Developing a BPEL Process Using the Diagram

This section includes the following topics for getting started with the diagram:

• The BPEL Diagram

• Configuring Element Properties in the Design View

• Finding Usages of BPEL Components

• Saving Your Changes

The BPEL Diagram

The BPEL diagram (BPEL Design View) is the visual representation of the BPEL Process. On the diagram you can author business process by adding and configuring activities. You can also edit existing .bpel files. To open a .bpel file double-click it's name in the Projects window. By default, the process diagram will be open.

In the Design view, you can perform the following operations on elements:

• Create elements by dragging elements from the Palette to the diagram. The Design view supports the notion of "drop points", which means that you must align elements with these drop points when you drag them. Not all elements are created via drag-and-drop from the Palette. These other elements are created using pop-up menus which are invoked when you right-click an existing diagram element.

• Select elements on a diagram. A single click on an element selects it. Selection is a necessary step in performing several other operations, such as deleting, moving, or editing an element.

• Invoke pop-up menu actions for diagram elements. Each BPEL element has a pop-up menu. This pop-up menu can be invoked by right-clicking the element. The pop-up menu will offer a set of actions which are relevant to the selected element.

• Move diagram elements. You can move diagram elements by selecting the element and then dragging it to a new location. If you move a container element, all its children move along with the container.

• Edit element names in the Design view directly. Double-click the element name on the diagram to edit it.

• Invoke XML Validation. You can invoke XML validation by clicking the Validate XML button on the Design view editor toolbar. For more information, see the Validation section.

• Apply filters to diagram elements. The Editor toolbar contains the Show Partner Links and Show Sequences toggle buttons. Both Partner Link elements and Sequence elements are shown by default. Clicking the Show Partner Links button hides the Partner Link elements on the diagram. Clicking the Show Sequences button hides the Sequence containers on the diagram. Clicking either button a second time will again reveal the Partner Link elements, or the Sequence elements on the diagram, respectively.

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  Note –

  You cannot add new Partner Link or Sequence elements to the diagram if you chose not to show them.

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• Finding elements on the diagram. You can find BPEL elements in the Design view by their names or types. You can use either the Find bar (Edit > Find or Ctrl-F) or the Advanced Search feature (Edit > Advanced Search or Alt-Shift-F). In the Find bar, select the type of search you want to perform, type in the search query and click Find. In the Advanced Search dialog box, you can refine your search query and search BPEL elements by their name and/or type.

• Collapsing or expanding elements on the diagram. When a large diagram is open in the Design view, you can collapse or expand container elements, such as Sequence or Scope, using the quick action buttons that appear near the selected elements. By default, when you open a diagram in the Design view, you can see all container elements expanded. To expand all elements on the diagram, click the Expand All icon on the Editor toolbar. You can use the following combinations of keys: Enter to expand the selected element, Shift-Enter to collapse the selected element, and Alt-Enter to expand all elements on the diagram.

• Wrapping activities with container elements. You can wrap elements with container activities in a single click. The wrap feature is useful, for example when you want to quickly place an activity inside another activity. In the Design view, right-click the activity you want to wrap, point to the Wrap With option, and select the wrapper BPEL activity.

Configuring Element Properties in the Design View

After you add BPEL activities to a diagram, you need to configure them. You can do this using either the Property Editor dialog boxes or the IDE's Properties window. Note that Property Editor dialog boxes are available only for some elements.

To open the Property Editor for an element, do one of the following:

• Right-click the element and choose Edit.

• Double-click the element.

To open the Properties window for an element, right-click the element and choose Properties. The properties for this element are displayed in the standard IDE's Properties window. If the IDE's Properties window is not open, choose Window > Properties from the main menu (Ctrl-Shift-7).

Finding Usages of BPEL Components

For BPEL files, the Find Usages command determines where the following elements are used in the associated .bpel files:

• Variable

• Partner Link

• Correlation set

To find usages of a BPEL component:

1. In the IDE, open the BPEL file (.bpel) you want to work with.

   By default, the IDE opens the Design view for the BPEL file.

2. In the Design view, select the element for which you want to see usages.

   You can also select the element in the BPEL Logical View of the Navigator window.

3. Right-click the element either in the Design view or in the Navigator window and choose Find Usages (Alt-F7) from the pop-up menu.

   The IDE opens the XML Usages window in the lower part of the IDE. The first time you invoke the Find Usages function, the window has no tabs. For each consequent query, the IDE adds a Find XML Usages tab that shows the usages of the component you selected.

4. (Optional) To go to the source for an element and double-click that element in the tree. The right part of the XML Usages windows is a visual representation of element usages throughout the project.

Saving Your Changes

The BPEL Designer synchronizes the Design and Source views as follows:

• Changes you make in a diagram are reflected immediately in the corresponding source code.

• Changes you make in the source code are reflected on the diagram when you switch to the Design view.

To save changes in the Design or Source view, choose File -> Save or press Ctrl-S.