Siebel Business Process Framework: Task UI Guide > Using the Development Environment to Develop a Task UI > About the Task Property >

How a Subtask Uses a Task Property

Similar to the subprocess step of a workflow process, you can configure Siebel CRM to pass information in and out of a subtask through a task property in an input argument or output argument according to the following logic:

• An input argument allows Siebel CRM to enter data in a task property in the subtask with information from the parent task UI. If Siebel CRM starts a subtask, then it initializes the task property of the subtask with the value of the input argument of the subtask step.
• An output argument allows Siebel CRM to enter information from a subtask in the parent task UI. If the subtask returns data to the parent, then the parent can read the task properties of a subtask through the output argument of the subtask step.

You can use an input argument to pass a system task property, such as the object ID, from a parent task UI to a subtask. If the subtask references a different business component, then you must configure Siebel CRM to pass the row ID of the target object as the subtask Object ID task property. For a subtask step, the receiving end of an input argument is one of the task properties of the subtask. To choose this value, you can use the list in the Task Input field. Siebel Tools displays the the task properties of the subtask that are of type In/Out or In in this list.

If the subtask creates a child object, then the Object ID that Siebel CRM passes to a subtask must be null, and it must not be the Object ID of the parent.

For more information, see Creating a Subtask Step.

Why Siebel CRM Passes Hierarchical Data by Reference

A parent task UI and a subtask include separate local task properties, so passing arguments causes Siebel CRM to copy the data between the parent task and the subtask. Copying hierarchical data for a hierarchical task property can consume resources. For this reason, Siebel CRM passes hierarchical data by reference between the parent task and a subtask.