From jbosstools-commits at lists.jboss.org Wed Feb 17 14:27:35 2010
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="===============8631003221812678955=="
MIME-Version: 1.0
From: jbosstools-commits at lists.jboss.org
To: jbosstools-commits at lists.jboss.org
Subject: [jbosstools-commits] JBoss Tools SVN: r20332 -
trunk/jbpm/docs/reference/en.
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:27:35 -0500
Message-ID: <201002171927.o1HJRZ4O016792@svn01.web.mwc.hst.phx2.redhat.com>
--===============8631003221812678955==
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Author: ochikvina
Date: 2010-02-17 14:27:34 -0500 (Wed, 17 Feb 2010)
New Revision: 20332
Modified:
trunk/jbpm/docs/reference/en/master.xml
trunk/jbpm/docs/reference/en/master_output.xml
Log:
https://jira.jboss.org/jira/browse/JBDS-1104 - Updated versions,correcte=
d master_output file
Modified: trunk/jbpm/docs/reference/en/master.xml
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
--- trunk/jbpm/docs/reference/en/master.xml 2010-02-17 19:17:57 UTC (rev 20=
331)
+++ trunk/jbpm/docs/reference/en/master.xml 2010-02-17 19:27:34 UTC (rev 20=
332)
@@ -64,11 +64,11 @@
=
2007
- 2009
+ 20092010JBoss by Red Hat
- Version: 4.0.0.CR1
+ Version: 4.0.0.trunk
=
Modified: trunk/jbpm/docs/reference/en/master_output.xml
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
--- trunk/jbpm/docs/reference/en/master_output.xml 2010-02-17 19:17:57 UTC =
(rev 20331)
+++ trunk/jbpm/docs/reference/en/master_output.xml 2010-02-17 19:27:34 UTC =
(rev 20332)
@@ -23,1292 +23,1293 @@
=
=
- ]>
-
- jBPM Tools Reference Guide
-
-
-
-
- =
-
-
- =
- =
-
- =
-
- Anatoly
- Fedosik
-
-
- Koen
- Aers
- koen.aers(a)jboss.com
-
-
- Olga
- Chikvina
-
-
- Svetlana
- Mukhina
- smukhina(a)exadel.com
-
-
- Tom
- Baeyens
- tom.baeyens(a)jboss.com
-
-
-
- April 2008
-
- 2007
- 2009
- JBoss by Red Hat
-
- Version: 4=
.0.0.CR1
-
-
-
-
- PDF version
-
-
-
-
- =
-
- =
-
-
-
-
- jBPM
- Target
- developers
- Audience
-
-
- Introduction
- All developers and process analysts who are beginning to use JBoss =
jBPM should read this
- Getting Started guide. It will give them a jumpstart showing how to crea=
te a process definition.
-
-
- Preface
- This document introduces the use of the JBoss jBPM Graphical Proce=
ss Designer (GPD) to
- create workflow processes. It will help first time users with the follo=
wing tasks :
-
-
- Install the JBoss jBPM GPD Eclipse plugin available from the JBo=
ss jBPM download
- area
-
-
- Set up a Java project in Eclipse and prepare it to do test drive=
n process
- development
-
-
- Using the creation wizard to create an empty process definition<=
/para>
-
-
- Use the designer palette to draw the first processdefinition
-
-
- Show how the xml processdefinition can be inspected as an xml fi=
le
-
-
- Set up a Java project in Eclipse and prepare it to do test drive=
n process
- development
-
-
- Write an example process test case
-
-
- If you have questions, please feel free to contact Koen Aers or Tom Baeyens for more
- information.
-
-
-
-
- Feature list
-
- JBoss jBPM is a workflow that enables creating and automatization=
business processes. Look
- at the list of features below to understand its main functionality.
-
- Key Functionality for JBoss jBPM
-
-
-
- Feature
- Benefit
-
-
-
-
-
-
- jBDL support
-
- Enables managing workflow processes as well as human tasks an=
d interactions between
- them. jBDL combines the best both Java and declarative process tech=
niques.
-
-
-
-
- Support of Graphical Proce=
ss Designer (GPD)
-
- Is used for simplifying declarative process development and v=
isualizations of all
- actions.
-
-
-
-
- Project Creation wizard
-
- Allows to create a new jBPM template project that already inc=
ludes all advanced
- artifacts and core jBPM libraries.
-
-
-
-
- Rich palette of pre-bu=
ild process nodes
-
- Provides process-building functionality and gives opportunity=
even non-programmers to
- develop processes.
-
-
-
-
- A large range of special views, includi=
ng:
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Support of XML code view
-
- Shows the corresponding XML that's generated automatically in=
the Source view
- of the process definition editor when developing the process.
-
-
-
-
- Properties view
-
- Facilitates configuring and editing of all nodes properties.<=
/entry>
-
-
-
-
- The jBPM Graphical Process Design=
er editor
-
- The plugin is used for designing the workflow.
-
- =
-
-
- Interaction with all of the J2EE based integration technologi=
es including Web Services,
- Java Messaging, J2EE Connectors, JBDC, EJBs.
- Enables implementation, provides better functionality and fle=
xibility.
-
-
-
- Integration with jBoss Seam
- Allows to write applications with complex workflows and provi=
des easier interactions
- between them.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- =
-
- Other relevant resources on the topic
- All JBoss Developer Studio/JBoss Tools release documentation you c=
an find athttp://docs.jboss.org=
/tools in the corresponding release directory.
- There is some extra information on JBoss Wiki.
- The latest documentation builds are available at http://download.jboss.org/=
jbosstools/nightly-docs.
-
-
-
- =
- =
-
-
-
-
- jBPM
- designer
- process
- JBoss Developer Studio
- jBPM runtime
-
-
- JBoss jBPM Runtime Installation
- The main purpose of this chapter is to let you know how to launch t=
he JBoss
- jBPM (business process management).
- The jBPM plugin (jBPM Designer) is already included in the JBoss Tools.
- To make it work, you should only download the jBPM runtime (jbpm-jpdl-3.2.3 currently) =
and specify the directory where you extracted the runtime
- either when you create a jBPM project or by using the jBPM preference pa=
ges.
-
-
- Note:
- Try to avoid using spaces in the names of installation folders. It=
can provoke problems in
- some situations with Sun-based VMs.
-
-
- Navigate to
- Window > Preferences > JBoss jBPM >=
; Runtime Locations.
- Here you can add, edit and remove JBoss jBPM installation lo=
cations. Click
- Add
- button. In the dialog that appeared enter a name for a newly=
added jBPM runtime and
- point to the correct location of this package on your harddrive. Click <=
emphasis>
- OK
- then click
- OK
- again.
