Chapter 11. Working with Processes

11.1. BPMN 2.0 Notation

11.1.1. Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) 2.0 Specification

The Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) 2.0 specification defines a standard for graphically representing a business process; it includes execution semantics for the defined elements and an XML format to store and share process definitions.
The table below shows the supported elements of the BPMN 2.0 specification and includes some additional elements and attributes.

Table 11.1. BPMN 2.0 Supported Elements and Attributes

Element Supported attributes Supported elements Extension attributes Extension elements
definitions   rootElement BPMNDiagram   
process processType isExecutable name id property laneSet flowElement packageName adHoc version import global
sequenceFlow sourceRef targetRef isImmediate name id conditionExpression priority  
interface name id operation   
operation name id inMessageRef   
laneSet   lane   
lane name id flowNodeRef   
import*   name   
global*   identifier type   
Events
startEvent name id dataOutput dataOutputAssociation outputSet eventDefinition x y width height  
endEvent name id dataInput dataInputAssociation inputSet eventDefinition x y width height  
intermediateCatchEvent name id dataOutput dataOutputAssociation outputSet eventDefinition x y width height  
intermediateThrowEvent name id dataInput dataInputAssociation inputSet eventDefinition x y width height  
boundaryEvent cancelActivity attachedToRef name id eventDefinition x y width height  
terminateEventDefinition     
compensateEventDefinition activityRef documentation extensionElements   
conditionalEventDefinition   condition   
errorEventDefinition errorRef    
error errorCode id    
escalationEventDefinition escalationRef    
escalation escalationCode id    
messageEventDefinition messageRef    
message itemRef id    
signalEventDefinition signalRef    
timerEventDefinition   timeCycle timeDuration   
Activities
task name id ioSpecification dataInputAssociation dataOutputAssociation taskName x y width height  
scriptTask scriptFormat name id script x y width height  
script   text[mixed content]   
userTask name id ioSpecification dataInputAssociation dataOutputAssociation resourceRole x y width height onEntry-script onExit-script
potentialOwner   resourceAssignmentExpression   
resourceAssignmentExpression   expression   
businessRuleTask name id   x y width height ruleFlowGroup onEntry-script onExit-script
manualTask name id   x y width height onEntry-script onExit-script
sendTask messageRef name id ioSpecification dataInputAssociation x y width height onEntry-script onExit-script
receiveTask messageRef name id ioSpecification dataOutputAssociation x y width height onEntry-script onExit-script
serviceTask operationRef name id ioSpecification dataInputAssociation dataOutputAssociation x y width height onEntry-script onExit-script
subProcess name id flowElement property loopCharacteristics x y width height  
adHocSubProcess cancelRemainingInstances name id completionCondition flowElement property x y width height  
callActivity calledElement name id ioSpecification dataInputAssociation dataOutputAssociation x y width height waitForCompletion independent onEntry-script onExit-script
multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics   loopDataInputRef inputDataItem   
onEntry-script* scriptFormat   script  
onExit-script* scriptFormat   script  
Gateways
parallelGateway gatewayDirection name id   x y width height  
eventBasedGateway gatewayDirection name id   x y width height  
exclusiveGateway default gatewayDirection name id   x y width height  
inclusiveGateway default gatewayDirection name id   x y width height  
Data
property itemSubjectRef id    
dataObject itemSubjectRef id    
itemDefinition structureRef id    
ioSpecification   dataInput dataOutput inputSet outputSet   
dataInput name id    
dataInputAssociation   sourceRef targetRef assignment   
dataOutput name id    
dataOutputAssociation   sourceRef targetRef assignment   
inputSet   dataInputRefs   
outputSet   dataOutputRefs   
assignment   from to   
formalExpression language text[mixed content]   
BPMNDI
BPMNDiagram   BPMNPlane   
BPMNPlane bpmnElement BPMNEdge BPMNShape   
BPMNShape bpmnElement Bounds   
BPMNEdge bpmnElement waypoint   
Bounds x y width height    
waypoint x y    

11.1.2. BPMN 2.0 Process Example

Here is a BPMN 2.0 process that prints out a "Hello World" statement when the process is started: 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> 

<definitions id="Definition"

             targetNamespace="http://www.example.org/MinimalExample"

             typeLanguage="http://www.java.com/javaTypes"

             expressionLanguage="http://www.mvel.org/2.0"

             xmlns="http://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/20100524/MODEL"

             xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"

             xs:schemaLocation="http://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/20100524/MODEL BPMN20.xsd"

             xmlns:bpmndi="http://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/20100524/DI"

             xmlns:dc="http://www.omg.org/spec/DD/20100524/DC"

             xmlns:di="http://www.omg.org/spec/DD/20100524/DI"

             xmlns:tns="http://www.jboss.org/drools">



  <process processType="Private" isExecutable="true" id="com.sample.HelloWorld" name="Hello World" >



