Executing a business process in Business Central

Red Hat Process Automation Manager 7.0

Red Hat Customer Content Services

Abstract

This document describes how to use Business Central to create a user interface for a pizza ordering process.

Preface

As a business analyst or business rules developer, you can use Business Central to create forms for human tasks, providing a rich interface for collecting data. In this example, you will create a simple pizza order form that a customer (Bill) will complete and send to the pizza place. The pizza place employee (Katy) will process the order and send an order confirmation message containing the total cost for the order.

Prerequisites

Chapter 1. Creating the Pizza Place project

A project can contain data models, business processes, business rules, and forms that are specific to your project’s requirements. When you create a project in Business Central it is added to the Git repository connected to Business Central.

For this project, you will create a simple business process and create and modify forms.

Procedure

  1. Log in to Business Central using the admin role and click Menu → Design → Projects.
  2. Click Add Project.

  3. Type pizzaPlace in the Name field of the Add Project window and click Add.

    Figure 1.1. Add the pizzaPlace project

    Adding the pizzaPlace project window

The Assets view of the project opens when you successfully create the project.

Chapter 2. Creating users

You can create as many Business Central users as you require. User privileges and settings are controlled by the roles assigned to a user and the groups that a user belongs to. For this example, you must create two new users: Katy who will act as the pizza place employee, and Bill who will act as the customer placing the order. For more information on creating users, see the Creating users chapter of Installing and configuring Red Hat Process Automation Manager on Red Hat JBoss EAP 7.1.

Procedure

  1. Click the gear icon gear icon in the upper-right corner, and click Users.
  2. Click New user, enter Katy, and click Next.
  3. Click the Groups tab, click Add to groups.
  4. Select rest-all and kie-server and click Add to selected groups.
  5. Click the Roles tab, click Add roles, and select admin and user.
  6. Click Add to selected roles and click Create to assign Katy to the admin and user roles.
  7. Click Yes to set the password to katy and click Change.
  8. Click New user, enter Bill, and click Next.
  9. Click the Groups tab, click Add to groups.
  10. Select rest-all and kie-server and click Add to selected groups.
  11. Click the Roles tab, click Add roles, and select admin and user.
  12. Click Add to selected roles and click Create to assign Bill to the admin and user roles.
  13. Click Yes to set the password to bill and click Change.
Note

Each user must be assigned to at least one role to access Business Central.

Chapter 3. Creating a Business Process

A business process is a graph that describes the order in which a series of steps must be executed using a flow chart. A business process consists of a collection of nodes that are linked to each other using connections. Each of the nodes represents one step in the overall process while the connections specify how to transition from one node to the other. Red Hat Process Automation Manager contains a predefined selection of node types to simplify business process creation.

Prerequisites

3.1. Creating the pizza orders business process

The pizza orders business process determines whether or not the new order contains the required data before proceeding. If all of the specified data requirements are met, the order will be processed.

Procedure

  1. Log in to Business Central and click Menu → Design → Projects → pizzaPlace.
  2. Click Add Asset → Business Process.

  3. In the Create new Business Process wizard, enter the following values:

    1. Business Process: pizzaOrders.
    2. Package: select com.myspace.pizzaplace.
  4. Click Ok. The process designer opens.
  5. In the upper-right corner, click the Diagram properties diagram properties icon.
  6. Scroll down and expand Process Data.

  7. Click btn plus four times next to Process Variables, and define the following variables:

    Figure 3.1. Defining variables in the Process Data window

    Defining variables in the Process Data window
  8. Click Save.
  9. In the process designer, click Save, then Save, to confirm your changes.

3.2. Creating the Process Order user task

Create a process order and add variables, such as the pizza ingredients and drink selection.

Procedure

  1. Click the start event to create an outgoing connection from the start event to user task.

    Figure 3.2. Outgoing connection from the start event to a user task

    Creating an outgoing connection from the start event to a user task

    Figure 3.3. Convert into a User task

    Converting in to a user task
  2. In the upper-right corner of the the process designer, click the Diagram properties diagram properties icon.
  3. Click the user task and enter Process Order in the Name field.