-
-
- Adding jBPM Location
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Now, when you have a runtime installed, we are going to demonstrate=
some powerful features of
- the jBPM.
-
- =
- =
-
-
-
-
- jBPM
- JBoss
- Process
- Definition
-
-
- A Guided Tour of JBoss jBPM GPD
- In this chapter we suggest a step-by-step walk-through of creating =
and configuring your
- own simple process. Let's try to organize a new jBPM project.
- A wizard for creating a jBPM project is included in the GPD plugin.=
We have opted to
- create a project based on a template already containing a number of adva=
nced artifacts that
- we will ignore for this section. In the future we will elaborate this wi=
zard and offer the
- possibility to create an empty jBPM project as well as projects based on=
templates taken
- from the jBPM tutorial.
-
-
- Creating a jBPM Project
- This section will show you how to use the Creation wizard for crea=
ting a new jBPM
- project with already included source folders.
- At first you should select
- File >New Project...
- and then
- JBoss jBPM > Process Project
- in the New Project dialog:
-
- New Project Dialog
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Clicking
- Next
- brings us to the wizard page where it's necessary to specif=
y the
- name and location for the project. We choose, for example,
- HellojBPM
- as the name and accept the default location.
-
- Process Name and Location
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Thus, our project will be created in the workspace root directory =
by default. If you
- want to change the directory for your future project, deselect
- Use default location
- and click
- Browse...
- button to set needed location or simply type it.
- On the next screen you'll be prompted to select the core jBPM loca=
tion that
- we have defined in the previous chapter.
-
- Core jBPM Location Specifying
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Clicking on
- Finish
- results in the project being generated. The wizard creates =
four source
- folders: one for the processes (
- src/main/jpdl
- ), one for the java sources (
- src/main/java
- ), one for the unit tests (
- src/test/java
- ) and one for the resources such as the jbpm.properties and =
the
- hibernate.properties files (
- src/main/config
- ). In addition a classpath container with all the core jBPM =
libraries is
- added to the project
-
- Layout of the Process Project
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Looking inside the different source folders will reveal a number o=
f other artifacts
- that were generated, but we will leave these untouched for the moment. =
Instead, we will
- look at another wizard that enables us to create an empty process defin=
ition.
-
-
-
- Creating an Empty Process Definition
- Now when the project is set up, we can use a Creation wizard to cr=
eate an empty
- process definition. Bring up the
- New
- wizard by clicking the
- File > New > Other...
- menu item. The wizard opens on the
- Select Wizard
- page.
-
- The Select Wizard Page
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Selecting the
- JBoss jBPM
- category, then the
- Process Definition
- item and clicking on the
- Next
- button brings us to the
- Create Process Definition
- page.
-
- The Create New Process Defining Page
-
-
-
-
-
-
- We choose
- hello
- as the name of the process archive file. Click on the
- Finish
- button to end the wizard and open the process definition ed=
itor.
-
- The Process Definition Editor
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- You can see in the Package Explorer that creating a process defini=
tion involves
- creating a folder with the name of the process definition and populatin=
g this folder
- with two .xml files :
- gpd.xml
- and
- processdefinition.xml.
- The
- gpd.xml
- contains the graphical information used by the process defi=
nition editor.
- The
- processdefinition.xml
- file contains the actual process definition info without th=
e graphical
- rendering info. At present, the GPD assumes that these two files are si=
blings. More
- sophisticated configuration will be supported later.
-
-
-
- A Minimal Process Definition
- Now we are ready to create a very simple process definition consi=
sting of a begin
- state, an intermediate state and an end state.
- To make the configuration of actions much easier it's better to u=
se the
- jPDL perspective. It provides the tabbed Properties Editor which allow=
s to configure
- all the relevant properties of the current selected item.
-
-
-
- Adding the Nodes
- At first select respectively
- Start,
-
- State
- and
- End
- on the tools palette and click on the canvas to add these=
nodes to
- the process definition. The result should look similar to this:
-
- A Simple Process With Three Nodes
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Adding Transitions
- Then, we will connect the nodes with transitions. To do that sel=
ect the
- Transition
- tool in the tools palette and click on the
- Start
- node, then move to the
- State
- node and click again to see the transition being drawn. P=
erform the
- same steps to create a transition from the
- State
- node to the
- End
- node. The result will look like:
-
- A Simple Process With Transitions
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Now, when you've got background knowledge of simple project crea=
tion,
- let's move to more advanced tools.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- =
-
-
-
-
- jBPM
-
-
-
- The views
-
- Here, it will be explained how to work with views and editors pr=
ovided by JBDS.
- The views are used for representation and navigation the resourc=
es you are working on at
- the moment. One of the advantages of all the views is that all mod=
ifications made in the
- current active file are immediately displayed in them. Let=E2=80=
=99s get acquainted more closely
- with those that the jPDL perspective provides.
-
-
- The jPDL Perspective Views and Editors
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- As you can see in the picture above, the jPDL perspective contains a
- complete set of functionality that's necessary for working on the =
jBPM project.
-
-
-
- The Outline View
- To have a way to quickly see an outline of the process use t=
he
- Outline view
- that is presented as the classical tree. If it is =
not visible select
- Window > Show view > Out=
line.
-
-
- The Overview View
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- The Overview
- The main advantage of this view is that it gives visual repr=
esentation of the whole
- current developing process. Besides, the
- Overview
- comes as a scrollable thumbnail which enables a be=
tter navigation of the
- process structure if it's too large.
-
-
- The Overview
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- The Properties View
- Here, we dwell on the JBDS Prop=
erties view.
- Notice if it's not visible you can access it by navigating <=
emphasis>
- Window > Show view > Pro=
perties.
- The view shows the relevant properties of the selected item =
in the tabbed form. Every
- item has its own set of properties, which can be directly edit=
able in the Properties
- view or by brining up the context menu.
-
-
- The Properties View of selected Transition
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- For example, on the picture above the Properties view displa=
ys all the properties for
- a selected transition. Its name has been changed to
- to_auction. We've done it directly in
- active General tab of the view. The same way let's change the =
name for the
- second transition to
- to_end. =
- If no one item is selected, the view represents the properti=
es of the whole process
- definition.
-
-
- The Properties View of Process Definition
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- In this case, it contains six tabs. The first one is the
- General.=
It allows to specify a process name and add
- necessary description. To illustrate let's change the process =
definition name
- to
- jbay.
-
-
-
-
- The jBPM Graphical Process Designer editor.
- The jBPM GPD editor i=
ncludes four modes: Diagram, Deployment,
- Design and Source, which are available as switchable tabs at t=
he bottom of the editor.
- Let's dwell on each of them.
