Creating Process in Studio

For developers, the BPMN Modeler in Studio serves as the primary tool for creating automated processes. It offers features beyond pure modeling, including:

  • Navigation to process models through the Jmix project tree.

  • BPM Inspector for manipulating the properties of BPMN elements.

  • Entity Data Task: an extended BPMN component that enables manipulating with Jmix entities directly within the process.

  • Wizard for JPQL queries to load entities.

  • Wizard for Jmix view process forms.

  • Suggestions and hints where applicable.

  • Generation of Spring beans and Java delegate templates in the context of the process.

  • Process deployment at application startup and hot deployment.

Modeling Process in Studio

In the Jmix Tool window, find the BPM node. Right click on it and create a new BPMN model.

For our reimbursement process, fill the form:

  • Process id: reimbursement

  • Name: Reimbursement (will be filled automatically)

create process studio

Then find a documentation field in the BPMN Navigator panel and fill it:

fill documentation studio

Creating Start Form

Each element on the canvas has its own properties. At the moment the only element present is StartEvent. It represents the Start form seen by the user initiating the process. Let’s configure it:

  • Click on the StartEvent element to select it.

  • Select Input dialog in the Form Type field. Its Open mode is automatically set to Dialog.

    start form studio

Next, create input parameters to prompt the user to enter values to this form:

  • Click create in the 'Parameters' field and add requestNumber parameter with the following properties:

request number studio
  • Repeat the previous step to create three more input parameters:

    Process variable Caption Type Editable Required

    expenseAmount

    Expense amount

    Decimal (double)

    true

    true

    expenseDate

    Expense Date

    Date

    true

    true

    document

    Document

    File

    true

    true

In result, you’ll get all fields created:

start form filled studio
  • Next, create an input parameter to let users select a manager for approval. This will require a few additional properties:

    Process variable Caption Type Editable Required Entity name UI Component JPQL query

    manager

    Manager

    Entity

    true

    true

    User

    ComboBox

    leave blank*

    * If no query is specified, this field defaults to select e from User e.

    manager field studio
  • Set requestNumber as the Business key field value. A business key is a domain-specific identifier of a process instance.

After adding all the parameters, the Form section should look as follows:

set business key studio

Creating Approval Task

Create a task for approval. It will be represented by the Approval form seen by the manager assigned to approve the reimbursement.

First, add a new element on the canvas:

  • Click on the StartEvent element to select it.

  • Click the Append task append task icon icon.

  • Click the Change type change type icon icon and select User Task in the drop-down.

    manager assigned studio
    By default, the built-in initiator process variable is available to assign a task.
  • Proceed to the Form section and specify the following properties:

    • Form type: Input dialog

    • Open mode: Dialog (this will be set by default)

  • Click the [create btn link button] and add the following existing parameters making them non-editable:

    Process variable Caption Type Editable Required

    requestNumber

    Request number

    String

    false

    false

    expenseAmount

    Expense amount

    Decimal (double)

    false

    false

    expenseDate

    Expense Date

    Date

    false

    false

    document

    Document

    File

    false

    false

  • Click the [create btn link button] and create one additional parameter for this form:

    Process variable Caption Type Editable Required

    comment

    Comment

    Multiline string

    true

    false

    This parameter will be represented by a text field allowing the manager to leave notes during the approval step.

    user task form 1

Creating Outcomes

The Approval step has two outcomes: approved or rejected. Therefore, the manager making decision, should see two buttons on the form.

  • Make sure the Approval element is selected. Then go to Outcomes properties and click the [create btn link button].

  • Set properties for the first outcome:

approval outcomes

Depending on the Approval task’s outcome, two scenarios are possible. To indicate a point with several alternative paths, add an Exclusive Gateway element:

  • Select the Approval task element and click Append Gateway append gateway icon.

  • Select the gateway element and create another user task with append task iconchange type iconUser Task.

  • Select the gateway and click append end event icon to create EndEvent element.

  • Select the new sequence flows between elements and name them: approved and rejected.

model 3
  • Select the approved sequence flow and specify its Condition properties:

    • Condition source: User task outcome

    • User task id: Approval

    • User task outcome: approve

      approve condition studio
  • Similarly, specify Condition properties for the rejected sequence flow:

    • Condition source: User task outcome

    • User task id: Approval

    • User task outcome: reject

default flow studio

Creating Payment User Task

The other user task in our model is to notify accountants about reimbursement payment approval. It will be represented by the Payment form available only to accountants.

  • Select the user task on the canvas then set its Id and Name:

    • Id: payment

    • Name: Payment

For this task, we will implement the following behavior: it is sent to all accountants with any of them being able to claim this task. To achieve this, instead of a particular assignee, there is an option to specify Candidate groups or Candidate users.

Therefore, let’s create a Candidate group for accountants.

Before leaving Modeler, save your model as draft with save draft button button on the toolbar. You can open it any time later using open draft button button.
  • Go to the BPM→ User groups view and create a new group named Accountants and set accountants as its code.

  • Set the user type to Users.

  • Add users to the group.

    user group
setting candidates studio
Users involved in the processes must be granted the BPM: process actor role. This role provides access to BPM views and entities required for starting processes and working with user tasks. You can assign roles in the Application→ Users view.
  • Go back to the modeler and select the Payment user task.

  • Find the Candidate groups property field and click the edit button edit btn studio next to it.

  • In the Candidate group editor, add the Accountants group.

    groups
  • Configure an input dialog for the Payment task similarly to Approval task. Set the following properties:

    • Form type: Input dialog

    • Open mode: Dialog (this will be set by default)

  • Add input parameters. They match the parameters on the Approval form, but the comment field should be non-editable too:

    Process variable Caption Type Editable Required

    requestNumber

    Request number

    String

    false

    true

    expenseAmount

    Expense amount

    Decimal (double)

    false

    true

    expenseDate

    Expense Date

    Date

    false

    true

    document

    Document

    File

    false

    true

    comment

    Comment

    Multiline string

    false

    false

  • Go back to the canvas and add the EndEvent element append end event icon after the Payment task.

Specifying Users to Start Process

To start a process, the user must belong to a special user group. In our case, such a group will contain all users.

  • Switch to web application.

  • Open the User groups view and create a new group with the following properties:

    • Name: All users

    • Code: all-users

    • Type: All users

      all users
  • Go back to the Studio Modeler view and click anywhere on the canvas to display the process properties.

  • Set Candidate groups to All users in the Starter candidates section.

    set starters studio

Deploying Process

The process model is ready to be deployed to the process engine. Do the following steps:

  • Copy draft to processes:

    copy to processes studio
  • If the application is started, use "Hot deploy" button:

    hot deploy studio
  • Otherwise, run the application or start it in the debug mode:

    run debug buttons
  • If the process was deployed OK, you will see a message in the console:

    BPMN process deployed: reimbursement.bpmn

Now you can start and test your process, go to the next section.