Table of contents

• Introduction
• Model
  • Overview
  • Projects
  • Processes
    • Overview
      • title
    • BPMN
    • Engine events
  • Forms
  • Connectors
    • Overview
    • Amazon Web Services
    • Content connector
    • Generate a document
    • DocuSign
    • Email
    • REST
    • Database
    • Slack
    • Twilio
    • Salesforce
    • Microsoft Outlook
    • Microsoft Teams
  • Authentication
  • Decision tables
  • User interfaces
  • Files
  • Scripts
  • Triggers
  • Content models
  • Data models
• Administer
  • Overview
  • Project deployment
  • Process administration
  • Users and groups
  • Architecture
• Using
• Develop

Overview of processes

Processes are the collection of components that are used to build and represent business processes usingBPMN 2.0 specification.

There are three concepts associated with modeling processes to understand and differentiate between:

• Diagrams are the container that process definitions are modeled in. A process diagram can contain multiple process definitions whenpools are used to separate them. Process diagrams are color coded with the following definitions:

  • Blue indicates completed nodes
  • Green indicates current active nodes
  • Red indicates failed nodes

• Process definitions are the templates that a process follows, made up of BPMN elements and sequence flows. A process definition describes the business logic that will be followed repeatedly at runtime.

• Process instances are specific running instances of a process definition. Each process instance will have a unique process instance ID but they can share the same process definition ID indicating which process definition was used to start the process instance. There can be any number of process instances running using the same process definition in an N:1 relationship.

Create a process

To create a process:

1. Sign into the Modeling Application and open a project.

2. Click theNEW dropdown.

3. Select how to create the process:

   • Create > Process creates a new, empty diagram and process definition.

   • Upload > Process allows for uploading an existing diagram.bpmn20.xml file into the Modeling Application.

   Alternatively use the+ orUpload buttons next toProcesses in the left-hand menu.

4. Enter a name, optional description, and optional process category.

   By default the name will be shared between the diagram and process definition and the description will apply to the process definition. If you enter a process category the process will be added under the process category heading in the left pane, and if the process category does not already exist it will be created. If you do not enter a process category name it will appear under the uncategorized heading.

Import a process from Process Services

Process diagrams exported fromAlfresco Process Services can be imported into the Modeling Application by selecting theAPS Process option when choosing tocreate a new process by importing an existing model.

The Process Service element types that are supported for import are:

Diagrams

Diagrams hold one or more process definitions. If multiple process definitions are modeled within a diagram it is important to remember that the scope of each is restricted and the only way to communicate between them is viamessage orerror events.

Diagram properties

The properties for a diagram are:

Diagram XML

The ID and name of a diagram are set as XML attributes of thedefinitions element, for example:

<bpmn2:definitions name="requests-and-orders">

Process definitions

Process definitions are designed usingBPMN elements which in turn can reference other modeled components within a project such as forms, connectors and decision tables.

A process definition is created when a diagram is created and it will share the same name as the diagram. Use the BPMN elementpools to create separate process definitions within a diagram.

Process definition properties

The properties for a process definition are:

Process definition XML

The ID, name and executable status of a process definition are set as XML attributes of theprocess element. Documentation is a sub-element ofprocess, for example:

<bpmn2:process name="request-process" isExecutable="false">        <bpmn2:documentation>A process to request stock orders</bpmn2:documentation>

Process modeling

The Modeling Application contains three tabs for creating and editing processes.

Diagram Editor

TheDiagram Editor is the GUI for modeling processes by dragging and dropping items from the palette. The palette contains theBPMN elements that can be used to model a process and import other models created in the Modeling Application into a process. The palette also contains four tools for editing items on the canvas:

XML Editor

TheXML Editor contains the XML for the process diagram. Changes made in theDiagram Editor or in theXML Editor are reflected in the other. When importing or downloading a process the.bpmn20.xml file will reflect what is in theXML Editor.

XML excerpts are provided as examples with eachBPMN element.

Extensions Editor

TheExtensions Editor is a JSON editor that stores any extensions made for process definitions. When a diagram contains more than one process definition, there will be an entry for each in theExtensions Editor. Extensions are broken down into four areas:

Process variables

Process variables are used to store values and pass them between BPMN elements throughout a process instance. For example, values entered into a form as part of a user task can be sent to process variables in the process, which in turn can send those values to a decision table to evaluate and choose the direction the process should take.

The scope of process variables is restricted to a process definition and not to the diagram it is created in, which is important to consider when using multiplepools.

Process variable properties

The properties for a process variable are:

Note: There are four process variable names that are created automatically and should not be used as custom process variable names.nrOfInstances,nrOfActiveInstances,nrOfCompletedInstances andloopCounter are used bymulti-instance elements.