-
-
- The Diagram mode
- In this mode we define the process in the form of a dia=
gram by means of tools
- provided on the left-hand side of the jBPM GPD.
-
-
- The Diagram mode
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Besides, some properties can be directly edited in the <=
property moreinfo=3D"none">Diagram
- mode of the graphical editor. One example of th=
is is the
- name
- property of nodes. You can edit this directly =
by selecting the node of
- which you want to change the name and then click once insi=
de this node. This enables
- an editor in the node. We change the name of the node to <=
emphasis>
- auction.
-
-
-
-
- The Source Mode
- Now, that we have defined a simple process definition, w=
e can have a look at the
- XML that is being generated under the covers. To see this =
XML click on the Source
- tab of the graphical process designer editor.
-
-
- The Source Mode
-
-
-
-
-
-
- The Source mode e=
nables to easily manipulate our XML. That is
- manually inserting and editing necessary elements or attri=
butes. In addition, here
- you can take advantage of content assist.
-
-
-
-
- The Design Mode
- One more way to edit your file is to use Design mode. You can
- see it in the next picture:
-
- The Design Mode
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- As you can see above, this mode looks like a table in th=
e first column of which
- the process structure is performed. Here, you can also ins=
ert, remove and edit
- elements or attributes, moreover add comments and instruct=
ions. Their values can be
- directly edited in the second column of the Design mode ta=
ble.
- For instance, let=E2=80=99s add a comment on the second =
transition. For that, you should
- bring up the context menu for it and choose
- Add Before > Comment.
-
-
- Adding a Comment
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Then, we can put the text This transition lead=
s to the end
- state in the right column as its value.
-
-
- Comment is added
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- The Deployment Mode
- Finally, to adjust the deployment settings of the projec=
t you should switch on to
- the tab that opens the Deploym=
ent mode. On the picture below
- the Deployment mode=
is performed with default settings. Here,
- you can easily modify them or, if the settings won't match=
your needs, to
- reset defaults.
-
- The Deployment Mode
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- The button
- Test Connections
- is necessary to make sure whether all your set=
tings are valid before
- deploying the process.
- Now that we've seen how to work with jPDL
- perspective, let's pass on to the project testi=
ng.
-
-
-
- =
-
-
-
-
- jBPM
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Test Driven Process Development
-
- One of the most important advantages of JBoss jBPM's lightweigh=
t approach to BPM
- and workflow management is that developers can easily leverage the=
ir usual programming
- skills and techniques. One of these well-known techniques is Unit =
Testing and Test Driven
- Development.
- In this chapter we will show how developers, making use of the J=
Boss jBPM GPD, can use a
- technique we have baptized Test Driven=
Process Development to create
- process definitions and test their correctness.
-
- When creating the
- HellojBPM
- project the Project Creation wizard has already put in=
place all the library
- requirements we need to start writing the jBPM unit tests. They ar=
e contained in the jBPM
- Library container and the most important of them is the
- .jar
- file containing the core jBPM classes. While working o=
n the project you could
- find them all in the Package Explorer<=
/property>.
-
-
- The jBPM Libraries
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- It must be noted that it is possible to change the location of t=
he core jBPM installation
- by changing the preference settings. More on this see
- later in this book.
-
- With that extra knowledge on the project settings, you can crea=
te your first test. To do
- this, we create the
- com.jbay
- package in the
- test/java
- source folder. Then we bring up the context menu on th=
is package and select
- New > Other...
-
-
-
- Call the JUnit Test Case Creation wizard
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- And then
- Java > JUnit > JUnit Test Ca=
se
- to call the specialized JUnite Test case creation wiza=
rd.
-
- Call the JUnit Test Case Creation wizard
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- The wizard looks as follows:
-
-
- Create Test Dialog
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- By default JUnite 3 version of testing framework is selected. Of=
course, you can choose
- new advanced JUnit 4 version. In this case you'll be prompted to a=
dd new JUnit
- Library to your build path. To add it automatically just click on =
the appropriate link. In
- the
- Class under test
- section you can specify the class to test.
-
-
- A First Test Scenario
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Then, we call the test class
- HelloTest
- and press
- Finish
- button to complete.
-
- Next, we should write a simple test scenario as shown on the ne=
xt figure. Let's
- study the code of this test case.
-
-
- A First Test Scenario
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- In the first line of the method, a jBPM process archive object i=
s created. We use a
- constructor accepting the filename of the archive. In our case it =
is the
- hello
- file we created earlier and which lives in the
- src/main/jpdl
- folder of our project. After asserting that this objec=
t is really created, we
- extract a process definition object from it. This object is fed to=
the constructor of a
- process instance object. We have a process instance object, but th=
is process is not yet
- started, so we can safely assert that its root token still resides=
in the start node. After
- signalling the token will move to the next state and the process w=
ill be in the
- auction
- state. Finally another signal will end the process.
-
-
- After writing this test we can check whether it works as expect=
ed by running it .
-
-
- Running the Process Test
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- All went well as we have a green light:
-
-
- Successful Test Run
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Of course, this simple scenario was not very interesting, but t=
he purpose of it was to
- show how you can reuse your development skills in a very straightf=
orward way when doing
- process development. To see how more interesting processes and pro=
cess test
- scenario's can be developed, we suggest you to read the JBoss jBPM User Guide=
and to
- study the API reference. You can find it in the jBPM download fold=
er. (To get started we
- downloaded jbpm-jpdl-3.2.2 in the second
- chapter. You should just remember where you extracted i=
t.) All we've mentioned are in the 'javadoc- *' subfolders of the 'doc' fol=
der.
- Moreover, some more examples will be given later in this book.
-
-
-
- =
-
-
-
-
- jBPM
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Actions : The JBoss jBPM Integration Mechanism
-
- In this chapter we will show how to do software integration wit=
h JBoss
- jBPM. The standard mechanism to implement this is to wr=
ap the functionality you
- want to integrate in a class that implements the
- ActionHandler
- interface. In order to demonstrate it let's specify He=
llo World action for our
- process.
-
-
- Creating a Hello World Action
-
- Each Hello World process should integrate one or more Hello =
World actions, so this is
- what we will be doing. We can integrate custom code at differe=
nt points in the process
- definition. To do this we have to specify an action handler, r=
epresented by an
- implementation of the
- ActionHandler
- interface, and attach this piece of code to a part=
icular event. These events
- are amongst others, going over a transition, leaving or enteri=
ng nodes, after and before
- signalling.
-
- To make things a little bit more concrete, let's create a n=
ew class called
- HelloActionHandler.
- For that firstly we'll create a new package
- com.jbay.action
- in the
- src/java/main
- folder of our project. Then, we should call New Cl=
ass Creation wizard as
- usual by right-clicking and navigating
- New > Class.