  4. Expand Implementation/Execution and enter the following values:

    • Task Name: processOrder

    • Actor: Katy

      Figure 3.4. The Diagram properties window

      Input the Task Name and Actor in to the Diagram properties window
  5. Click btn assign next to Assignments.

  6. In the Process Order Data I/O window, create the following input assignments:

    Figure 3.5. The Process Order Data input and output assignments

    Input values in to the Process Order Data input and output assignments window
  7. Click Save.
  8. In the process designer, click Save, then Save, to confirm your changes.

3.3. Creating the Confirmation user task

Create an order confirmation user task, which will return the order details to the customer for confirmation before the final order is placed.

Procedure

  1. Click the Process Order task to create an outgoing connection to a new user task.

    Figure 3.6. Outgoing connection from the Process Order task to a user task

    Creating an outgoing connection from the Process Order task to a user task

    Figure 3.7. Convert into a User task

    Converting in to a user task
  2. In the upper-right corner of the the process designer, click the Diagram properties diagram properties icon.
  3. Click the user task and enter Confirmation in the Name field.

  4. Expand Implementation/Execution and enter the following values:

    • Task Name: confirmation

    • Actor: Bill

      Figure 3.8. The Diagram properties window

      Input the Task Name and Actor in to the Diagram properties window
  5. Click btn assign next to Assignments.

  6. In the Confirmation Data I/O window, create the following input assignments:

    Figure 3.9. The Confirmation Data input and output assignments

    Input values in to the Confirmation Data input and output assignments window
  7. Click Save.
  8. In the process designer, click Save, then Save, to confirm your changes.

3.4. Adding an end node

Add an end node to signify the end of the pizza order process.

Procedure

  1. Click the Confirmation user task and connect it to an end event.

    Figure 3.10. Outgoing connection from the Confirmation user task

    Creating an outgoing connection from the Confirmation user task

    Figure 3.11. Connect to an end event

    Connecting to an end event
  2. In the process designer, click Save, then Save, to confirm your changes.

Chapter 4. Generating forms

Red Hat Process Automation Manager enables you to automatically generate all forms. For this business process you will generate the Process, Process Order, and Confirmation forms.

Prerequisites

You have created the pizza orders business process. For more information, see Chapter 3, Creating a Business Process.

Procedure

  1. Log in to Business Central and click Menu → Design → Projects → pizzaPlace → pizzaOrders.

  2. Click the following menu option and select Generate all forms.

    Figure 4.1. Generate all forms menu

    Selecting menu option to Generate all forms

Chapter 5. Customizing forms

Automatically generating forms saves time for basic form creation, but for most business processes, you will customize the forms to reflect exactly what you intend for the user to view and interact with.

Prerequisites

You have automatically generated the forms. For more information, see Chapter 4, Generating forms.

5.1. Customizing the pizza order form

Customize the pizza order form to ensure ease of use by defining the field types and locations.

Procedure

  1. Log in to Business Central and click Menu → Design → Projects → pizzaPlace.
  2. Click the pizzaPlace.pizzaOrders-taskform form.
  3. Click dots in the upper-right corner of the Price row and click Remove.
  4. Click dots in the upper-right corner of the ExtraIngredients row and click Edit.
  5. From the Field Type pull-down menu, select TextArea.
  6. Change both the Label and PlaceHolder fields to Extra Ingredients.
  7. Click Ok.

  8. Sort the remaining rows by dragging them to reflect the following order:

    Figure 5.1. Sort the form rows

    Sorting the form rows
  9. Click Save, then Save, to confirm your changes.

5.2. Customizing the process order form

Customize the process order form to ensure ease of use by defining the field types and locations.

Procedure

  1. Click Menu → Design → Projects → pizzaPlace.
  2. Click the processOrder-taskform form.
  3. Click dots in the upper-right corner of the Inputs row, select Edit, and change Inputs: to Order Info:. Click Ok.
  4. Click dots in the upper-right corner of the Outputs: row and click Remove.
  5. Click dots in the upper-right corner of the ExtraIngredients row and select Edit.
  6. From the Field Type pull-down menu, select TextArea.
  7. Change both the Label and PlaceHolder fields to Extra Ingredients.
  8. Click Ok.

