Start a Process Instance

Start a Process

To start a process via a rule you have to do two primary things:

1. You have to send an event to Comflow that indicates start of the process.
2. You have to add information to the process instance about key and description, mapdata and keymap via a callback method.

Do it this way:

1. Extend AsynchRule and implement AsynchConnectServiceCalling
2. In the execute method implement the start of the process. In this example it is the "TestProcess" and the event parameter is "start", retrieved via transition event.
3. Implement the postReceive method an there get the related data via mapdata for presentation key, presentation title and mapkey and store them on the process instance
4. Store the current mapdata to the process instance.

public class TestServiceEvent extends AsynchRule implements AsynchConnectServiceCalling { 

    private static final String PROCESS = "TestProcess";

    private static final String MD_virtual = "virtual";

    private static final String TE_START = "start";

    private static final String TE_CONTINUE = "continue";

    private static final String VAR_KEY1 = "Key1";

    private static final String VAR_REF1 = "Ref1";

    public boolean execute(String point) {

        try {

            String transitionEvent = processData.getSessionMessage().getTransitionEvent();

            int pid = -1; // for start (-1 = undefined, i.e. please create a new one)

            if (transitionEvent.equals(TE_CONTINUE) && getProcessInstance() != null) {

                pid = getProcessInstanceId(); // Current instance            

            }

            // Parameter setup

            String ent = InternalAsynchUtil.getDefaultEnterprise(); // Default enterprise (from sitedef)

            String processId = PROCESS; // Which Process?

            String parameter = transitionEvent; // parameter to the process so it can differentiate on several events from same rule in same wait point (in this demo we use only one though)            

            Object callingRule = this; // Just precaution so that not any rule in the system can use this event, of some other rule makes the same call, nothing will happen

            // Send a service event to the process instance

            ServiceConnector.handleEventSynch(ent, processId, pid, callingRule, parameter, dialogWorkspace);

        } catch (Exception e) {

            e.printStackTrace();

        }

        return true;

    }

    // This method is called from the process framework after the event has been been executed

    public void postReceiveEvent(AsynchControl processInstance, String eventId) throws Exception {

        String transitionEvent = processData.getSessionMessage().getTransitionEvent();

        //Savé current MapData on the process instance

        String ent = InternalAsynchUtil.getEnterprise(dialogWorkspace);

        String key1 = mapData.getVariable("Key");

        String ref1 = mapData.getData(MD_virtual, "WorkItemDescriptionAWF");

        String ref2 = "";

        String ref = ref1;

        if (StringUtil.isBlankOrNull(ref)) {

             ref1 = mapData.getData(MD_virtual, "Info");

             ref2 = mapData.getData(MD_virtual, "Number");

             ref = ref1;

        }

        //Set variables on process instance (for sub process to use)

        processInstance.setVariable(VAR_KEY1, key1);

        processInstance.setVariable(VAR_REF1, ref1);

        // If not a start of a process, return

        if (!transitionEvent.equals(TE_START)){

            return;

        }

        // Set Visual Presentation

        processInstance.updatePresentationKey(key1);

        processInstance.updatePresentationTitle(ref);

        // Save MapData for the Process Instance. First create a key value for MD

        long mapDataId = System.currentTimeMillis();

        // Typically the keys that you want to be reconstructed when clicking on next work item (see TestDefault.cml)

        //String keyColumns = "Key,Number,Info"; // Just guess from your detail portlet, assuming these are in mapData 

        String keyColumns = null; // Alternative to the line above: This one save ALL mapData (can have negative impact on performance)

        // Store MapData (service event does not explicitly store map data as workspace event does)

        AsynchConnectWorkspace.saveMapData(mapDataId, eventId, processInstance.getProcessInstId(), mapData, dialogWorkspace, keyColumns);

        processInstance.storeMapDataId(mapDataId, eventId);

        //    Mapping between data keys and process instance

        String mapKey = key1;

        AsynchUtil.mapProcessInstID(ent, processInstance.getProcessId(), mapKey, processInstance.getProcessInstId());

    }

}