-
-
-
- Creating HelloActionHendler Class
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Notice that two first gaps have been filled automatically. H=
ere, instead of
- Package
- option
- Enclose type
- option can be selected where a type in which to en=
close a new class should
- be specified.
-
- In our case, we leave everything as it is, just type
- HelloActionHandler
- as a name of new class and add
- org.jbpm.graph.ActionHendler
- interface as it's shown in the picture above.
-
- Thus, our
- HelloActionHandler
- implements the
- ActionHandler
- interface including the
- execute
- method as shown in the next figure. Here, we add a=
variable named
- greeting
- to the collection of process variables and put =
a message in it :
- "Hello from ActionHandler".
-
-
- A Simple Hello Action
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Now, as we have
- HelloActionHandler
- class defined, let's explore how we can handle it.=
-
-
-
- Integrating the Hello World Action
-
- The main purpose of this chapter is to provide you with the =
steps associating our
- Hello World action with a particular event and test the correc=
tness of our actions as
- well.
-
- As good Testcity citizens we will first create a Unit Test =
that proves the behaviour
- we want to achieve by adding the
- ActionHandler
- to the process. So we implement another test.
- =
- At first, let's return to the
- code we already saw in the pre=
vious chapter and add new test method
- testActionHendler to it.
- =
-
- Create the Hello Action Test
- =
-
-
-
-
-
-
- =
- We assert
- that no variable called
- greeting
- exist. Then we give the process a signal to move i=
t to the auction state. We
- want to associate the execution of the action with the event o=
f going over the
- transition from the start state to the auction state. So after=
the signal, the process
- should be in the auction state as in the previous scenario. Bu=
t moreover, the
- greeting
- variable should exist and contain the string "Hello from
- ActionHandler". That's what we assert in the last l=
ines of the test
- method.
-
- =
-
- Running the tests now results in a failure. The point is th=
at we did not associate
- the action with any particular event in the process definition=
, so the process variable
- did not get set.
-
-
- Test Results Before Integration
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Let's do something about it and add an action to the first =
transition of our
- sample process. To do this you can use the Actions tab in the =
Properties Editor that is
- under the graphical canvas. Bring up the popup menu of the act=
ion element container and
- chose New Action as it's shown on the figure below. The other =
way to add an action
- to the transition is simply to use the dropdown menu that is a=
vailable under the action
- icon in the right upper corner of the Properties View.
-
-
- Adding an Action to a Transition
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- After adding the action a tabbed view with three pages will =
appear.
-
-
- Configuration Dialog for an Action
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- The first of these three pages allows you to give the Action=
a name. The last page
- contains some advanced attributes such as whether the Action i=
s asynchronous. The
- Details page is the most important. It allows to choose and co=
nfigure the actual action
- handler implementation.
-
-
- The Details page of an Action Configuration Dialog</tit=
le>
-
- <mediaobject>
- <imageobject>
- <imagedata fileref=3D"images/The_JBoss_jBPM_Int_Mech/j=
boss_jbpm_int_mech_7.png" scale=3D"80"></imagedata>
- </imageobject>
- </mediaobject>
- </figure>
-
-
- <para>Clicking on the <emphasis>
- <property moreinfo=3D"none">Search...</property>
- </emphasis> button brings us to a Choose Class dialog.</para>
-
-
- <figure float=3D"0">
- <title>The Choose Action Handler Dialog
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- We choose our previously created 'HelloActionHandler' class=
and
- push the OK button. Aft=
er the selection of the action handler for
- the action, we can run the test and observe it gives us a gree=
n light.
-
-
- Test Results
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- There we are. The above objective has been achieved.
-
-
-
- Integration Points
-
- The different integration points in a process definition ar=
e thoroughly documented in
- the JB=
oss jBPM User Guide. Instance nodes can contain many action
- elements. Each of these will appear in the Action element list=
of the Actions tab. But
- each Action also has a properties view of itself. You can navi=
gate to this view by
- selecting the added Action in the outline view.
-
-
-
-
-
- =
-
-
-
-
- jBPM
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Quick Howto Guide
-
- This chapter contains additional information related to the JBoss
- jBPM.
-
-
- Change the Default Core jBPM Installation
-
- You can change the default jBPM=
installation by means of the
- Eclipse preference mechanism. Open the Preferences dialog by s=
electing
- Window > Preferences
- and select the
- JBoss jBPM > Runtime Locati=
on
- category. Using this page you can add multiple jBPM
- installation locations and change the default one. The default=
installation is used for
- the classpath settings when creating a new Process Project. Ch=
anging the preferences has
- no influence on already created projects. Getting rid of a jBPM
- installation that's being referenced by a project however will=
cause the
- classpath to contain errors.
-
-
-
- The jBPM Preferences Page
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Configuring Task Nodes
-
- Here, we'll examine how you can configure the Task nodes in =
jBPM jPDL GPD.
-
- You can add Tasks to Task nodes and then configure them in =
a similar manner as the
- Action configuration mechanism. Let's consider the process def=
inition similar
- to the previous one that contains three nodes: Start state, Ta=
sk node and End state. The
- Properties view for sel=
ected Task node includes several tabs.
-
-
- The Properties View of the selected Task Node
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- We should choose the Task tab and then bring up the context =
menu or click the button
- in the top right corner of the view to add a Task to our Task =
node.
-
-
- Adding a Task to the Task Node
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Every added Task has its own configuration possibilities. Yo=
u can access them through
- the Properties view as =
well.
-
-
- The Task properties
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- The General page is a=
place where you can specify the name of a
- Task and its description. For instance, let it be
- approve oder
- with appropriate description that you can see in t=
he figure below.
-
-
- The Task General Page
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Now, look at Details page. First, you should specify the due date
- that is a mandatory property for the Task. The due date is the=
date on which the task
- should be accomplished. Here you can also set a Task priority =
as well as signalling,
- notifying or blocking. The
- Blocking
- attribute indicates that the process will not be a=
ble to continue if this
- task is still unaccomplished. The
- Generate Form...
- button is for creating a simple task form that can=
be rendered by the jBPM
- console.
-
-
- The Task Details Page
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- For our example, we specify the due date as 2 business days,=
choose the high priority
- and also check the
- Signalling
- and
- Notify
- attributes. It means that the Task should be accom=
plished in 2 business days
- and the assignee will be notified by email when the task is as=
signed. To specify how the
- Task should be assigned switch on to the Assignment page.
-
-
- The Task Assignment Page
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- On the Reminder page =
you can specify whether the assignee will be reminded of the task
- that awaits him.
-
-
- The Task Reminder Page
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- In our case, the assignee will be reminded by email after tw=
o business hours and
- continue to get reminding every business hour after that.