  9. Sort the remaining rows by dragging them to reflect the following order:

    Figure 5.2. Sort the form rows

    Sorting the form rows
  10. Click Save, then Save, to confirm your changes.

5.3. Customizing the order confirmation form

Customize the order confirmation form to ensure ease of use by defining the field types and locations.

Procedure

  1. Click Menu → Design → Projects → pizzaPlace.
  2. Click the confirmation-taskform form.
  3. Click dots in the upper-right corner of the Inputs row, select Edit, and change Inputs: to Your Order Info:.
  4. Click dots in the upper-right corner of the ExtraIngredients row and select Edit.
  5. From the Field Type pull-down menu, select TextArea.
  6. Change both the Label and PlaceHolder fields to Extra Ingredients.

  7. Click Ok.

    Note

    Confirm that the Pizza, Extra Ingredients, Drink, and Price rows are marked as Read Only by clicking dots in the upper-right corner of each and selecting Edit. The Read Only box should be selected. If not, select it and click Ok.

  8. Sort the remaining rows by dragging them to reflect the following order:

    Figure 5.3. Sort the form rows

    Sorting the form rows
  9. Click Save, then Save, to confirm your changes.

Chapter 6. Deploying the pizzaPlace project

The following chapter instructs you how to build and deploy a new instance of the pizzaPlace order business process in Red Hat Process Automation Manager.

Prerequisites

The Process Server is deployed and connected to the Business Central. For more information, see Installing and configuring Red Hat Process Automation Manager on Red Hat JBoss EAP 7.1.

Procedure

  1. Log in to Business Central and click Menu → Design → Projects.
  2. Click the project you want to deploy, for example pizzaPlace.
  3. Click Deploy.
Note

If you deploy the project more than once, the Build & Deploy window opens prompting you to create a new container Id. Make changes or keep the default values, and click OK.

Chapter 7. Executing the pizzaPlace order process

Now that you have deployed the project, you can execute the project’s defined functionality. For this example, you will be acting as the customer (Bill) and fill out the pizza order form. The pizza place employee (Katy) will add the order price and send the order confirmation to your task inbox.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  1. Log in to Business Central as the customer:

    • Username: Bill
    • Password: bill
  2. Click Menu → Manage → Process Instances.
  3. Click New Process Instance, select pizzaPlace.pizzaOrders from the Process definition pull-down menu, and click Start.

  4. Type the following values:

    • Pizza: Large pizza
    • Extra Ingredients: Anchovies

    • Drink: Beer

      Figure 7.1. Input the order information

      Inputting the order information in to the order form
  5. Click Submit to start the process instance. After starting the process instance, the Manage Process Instances view opens.

  6. Click anywhere in the pizzaOrders row to view the process details.

    Figure 7.2. View the process details

    Viewing the process details in the Manage Process Instances view

  7. Click the Diagram tab to view the process flow within the process diagram. The state of the process will be highlighted as it moves through each task.

    Figure 7.3. View the process flow

    Viewing the process flow in the process diagram

  8. Log out and log back in again to Business Central as the employee:

    • Username: Katy
    • Password: katy
  9. Click Menu → Track → Task Inbox. This will take you to the order form. This is the form that the pizza place employee (Katy) will take ownership of and return an order confirmation containing the order price.
  10. Click anywhere in the Task row to open the order form.

  11. Click Start, type the the order total in the Price field, and click Complete.

    Figure 7.4. Adding the order total price

    Employee adds the order total to be returned to the customer

  12. Log out and log back in again to Business Central as the customer:

    • Username: Bill
    • Password: bill
  13. Click Menu → Track → Task Inbox. This will take you to the order confirmation form containing the order’s total price.

Appendix A. Versioning information

Documentation last updated on: Monday, October 1, 2018.

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