    <!-- nodes -->

    <startEvent id="_1" name="StartProcess" />

    <scriptTask id="_2" name="Hello" >

      <script>System.out.println("Hello World");</script>

    </scriptTask>

    <endEvent id="_3" name="EndProcess" >

        <terminateEventDefinition/>

    </endEvent>



    <!-- connections -->

    <sequenceFlow id="_1-_2" sourceRef="_1" targetRef="_2" />

    <sequenceFlow id="_2-_3" sourceRef="_2" targetRef="_3" />



  </process>



  <bpmndi:BPMNDiagram>

    <bpmndi:BPMNPlane bpmnElement="Minimal" >

      <bpmndi:BPMNShape bpmnElement="_1" >

        <dc:Bounds x="15" y="91" width="48" height="48" />

      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>

      <bpmndi:BPMNShape bpmnElement="_2" >

        <dc:Bounds x="95" y="88" width="83" height="48" />

      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>

      <bpmndi:BPMNShape bpmnElement="_3" >

        <dc:Bounds x="258" y="86" width="48" height="48" />

      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>

      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge bpmnElement="_1-_2" >

        <di:waypoint x="39" y="115" />

        <di:waypoint x="75" y="46" />

        <di:waypoint x="136" y="112" />

      </bpmndi:BPMNEdge>

      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge bpmnElement="_2-_3" >

        <di:waypoint x="136" y="112" />

        <di:waypoint x="240" y="240" />

        <di:waypoint x="282" y="110" />

      </bpmndi:BPMNEdge>

    </bpmndi:BPMNPlane>

  </bpmndi:BPMNDiagram>



</definitions>

11.1.3. Supported Elements and Attributes in BPMN 2.0 Specification

JBoss BPM Suite 6 does not implement all elements and attributes as defined in the BPMN 2.0 specification. However, we do support significant node types that you can use inside executable processes. This includes almost all elements and attributes as defined in the Common Executable subclass of the BPMN 2.0 specification, extended with some additional elements and attributes we believe are valuable in that context as well. The full set of elements and attributes that are supported can be found below, but it includes elements like:
  • Flow objects
    • Events
      • Start Event (None, Conditional, Signal, Message, Timer)
      • End Event (None, Terminate, Error, Escalation, Signal, Message, Compensation)
      • Intermediate Catch Event (Signal, Timer, Conditional, Message)
      • Intermediate Throw Event (None, Signal, Escalation, Message, Compensation)
      • Non-interrupting Boundary Event (Escalation, Signal, Timer, Conditional, Message)
      • Interrupting Boundary Event (Escalation, Error, Signal, Timer, Conditional, Message, Compensation)
    • Activities
      • Script Task
      • Task
      • Service Task
      • User Task
      • Business Rule Task
      • Manual Task
      • Send Task
      • Receive Task
      • Reusable Sub-Process (Call Activity)
      • Embedded Sub-Process
      • Event Sub-Process
      • Ad-Hoc Sub-Process
      • Data-Object
    • Gateways
      • Diverging
        • Exclusive
        • Inclusive
        • Parallel
        • Event-Based
      • Converging
        • Exclusive
        • Inclusive
        • Parallel
    • Lanes
  • Data
    • Java type language
    • Process properties
    • Embedded Sub-Process properties
    • Activity properties
  • Connecting objects
    • Sequence flow

11.1.4. Loading and Executing a BPMN2 Process Into Repository

The following example shows how you can load a BPMN2 process into your knowledge base: 
import org.kie.api.KieServices;
import org.kie.api.builder.KieRepository;
import org.kie.api.builder.KieFileSystem;
import org.kie.api.builder.KieBuilder;
import org.kie.api.runtime.KieContainer;
import org.kie.api.KieBase;
...
KieServices kServices = KieServices.Factory.get();
KieRepository kRepository = kServices.getRepository();
KieFileSystem kFileSystem = kServices.newKieFileSystem();

kFileSystem.write(ResourceFactory.newClassPathResource("MyProcess.bpmn"));

KieBuilder kBuilder = kServices.newKieBuilder(kFileSystem);
kBuilder.buildAll(); 

KieContainer kContainer = kServices.newKieContainer(kRepository.getDefaultReleaseId());
KieBase kBase = kContainer.getKieBase();