- In the next figure you can see our configuring generated int=
o XML.
-
- The Task Reminder Page
-
-
-
-
-
-
- We hope, our guide will help you to get started with the jPD=
L process language and jBPM
- workflow on the whole. Besides, for additional information you=
are welcome on JBoss forum.
-
-
-
- =
-
-
+ ]>
+
+ jBPM Tools Reference Guide
+
+
+
+
+ =
+
+
+ =
+ =
+
+ =
+
+ Anatoly
+ Fedosik
+
+
+ Koen
+ Aers
+ koen.aers(a)jboss.com
+
+
+ Olga
+ Chikvina
+
+
+ Svetlana
+ Mukhina
+ smukhina(a)exadel.com
+
+
+ Tom
+ Baeyens
+ tom.baeyens(a)jboss.com
+
+
+
+ 2007
+ 2009
+ 2010
+ JBoss by Red Hat
+
+ Version: 4=
.0.0.trunk
+
+
+
+
+ PDF version
+
+
+
+
+ =
+
+ =
+
+
+
+
+ jBPM
+ Target
+ developers
+ Audience
+
+
+ Introduction
+ All developers and process analysts who are beginning to use JBoss =
jBPM should read this
+ Getting Started guide. It will give them a jumpstart showing how to crea=
te a process definition.
+
+
+ Preface
+ This document introduces the use of the JBoss jBPM Graphical Proce=
ss Designer (GPD) to
+ create workflow processes. It will help first time users with the follo=
wing tasks :
+
+
+ Install the JBoss jBPM GPD Eclipse plugin available from the JBo=
ss jBPM download
+ area
+
+
+ Set up a Java project in Eclipse and prepare it to do test drive=
n process
+ development
+
+
+ Using the creation wizard to create an empty process definition<=
/para>
+
+
+ Use the designer palette to draw the first processdefinition
+
+
+ Show how the xml processdefinition can be inspected as an xml fi=
le
+
+
+ Set up a Java project in Eclipse and prepare it to do test drive=
n process
+ development
+
+
+ Write an example process test case
+
+
+ If you have questions, please feel free to contact Koen Aers or Tom Baeyens for more
+ information.
+
+
+
+
+ Feature list
+
+ JBoss jBPM is a workflow that enables creating and automatization=
business processes. Look
+ at the list of features below to understand its main functionality.
+
+ Key Functionality for JBoss jBPM
+
+
+
+ Feature
+ Benefit
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ jBDL support
+
+ Enables managing workflow processes as well as human tasks an=
d interactions between
+ them. jBDL combines the best both Java and declarative process tech=
niques.
+
+
+
+
+ Support of Graphical Proce=
ss Designer (GPD)
+
+ Is used for simplifying declarative process development and v=
isualizations of all
+ actions.
+
+
+
+
+ Project Creation wizard
+
+ Allows to create a new jBPM template project that already inc=
ludes all advanced
+ artifacts and core jBPM libraries.
+
+
+
+
+ Rich palette of pre-bu=
ild process nodes
+
+ Provides process-building functionality and gives opportunity=
even non-programmers to
+ develop processes.
+
+
+
+
+ A large range of special views, includi=
ng:
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Support of XML code view
+
+ Shows the corresponding XML that's generated automatically in=
the Source view
+ of the process definition editor when developing the process.
+
+
+
+
+ Properties view
+
+ Facilitates configuring and editing of all nodes properties.<=
/entry>
+
+
+
+
+ The jBPM Graphical Process Design=
er editor
+
+ The plugin is used for designing the workflow.
+
+ =
+
+
+ Interaction with all of the J2EE based integration technologi=
es including Web Services,
+ Java Messaging, J2EE Connectors, JBDC, EJBs.
+ Enables implementation, provides better functionality and fle=
xibility.
+
+
+
+ Integration with jBoss Seam
+ Allows to write applications with complex workflows and provi=
des easier interactions
+ between them.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ =
+
+ Other relevant resources on the topic
+ All JBoss Developer Studio/JBoss Tools release documentation you c=
an find athttp://docs.jboss.org=
/tools in the corresponding release directory.
+ There is some extra information on JBoss Wiki.
+ The latest documentation builds are available at http://download.jboss.org/=
jbosstools/nightly-docs.
+
+
+
+ =
+ =
+
+
+
+
+ jBPM
+ designer
+ process
+ JBoss Developer Studio
+ jBPM runtime
+
+
+ JBoss jBPM Runtime Installation
+ The main purpose of this chapter is to let you know how to launch t=
he JBoss
+ jBPM (business process management).
+ The jBPM plugin (jBPM Designer) is already included in the JBoss Tools.
+ To make it work, you should only download the jBPM runtime (jbpm-jpdl-3.2.3 currently) and specify the directory =
where you extracted the runtime
+ either when you create a jBPM project or by using the jBPM prefere=
nce pages.
+
+ Note:
+ Try to avoid using spaces in the names of installation folders. It=
can provoke problems in
+ some situations with Sun-based VMs.
+
+
+ Navigate to
+ Window > Preferences > JBoss jBPM >=
; Runtime Locations.
+ Here you can add, edit and remove JBoss jBPM installation lo=
cations. Click
+ Add
+ button. In the dialog that appeared enter a name for a newly=
added jBPM runtime and
+ point to the correct location of this package on your harddrive. Click <=
emphasis>
+ OK
+ then click
+ OK
+ again.
+
+
+ Adding jBPM Location
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Now, when you have a runtime installed, we are going to demonstrate=
some powerful features of
+ the jBPM.
+
+ =
+ =
+
+
+
+
+ jBPM
+ JBoss
+ Process
+ Definition
+
+
+ A Guided Tour of JBoss jBPM GPD
+ In this chapter we suggest a step-by-step walk-through of creating =
and configuring your
+ own simple process. Let's try to organize a new jBPM project.
+ A wizard for creating a jBPM project is included in the GPD plugin.=
We have opted to
+ create a project based on a template already containing a number of adva=
nced artifacts that
+ we will ignore for this section. In the future we will elaborate this wi=
zard and offer the
+ possibility to create an empty jBPM project as well as projects based on=
templates taken
+ from the jBPM tutorial.
+
+
+ Creating a jBPM Project
+ This section will show you how to use the Creation wizard for crea=
ting a new jBPM
+ project with already included source folders.
+ At first you should select
+ File >New Project...
+ and then
+ JBoss jBPM > Process Project
+ in the New Project dialog:
+
+ New Project Dialog
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Clicking
+ Next
+ brings us to the wizard page where it's necessary to specif=
y the
+ name and location for the project. We choose, for example,
+ HellojBPM
+ as the name and accept the default location.
