understanding correct?
If so, you can't get back to the same task instance, once it is completed it cannot be
reopened, it will create new instance of the same task node. I would see this case as
follows:
* one task for group of workers (assigned with group id)
* once task for approver (assigned either with potential owner or with group id)
* third task for rework (assigned with potential owner)
So, whenever approver is not happy it moves the flow into the third user task that is kind
of a copy of the first one but can be assigned to only one potential owner, the one who
completed first task. So it will operate on the same data and most likely with the same
forms. Of course some would say it is duplication of tasks but in my opinion that keeps
the model clean and easy to follow from business perspective.
Regarding usage of group assignment, I believe http:// this could be great starting
point, thanks to Demian
HTH
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12:59 p.m.
New subject: [jBPM] - Re: Trying to set ActorId in On Entry Action - work item is null
jemmerling [https://community.jboss.org/people/jemmerling] created the discussion
"Re: Trying to set ActorId in On Entry Action - work item is null"
To view the discussion, visit: https://community.jboss.org/message/648926#648926
--------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry, I believe the terminology can cause some confusion.
What I am trying for is (in the scenario given) 2 tasks and 3 task instances in this case.
I will use letters to designate tasks and numbers to designate task instances.
Also I cannot see a strong distinction between a node and a task other than to argue that
not all nodes are tasks. So when I say (human) task I could also mean node. When I say
task instance I could also mean node instance. Also I will confess that I am not entirely
certain just what a work item is as opposed to a task or a node instance. I suppose I will
only understand fully when I have looked at enough code (which so far has been a fairly
productive way of learning).
So task A and task B are as you described them (worker/approver) although the real-world
problem I want to address is more complicated. Both have GroupId specified in their static
definition and neither has ActorId specified (in fact in our model, we would never want to
have to think about a given individual).
So the scenario is:
1.) Task A -> Task Instance 1: Actor 1 (member of Task A's group) claims this task
instance, works on it, and completes it.
..also Actor 1's ID is saved as a process variable so we
know who completed this task instance
2.) Task B -> Task Instance 2: Actor 2 (member of Task B's group) claims this and
"rejects" it by not setting an "approved" variable (which is a process
variable).
..so the sequence branches at an XOR gateway which in the
BPMN model leads back to Task A
3.) Task A -> Task Instance 3: Actor 1 now sees that the task has been assigned to them
immediately, they will not need to claim it; it is already reserved for them to work on.
..Steps 2.) and 3.) could repeat an arbitrary number of
times but will eventually lead to a hypothetical step 4.) which should involve Task C or
be an end node.
This same pattern will in reality occur 4 or more times in the real-life business process
so I don't want to have to define a Task A', B', etc. for every task just to
allow for "rework".
Of course, an admininstrator would always have the ability to reassign any task instance
to a different actor, but of course that would require said administrator's
intervention.
However, suppose I did go with the A', B'..Z' approach as you seem to be
suggesting. Then I would still need to know how to assign the ActorId from a process
variable. Would I use some expression such as #{variable}?
And I would still like to know if there is a way to programmatically override the ActorId
and/or GroupId specification for a task/node using either MVEL or Java, within a script
node or within a entry or exit action. If you know how this would be accomplished, could
you please refer me to an example!
Thanks!
--JE
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