The data types that a process variable can be set as are:

Create a process variable

To create a process variable:

1. Select the project and process to create a process variable for in the Modeling Application.

2. SelectEdit Process Variables against the correct process definition:

   • If the diagram contains only one process definition, make sure no BPMN element is selected by clicking on a blank section of the canvas and theEdit Process Variables button will be visible in the right-hand properties panel.
   • If the diagram contains more than one process definition then click on the individualpools to view theEdit Process Variables button for each definition.

3. Use the+ symbol to add new variables and enter a name, type, optional value, and select whether it is required or not.

   If you want the variable to be available in the Processes, and Tasks lists of the Digital Workspace clickYes belowAvailable in the web application, and enter a display name. Once added to the Digital workspace you can select the new column by accessing the three dots on the top right.

   

Note: The details of any process variables can be viewed in the properties section of theextensions editor, for example:

{    "properties": {        "17aa41f7-9a0c-49c0-805b-045243f8a7e5": {            "id": "17aa41f7-9a0c-49c0-805b-045243f8a7e5",            "name": "firstName",            "type": "string",            "required": false,        },

Process variable mapping

Mapping is a property of BPMN elements such asuser tasks,service tasks andscript tasks. It describes how data should be passed between a process and models such as forms, connectors, and scripts in a process. The data can be passed to variables within those models, such as form variables and script variables or other values in the model such as form fields, connector inputs and outputs and decision table inputs and outputs. Mapping this data is split between input mappings and output mappings:

• Input mapping sets how and which data is sent from process variables to another model within the process.

• Output mapping sets how and which data is sent from models within the process back to process variables.

There are five options for setting theMapping behavior:

Any mapping configured in a process is stored in theExtensions Editor using the ID of the BPMN element. If not sending any variables then the ID of the element will not appear in the mappings section. The following is an example of explicitly mapping variables:

"mappings": {    "Task_1f1wpht": {    "inputs": {    "flavor": {    "type": "variable",    "value": "choice"    },    "price": {    "type": "value",    "value": "${lookUp.price}"    },    "Limit": {    "type": "value",    "value": 200    }    }    }    },}

Capture assignee of completed task

You can use output mapping and thesys_task_assignee pre-defined variable to capture the assignee of a completed task. This is helpful because you could use the assignee information in another process. For example, you could use this in a support context where whoever the assignee of a completed task is could be the contact person for the account for which the task was carried out.

Note: Thesys_task_assignee variable is a system variable and cannot be edited.

To create a process that captures the assignee of a completed task:

1. Create aform.

2. Create a process that includes aUser task.

3. From theProperties pane select the form you created from theForm name dropdown list.

4. From theMapping type dropdown list selectMap variables.

5. Deselect theUser task by clicking anywhere in the white space and then clickEdit Process Variables from the right pane.

6. Click the+ icon and enter a name for the process variable in theName field.

7. From theType dropdown list selectPrimitives then selectstring and then clickUpdate.

8. Select yourUser task again and from thesys_task_assignee dropdown menu underOutput mapping select the process variable you have just created.

You now have a process that captures the assigned user of a completed task.

Errors

Errors are used by error catching events and error throwing events to model business exceptions usingBPMN elements. They can be created and managed at the individual error event level, or at a diagram level. Unlike process variables, errors can be shared between process definitions in the same diagram.

To manage all errors in a diagram:

• Make sure no BPMN element is selected by clicking on a blank section of the canvas and theEdit Errors button will be visible in the right-hand properties panel.

• If the diagram contains more than one process definition then clicking on the individualpools will also show theEdit Errors button.

Messages

Messages are used by message catching events and message throwing events to send a message and optional payload betweenBPMN elements. They can be created and managed at the individual message event level, or at a diagram level. Unlike process variables, messages can be shared between process definitions in the same diagram.

To manage all messages in a diagram:

• Make sure no BPMN element is selected by clicking on a blank section of the canvas and theEdit Messages button will be visible in the right-hand properties panel.

• If the diagram contains more than one process definition then clicking on the individualpools will also show theEdit Messages button.

Actions

The actions that can be run against a process are:

Edit User Task Notifications

Use theEdit User Task Notification window to edit the default email templates used for processes. You can configure theFrom andSubject fields for the selected user task so that at runtime they will send task email notifications that are not the default, to the assignee or candidate.

The fields on theAssignee tab andCandidate tabs are:

Edit Process Permissions

Use theEdit Process Permissions window to configure who can start a new process. The permission levels available are:Everyone can start it,Nobody can start it, orSpecific users/groups can start it.

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