+
+ Process Name and Location
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Thus, our project will be created in the workspace root directory =
by default. If you
+ want to change the directory for your future project, deselect
+ Use default location
+ and click
+ Browse...
+ button to set needed location or simply type it.
+ On the next screen you'll be prompted to select the core jBPM loca=
tion that
+ we have defined in the previous chapter.
+
+ Core jBPM Location Specifying
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Clicking on
+ Finish
+ results in the project being generated. The wizard creates =
four source
+ folders: one for the processes (
+ src/main/jpdl
+ ), one for the java sources (
+ src/main/java
+ ), one for the unit tests (
+ src/test/java
+ ) and one for the resources such as the jbpm.properties and =
the
+ hibernate.properties files (
+ src/main/config
+ ). In addition a classpath container with all the core jBPM =
libraries is
+ added to the project
+
+ Layout of the Process Project
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Looking inside the different source folders will reveal a number o=
f other artifacts
+ that were generated, but we will leave these untouched for the moment. =
Instead, we will
+ look at another wizard that enables us to create an empty process defin=
ition.
+
+
+
+ Creating an Empty Process Definition
+ Now when the project is set up, we can use a Creation wizard to cr=
eate an empty
+ process definition. Bring up the
+ New
+ wizard by clicking the
+ File > New > Other...
+ menu item. The wizard opens on the
+ Select Wizard
+ page.
+
+ The Select Wizard Page
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Selecting the
+ JBoss jBPM
+ category, then the
+ Process Definition
+ item and clicking on the
+ Next
+ button brings us to the
+ Create Process Definition
+ page.
+
+ The Create New Process Defining Page
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ We choose
+ hello
+ as the name of the process archive file. Click on the
+ Finish
+ button to end the wizard and open the process definition ed=
itor.
+
+ The Process Definition Editor
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ You can see in the Package Explorer that creating a process defini=
tion involves
+ creating a folder with the name of the process definition and populatin=
g this folder
+ with two .xml files :
+ gpd.xml
+ and
+ processdefinition.xml.
+ The
+ gpd.xml
+ contains the graphical information used by the process defi=
nition editor.
+ The
+ processdefinition.xml
+ file contains the actual process definition info without th=
e graphical
+ rendering info. At present, the GPD assumes that these two files are si=
blings. More
+ sophisticated configuration will be supported later.
+
+
+
+ A Minimal Process Definition
+ Now we are ready to create a very simple process definition consi=
sting of a begin
+ state, an intermediate state and an end state.
+ To make the configuration of actions much easier it's better to u=
se the
+ jPDL perspective. It provides the tabbed Properties Editor which allow=
s to configure
+ all the relevant properties of the current selected item.
+
+
+
+ Adding the Nodes
+ At first select respectively
+ Start,
+
+ State
+ and
+ End
+ on the tools palette and click on the canvas to add these=
nodes to
+ the process definition. The result should look similar to this:
+
+ A Simple Process With Three Nodes
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Adding Transitions
+ Then, we will connect the nodes with transitions. To do that sel=
ect the
+ Transition
+ tool in the tools palette and click on the
+ Start
+ node, then move to the
+ State
+ node and click again to see the transition being drawn. P=
erform the
+ same steps to create a transition from the
+ State
+ node to the
+ End
+ node. The result will look like:
+
+ A Simple Process With Transitions
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Now, when you've got background knowledge of simple project crea=
tion,
+ let's move to more advanced tools.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ =
+
+
+
+
+ jBPM
+
+
+
+ The views
+
+ Here, it will be explained how to work with views and editors pr=
ovided by JBDS.
+ The views are used for representation and navigation the resourc=
es you are working on at
+ the moment. One of the advantages of all the views is that all mod=
ifications made in the
+ current active file are immediately displayed in them. Let=E2=80=
=99s get acquainted more closely
+ with those that the jPDL perspective provides.
+
+
+ The jPDL Perspective Views and Editors
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ As you can see in the picture above, the jPDL perspective contains a
+ complete set of functionality that's necessary for working on the =
jBPM project.
+
+
+
+ The Outline View
+ To have a way to quickly see an outline of the process use t=
he
+ Outline view
+ that is presented as the classical tree. If it is =
not visible select
+ Window > Show view > Out=
line.
+
+
+ The Overview View
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Overview
+ The main advantage of this view is that it gives visual repr=
esentation of the whole
+ current developing process. Besides, the
+ Overview
+ comes as a scrollable thumbnail which enables a be=
tter navigation of the
+ process structure if it's too large.
+
+
+ The Overview
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Properties View
+ Here, we dwell on the JBDS Prop=
erties view.
+ Notice if it's not visible you can access it by navigating <=
emphasis>
+ Window > Show view > Pro=
perties.
+ The view shows the relevant properties of the selected item =
in the tabbed form. Every
+ item has its own set of properties, which can be directly edit=
able in the Properties
+ view or by brining up the context menu.
+
+
+ The Properties View of selected Transition
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ For example, on the picture above the Properties view displa=
ys all the properties for
+ a selected transition. Its name has been changed to
+ to_auction. We've done it directly in
+ active General tab of the view. The same way let's change the =
name for the
+ second transition to
+ to_end. =
+ If no one item is selected, the view represents the properti=
es of the whole process
+ definition.
+
+
+ The Properties View of Process Definition
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ In this case, it contains six tabs. The first one is the
+ General.=
It allows to specify a process name and add
+ necessary description. To illustrate let's change the process =
definition name
+ to
+ jbay.
+
+
+
+
+ The jBPM Graphical Process Designer editor.
+ The jBPM GPD editor i=
ncludes four modes: Diagram, Deployment,
+ Design and Source, which are available as switchable tabs at t=
he bottom of the editor.
+ Let's dwell on each of them.
+
+
+ The Diagram mode
+ In this mode we define the process in the form of a dia=
gram by means of tools
+ provided on the left-hand side of the jBPM GPD.
+
+
+ The Diagram mode
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Besides, some properties can be directly edited in the <=
property moreinfo=3D"none">Diagram
+ mode of the graphical editor. One example of th=
is is the
+ name
+ property of nodes. You can edit this directly =
by selecting the node of
+ which you want to change the name and then click once insi=
de this node. This enables
+ an editor in the node. We change the name of the node to <=
emphasis>
+ auction.
+
+
+
+
+ The Source Mode
+ Now, that we have defined a simple process definition, w=
e can have a look at the
+ XML that is being generated under the covers. To see this =
XML click on the Source
+ tab of the graphical process designer editor.
+
+
+ The Source Mode
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Source mode e=
nables to easily manipulate our XML. That is
+ manually inserting and editing necessary elements or attri=
butes. In addition, here
+ you can take advantage of content assist.
