Script!
Script!
Creating a Workflow Model
One of the great advantages of Workflow Management Systems is that the behavior of an application can be controlled using a workflow model. Workflow models can be designed with the Imixs Modeler from your Eclipse IDE.
You can download a sample workflow model from the Imixs Donwload page, or create your own model.
- Note:
- Read the Install guide section to see how you can install the Imixs Modeller.
Creating a new Model
You can use any kind of Eclipse Project to manage Imixs Workflow Files. If you have not yet created a Eclipse Project choose
File > New > Project...
and choose the Project type 'General > Project' to create an new empty Eclipse Project.
To create a new Imixs Model file in your eclipse project choose
File > new > Other
Select the Option 'Imixs Workflow -> new Imixs Workflow Model'. Make sure that you have selected a target folder inside your project before where the Model File should be created in by the assistant.
Click the button "Next >" and choose a file-name for the Model File to be created. On the next page you can define the name of your first business process - the Process Name. After you created a new workflow model file you can, in case you haven't done it already, activate the Imixs Workflow perspective.
Designing a business process
After you have opened the Imixs Model file you can choose the Process Group created before. You can also click on "create new" to create a new empty process group. A Workflow Process Group is a single Business Process contained by a Imixs Workflow Model file. Each Imixs Workflow Model can exist of many different Process Groups. Each Process Group defines "Process Entities" and "Process Activities".
The process group will open in a new Editor. In this graphical editor you can define the behavior of your process model. From the palette on the right side you can choose the Process and Activity Entities and place them into your model.
The "Process Entity" defines the current status inside a business process ('open' or 'in progress') and the "Process Activities" are defining the transition from one "Process Entity" into another "Process Entity". Each "Process Entity" can be assigned to one ore many "Process Activities"
Below the graphical editor you see the property view.
Within the property view you can define what should happen with a process instance when a user clicks an activity. For example you can define the Read- and Write Access or the Ownership of an process instance. You can also define Email notifications or the process documentation.
Uploading a workflow model
After you have designed your business process you can upload the model into your Imixs Workflow Server. Open the model file to open the Workflow Overview section.
Make sure that you have defined a model version number. This identifier is used by Imixs Workflow engine to assign a process instance to the corresponding model version. In the field Web Service Location enter the URL from the Imixs RESTservice. In case of the sample application the URI is:
http://localhost:8080/imixs-script/rest/model
You can test the URL also in your web browser to see which models are currently available.
Click on 'upload model' to synchronize your new or modified model with the workflow server.
See also the Imixs Modeler section for further information.