5 Working with Processes and the Process Editor

This chapter provides information about creating and using business processes in Oracle BPM. It provides a general introduction to business processes and describes the process editor window. It also provides procedural information for creating and using processes.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Section 5.1, "Working with Processes"

• Section 5.2, "Introduction to the Process Editor"

• Section 5.3, "Working with Flow Objects in Your Process"

• Section 5.4, "Documenting Your Process"

5.1 Working with Processes

This section provides information about creating and using business processes in Oracle BPM Studio.

5.1.1 Introduction to Business Processes

A business process can be generally defined as a sequence of tasks that after it performed result in a well-defined outcome.

Business processes are the core components of process-based business applications created with the Oracle BPM Suite. Although projects are higher level wrappers that contain all the resources of a business application, the processes within the project determine how the application works.

This flow is defined by various BPMN flow objects.

Business processes are generally created by process analysts who determine the business requirements that must be addressed and define the corresponding process flow.

5.1.1.1 Types of Processes

Oracle BPM enables you to create different types of BPMN processes depending on what work the process must perform. Table 5-1 describes the different types of processes supported by Oracle BPM.

Table 5-1 Process Types

Process Type	Description
Synchronous Service	Synchronous services are processes that can be invoked from other processes or services synchronously. In a synchronous service, the calling process waits until the process completes before continuing.
Asynchronous Service	Asynchronous services are processes that can be invoked from other processes or services asynchronously. In an asynchronous service, the calling process does not wait until the process completes before continuing.
Manual Process	Manual processes are processes that require user interaction. Manual processes begin and end with none start and end events.
Reusable Process	A process that can be invoked from a call activity. reusable processes can only be invoked using the call activity.

5.1.2 How to Create a New Business Process

Business processes are created within an Oracle BPM project. You can add one or more processes to your project.

To create a new business process

1. Open your project.

2. Expand the node for your project in the BPM Project Navigator.

3. Right-click Processes, then select New then Process.

4. Select the type of process you want to create, then click Next.

   See Section 5.1.1.1, "Types of Processes" for more information on process types.

5. Enter a name and optional description.

6. Click Ok.

The new process is opened in the process editor.

New business processes are created with a start and end event connected by a default sequence flow. The type of start and end events depend on the type of process you created.

5.1.3 How to Open a Business Process

After opening an Oracle BPM project, you can open any of the processes it contains. Processes are opened in the process editor window.

To open a business process

1. Open your project.

2. Expand the project node in the Project Navigator.

3. Expand Processes.

4. Double-click the process you want to open.

The process opens in the process editor window. See Section 5.2, "Introduction to the Process Editor" for more information on working with processes in the process editor.

5.1.4 How to Delete a Business Process

You can delete processes from your project. However, you should ensure that there are no remaining references to the deleted process elsewhere in your project.

To delete a business process from a project:

1. Open your project.

2. Expand Processes in the Project Navigator.

3. Right-click the process you want to delete, then select Delete.

5.1.4.1 What You Need to Know About Deleting a Business Process

When you delete a business process from a project, you must ensure that you remove any references to it from other parts of your process.

For example, if the deleted process was invoked from another process through a message throw event, you must ensure that you have reconfigured the invoking process so it is no longer referring to the deleted process.

5.1.5 How to Edit Process Preferences

You can edit the preferences for each process within a project using the Project Navigator.

To edit process preferences:

1. Open your project.

2. Expand Processes in the Project Navigator.

3. Right-click the process whose properties you want to edit, then select Properties.

4. Edit the properties as necessary, then click OK.

5.2 Introduction to the Process Editor

Figure 5-1 shows an example of the process editor.

Figure 5-1 The Process Editor

Description of "Figure 5-1 The Process Editor"

Flow Object Toolbar

The flow object toolbar provides easy access to common BPM flow objects. The following flow objects are available:

• Generic Activity

• User Task

• Exclusive Gateway

• Inclusive Gateway

• None Catch Event

• None Throw Event

• Subprocess

• Sequence Flow

See Chapter 6, "Modeling Business Processes with Oracle BPM" for more information on BPMN flow objects.

Go To Composite Editor

This toolbar item opens the SOA Composite Editor.

Layout

This toolbar item enables you to use and configure the auto layout utility.

Show Warning

This toolbar item enables you to determine the severity of messages displayed in the Log window. The following severity levels are provided:

This can also be configured in the project preferences. Se e Chapter 4, "How to Edit Project Preferences" for more information.

• None: No errors or warnings are displayed to the log window.

• Show Errors: Only error messages are displayed to the log window.

• Show Warnings: Both warning and error messages are displayed to the log window.

Zoom

This toolbar item enables you to zoom in and out of the processes.

5.3 Working with Flow Objects in Your Process

The following sections provide tasks for adding flow objects to your process and how to work with flow objects within the process editor.

See Chapter 6, "Modeling Business Processes with Oracle BPM" for more information on BPMN flow objects.

5.3.1 How to Add Flow Objects from the Process Editor Toolbar

The process editor toolbar contains shortcuts for common BPMN flow objects.

To Add Flow Objects from the Process Editor Toolbar:

1. Open the process where you want to add a flow object.

2. Click the icon in the toolbar, then position the cursor at the point in the process you want to add the flow object.

3. Click again to add the flow object.

4. Edit the flow object properties as necessary, then click OK.

For more information on specific flow object properties, see the online Help for each flow object.

5.3.2 How to Add Flow Objects from the Component Palette

You can add BPMN flow objects from the Component Palette.

To Add Flow Objects from the Component Palette:

1. Open the process where you want to add a flow object.

2. From the View menu, select Component Palette.

3. In the Component Palette, click the flow object you want to add.

4. In the Process editor, position the cursor at the point in the process where you want to add the flow object.

5. Click to add the flow object.

6. Edit the flow object properties as necessary, then click OK.

5.3.3 How to Edit Flow Object Properties

You can edit the properties for each flow object within your process.

To Edit the Properties of a Flow Object:

1. Open the process containing the flow object you want to edit.

2. Right-click the flow object, then select Properties.

3. Edit the properties as necessary, then click OK.

5.4 Documenting Your Process

The documentation editor contains a toolbar and editor pane that enables you to enter the documentation for your process and for the flow objects within your process.

Oracle BPM enables you to create two different types of documentation:

5.4.1 Introduction to the Documentation Editor

Figure 5-2 shows the documentation editor.

Figure 5-2 The Documentation Editor

Description of "Figure 5-2 The Documentation Editor"

The documentation editor contains a toolbar and a text editor window. The tool bar allows you to select the type of documentation you want to create and allows you to select the language if you have defined additional languages for the product.

For more information on the documentation editor toolbar see the online Help.

5.4.2 How to Add Documentation to Your Process

You can add documentation to your process using the Documentation editor.

• Documentation: This is the documentation the process participants see using the Oracle BPM WorkSpace application.

• Use case documentation: This is the documentation that process analysts and process developers see when updating a business process.

To Add Documentation to a Flow Element in a Process

1. Open the process where you want to add documentation.

2. From the View menu select Documentation.

3. Select the flow object within your process that you want to document.

4. From the drop-down list, select the type of documentation you want to add.

5. Enter your documentation.

6. From the File menu select Save to save your changes.