+
+
+
+
+ The Design Mode
+ One more way to edit your file is to use Design mode. You can
+ see it in the next picture:
+
+ The Design Mode
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ As you can see above, this mode looks like a table in th=
e first column of which
+ the process structure is performed. Here, you can also ins=
ert, remove and edit
+ elements or attributes, moreover add comments and instruct=
ions. Their values can be
+ directly edited in the second column of the Design mode ta=
ble.
+ For instance, let=E2=80=99s add a comment on the second =
transition. For that, you should
+ bring up the context menu for it and choose
+ Add Before > Comment.
+
+
+ Adding a Comment
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Then, we can put the text This transition lead=
s to the end
+ state in the right column as its value.
+
+
+ Comment is added
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Deployment Mode
+ Finally, to adjust the deployment settings of the projec=
t you should switch on to
+ the tab that opens the Deploym=
ent mode. On the picture below
+ the Deployment mode=
is performed with default settings. Here,
+ you can easily modify them or, if the settings won't match=
your needs, to
+ reset defaults.
+
+ The Deployment Mode
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ The button
+ Test Connections
+ is necessary to make sure whether all your set=
tings are valid before
+ deploying the process.
+ Now that we've seen how to work with jPDL
+ perspective, let's pass on to the project testi=
ng.
+
+
+
+ =
+
+
+
+
+ jBPM
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Test Driven Process Development
+
+ One of the most important advantages of JBoss jBPM's lightweigh=
t approach to BPM
+ and workflow management is that developers can easily leverage the=
ir usual programming
+ skills and techniques. One of these well-known techniques is Unit =
Testing and Test Driven
+ Development.
+ In this chapter we will show how developers, making use of the J=
Boss jBPM GPD, can use a
+ technique we have baptized Test Driven=
Process Development to create
+ process definitions and test their correctness.
+
+ When creating the
+ HellojBPM
+ project the Project Creation wizard has already put in=
place all the library
+ requirements we need to start writing the jBPM unit tests. They ar=
e contained in the jBPM
+ Library container and the most important of them is the
+ .jar
+ file containing the core jBPM classes. While working o=
n the project you could
+ find them all in the Package Explorer<=
/property>.
+
+
+ The jBPM Libraries
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ It must be noted that it is possible to change the location of t=
he core jBPM installation
+ by changing the preference settings. More on this see
+ later in this book.
+
+ With that extra knowledge on the project settings, you can crea=
te your first test. To do
+ this, we create the
+ com.jbay
+ package in the
+ test/java
+ source folder. Then we bring up the context menu on th=
is package and select
+ New > Other...
+
+
+
+ Call the JUnit Test Case Creation wizard
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ And then
+ Java > JUnit > JUnit Test Ca=
se
+ to call the specialized JUnite Test case creation wiza=
rd.
+
+ Call the JUnit Test Case Creation wizard
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ The wizard looks as follows:
+
+
+ Create Test Dialog
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ By default JUnite 3 version of testing framework is selected. Of=
course, you can choose
+ new advanced JUnit 4 version. In this case you'll be prompted to a=
dd new JUnit
+ Library to your build path. To add it automatically just click on =
the appropriate link. In
+ the
+ Class under test
+ section you can specify the class to test.
+
+
+ A First Test Scenario
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Then, we call the test class
+ HelloTest
+ and press
+ Finish
+ button to complete.
+
+ Next, we should write a simple test scenario as shown on the ne=
xt figure. Let's
+ study the code of this test case.
+
+
+ A First Test Scenario
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ In the first line of the method, a jBPM process archive object i=
s created. We use a
+ constructor accepting the filename of the archive. In our case it =
is the
+ hello
+ file we created earlier and which lives in the
+ src/main/jpdl
+ folder of our project. After asserting that this objec=
t is really created, we
+ extract a process definition object from it. This object is fed to=
the constructor of a
+ process instance object. We have a process instance object, but th=
is process is not yet
+ started, so we can safely assert that its root token still resides=
in the start node. After
+ signalling the token will move to the next state and the process w=
ill be in the
+ auction
+ state. Finally another signal will end the process.
+
+
+ After writing this test we can check whether it works as expect=
ed by running it .
+
+
+ Running the Process Test
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ All went well as we have a green light:
+
+
+ Successful Test Run
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Of course, this simple scenario was not very interesting, but t=
he purpose of it was to
+ show how you can reuse your development skills in a very straightf=
orward way when doing
+ process development. To see how more interesting processes and pro=
cess test
+ scenario's can be developed, we suggest you to read the JBoss jBPM User Guide=
and to
+ study the API reference. You can find it in the jBPM download fold=
er. (To get started we
+ downloaded jbpm-jpdl-3.2.2 in the second
+ chapter. You should just remember where you extracted i=
t.) All we've mentioned are in the 'javadoc- *' subfolders of the 'doc' fol=
der.
+ Moreover, some more examples will be given later in this book.
+
+
+
+ =
+
+
+
+
+ jBPM
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Actions : The JBoss jBPM Integration Mechanism
+
+ In this chapter we will show how to do software integration wit=
h JBoss
+ jBPM. The standard mechanism to implement this is to wr=
ap the functionality you
+ want to integrate in a class that implements the
+ ActionHandler
+ interface. In order to demonstrate it let's specify He=
llo World action for our
+ process.
+
+
+ Creating a Hello World Action
+
+ Each Hello World process should integrate one or more Hello =
World actions, so this is
+ what we will be doing. We can integrate custom code at differe=
nt points in the process
+ definition. To do this we have to specify an action handler, r=
epresented by an
+ implementation of the
+ ActionHandler
+ interface, and attach this piece of code to a part=
icular event. These events
+ are amongst others, going over a transition, leaving or enteri=
ng nodes, after and before
+ signalling.
+
+ To make things a little bit more concrete, let's create a n=
ew class called
+ HelloActionHandler.
+ For that firstly we'll create a new package
+ com.jbay.action
+ in the
+ src/java/main
+ folder of our project. Then, we should call New Cl=
ass Creation wizard as
+ usual by right-clicking and navigating
+ New > Class.
+
+
+
+ Creating HelloActionHendler Class
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Notice that two first gaps have been filled automatically. H=
ere, instead of
+ Package
+ option
+ Enclose type
+ option can be selected where a type in which to en=
close a new class should
+ be specified.
+
+ In our case, we leave everything as it is, just type
+ HelloActionHandler
+ as a name of new class and add
+ org.jbpm.graph.ActionHendler
+ interface as it's shown in the picture above.
+
+ Thus, our
+ HelloActionHandler
+ implements the
+ ActionHandler
+ interface including the
+ execute
+ method as shown in the next figure. Here, we add a=
variable named
+ greeting
+ to the collection of process variables and put =
a message in it :
+ "Hello from ActionHandler".
+
+
+ A Simple Hello Action
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Now, as we have
+ HelloActionHandler
+ class defined, let's explore how we can handle it.=
+
+
+
+ Integrating the Hello World Action
+
+ The main purpose of this chapter is to provide you with the =
steps associating our
+ Hello World action with a particular event and test the correc=
tness of our actions as
+ well.
+
+ As good Testcity citizens we will first create a Unit Test =
that proves the behaviour
+ we want to achieve by adding the
+ ActionHandler
+ to the process. So we implement another test.
+ =
+ At first, let's return to the
+ code we already saw in the pre=
vious chapter and add new test method
+ testActionHendler to it.
+ =
+
+ Create the Hello Action Test
+ =
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ =
+ We assert
+ that no variable called
+ greeting
+ exist. Then we give the process a signal to move i=
t to the auction state. We
+ want to associate the execution of the action with the event o=
f going over the
+ transition from the start state to the auction state. So after=
the signal, the process
+ should be in the auction state as in the previous scenario. Bu=
t moreover, the
+ greeting
+ variable should exist and contain the string "Hello from
+ ActionHandler". That's what we assert in the last l=
ines of the test
+ method.
+
+ =
+
+ Running the tests now results in a failure. The point is th=
at we did not associate
+ the action with any particular event in the process definition=
, so the process variable
+ did not get set.
+
+
+ Test Results Before Integration
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Let's do something about it and add an action to the first =
transition of our
+ sample process. To do this you can use the Actions tab in the =
Properties Editor that is
+ under the graphical canvas. Bring up the popup menu of the act=
ion element container and
+ chose New Action as it's shown on the figure below. The other =
way to add an action
+ to the transition is simply to use the dropdown menu that is a=
vailable under the action
+ icon in the right upper corner of the Properties View.
+
+
+ Adding an Action to a Transition
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ After adding the action a tabbed view with three pages will =
appear.
+
+
+ Configuration Dialog for an Action
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ The first of these three pages allows you to give the Action=
a name. The last page
+ contains some advanced attributes such as whether the Action i=
s asynchronous. The
+ Details page is the most important. It allows to choose and co=
nfigure the actual action
+ handler implementation.
+
+
+ The Details page of an Action Configuration Dialog</tit=
le>
+
+ <mediaobject>
+ <imageobject>
+ <imagedata fileref=3D"images/The_JBoss_jBPM_Int_Mech/j=
boss_jbpm_int_mech_7.png" scale=3D"80"></imagedata>
+ </imageobject>
+ </mediaobject>
+ </figure>
+
+
+ <para>Clicking on the <emphasis>
+ <property moreinfo=3D"none">Search...</property>
+ </emphasis> button brings us to a Choose Class dialog.</para>
+
+
+ <figure float=3D"0">
+ <title>The Choose Action Handler Dialog
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ We choose our previously created 'HelloActionHandler' class=
and
+ push the OK button. Aft=
er the selection of the action handler for
+ the action, we can run the test and observe it gives us a gree=
n light.
+
+
+ Test Results
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ There we are. The above objective has been achieved.
+
+
+
+ Integration Points
+
+ The different integration points in a process definition ar=
e thoroughly documented in
+ the JB=
oss jBPM User Guide. Instance nodes can contain many action
+ elements. Each of these will appear in the Action element list=
of the Actions tab. But
+ each Action also has a properties view of itself. You can navi=
gate to this view by
+ selecting the added Action in the outline view.
+
+
+
+
+
+ =
+
+
+
+
+ jBPM
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Quick Howto Guide
+
+ This chapter contains additional information related to the JBoss
+ jBPM.
+
+
+ Change the Default Core jBPM Installation
+
+ You can change the default jBPM=
installation by means of the
+ Eclipse preference mechanism. Open the Preferences dialog by s=
electing
+ Window > Preferences
+ and select the
+ JBoss jBPM > Runtime Locati=
on
+ category. Using this page you can add multiple jBPM
+ installation locations and change the default one. The default=
installation is used for
+ the classpath settings when creating a new Process Project. Ch=
anging the preferences has
+ no influence on already created projects. Getting rid of a jBPM
+ installation that's being referenced by a project however will=
cause the
+ classpath to contain errors.
+
+
+
+ The jBPM Preferences Page
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Configuring Task Nodes
+
+ Here, we'll examine how you can configure the Task nodes in =
jBPM jPDL GPD.
+
+ You can add Tasks to Task nodes and then configure them in =
a similar manner as the
+ Action configuration mechanism. Let's consider the process def=
inition similar
+ to the previous one that contains three nodes: Start state, Ta=
sk node and End state. The
+ Properties view for sel=
ected Task node includes several tabs.
+
+
+ The Properties View of the selected Task Node
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ We should choose the Task tab and then bring up the context =
menu or click the button
+ in the top right corner of the view to add a Task to our Task =
node.
+
+
+ Adding a Task to the Task Node
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Every added Task has its own configuration possibilities. Yo=
u can access them through
+ the Properties view as =
well.
+
+
+ The Task properties
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ The General page is a=
place where you can specify the name of a
+ Task and its description. For instance, let it be
+ approve oder
+ with appropriate description that you can see in t=
he figure below.
+
+
+ The Task General Page
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Now, look at Details page. First, you should specify the due date
+ that is a mandatory property for the Task. The due date is the=
date on which the task
+ should be accomplished. Here you can also set a Task priority =
as well as signalling,
+ notifying or blocking. The
+ Blocking
+ attribute indicates that the process will not be a=
ble to continue if this
+ task is still unaccomplished. The
+ Generate Form...
+ button is for creating a simple task form that can=
be rendered by the jBPM
+ console.
+
+
+ The Task Details Page
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ For our example, we specify the due date as 2 business days,=
choose the high priority
+ and also check the
+ Signalling
+ and
+ Notify
+ attributes. It means that the Task should be accom=
plished in 2 business days
+ and the assignee will be notified by email when the task is as=
signed. To specify how the
+ Task should be assigned switch on to the Assignment page.
+
+
+ The Task Assignment Page
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ On the Reminder page =
you can specify whether the assignee will be reminded of the task
+ that awaits him.
+
+
+ The Task Reminder Page
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ In our case, the assignee will be reminded by email after tw=
o business hours and
+ continue to get reminding every business hour after that.
+ In the next figure you can see our configuring generated int=
o XML.
+
+ The Task Reminder Page
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ We hope, our guide will help you to get started with the jPD=
L process language and jBPM
+ workflow on the whole. Besides, for additional information you=
are welcome on JBoss forum.
+
+
+
+ =
+
+
--===============8631003221812678955==--