Getting Started with the Studio

 

The following sections describe the user interface of the Studio, and how to log in to and exit from the Studio:

• Logging In to the Studio

• Overview of the Studio Interface

• Toggling Between Normal and Interface View

• Exiting the Studio

 

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Logging In to the Studio

1. Select the first step in this procedure that is appropriate for your platform and working environment:

   • To start the Studio from the Start Menu on a Windows system, go to step 2.

   • To start the Studio from a Command Prompt window on a Windows system, go to step 3.

   • To start the Studio on a UNIX system, go to step 4.

2. Choose Start—>Programs—>BEA WebLogic E-Business Platform—>WebLogic Integration 2.0—>Process Integrator—>Start Studio to display the Logon dialog box.

   Go to step 5.

3. Go to the following directory:

   wlintegration2.0\processintegrator\bin

   wlintegration2.0 is the product directory in which you installed the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator software.

   Type studio at the prompt to display the Logon dialog box.

   Go to step 5.

4. Go to the following directory:

   wlintegration2.0/processintegrator/bin

   wlintegration2.0 is the product directory in which you installed the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator software.

   Execute the studio.sh script by entering the following command at the prompt:

   sh studio.sh

   The Logon dialog box is displayed.

5. Enter your user name and password in the appropriate fields. If you have not yet been assigned a user name and password for WebLogic Process Integrator, enter a default user name and password. For a list of default user names and passwords, see "WebLogic Process Integrator Users and Passwords" in Installing and Configuring BEA WebLogic Process Integrator.

6. In the Server [:port] field, specify the system that is running the WebLogic Process Integrator server application as follows:

   t3://host:port

   • host is the computer name or IP address of the system that is running the WebLogic Process Integrator server. Specify localhost if the server is running on the same computer as the Studio application.

   • port is the number you specified for the listen port when you installed BEA WebLogic Server. The default is 7001

     To log in to clustered servers, enter the following in the Server[:port] field:

     t3://host1,host2,host3:port

     In this case, host1, host2, and host3 are the computer names or IP addresses of the clustered WebLogic Process Integrator servers.

7. Click OK to display the main window of the Studio.

   Figure 2-1 BEA WebLogic Process Integrator Studio Main Window

   
    

 

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Overview of the Studio Interface

This section describes the parts of the Studio user interface, and the functions they provide.

Menu Options

The following sections provide information about using the menu bar in the Studio.

File Menu

Choose File—>Option to perform the functions described in the following table.

Menu Option	Function
Logon	Log on to the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator server.
Logoff	Log off from the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator server.
Exit	Log off from the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator server and exit the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator Studio.

 

View Menu

Choose View—>Option to perform the functions described in the following table.

Menu Option	Function
Refresh	Update the information if changes are made to the database by other client applications.
Use color on flowcharts	View the workflow diagrams in color or black and white.
Sync selection with tree	Synchronize the workflow components in the folder tree hierarchy with the workflow components in the drawing area. For example, clicking the Start node in a workflow diagram opens the corresponding Start node folder in the folder tree hierarchy.
Look and feel	Change the look and feel of the Studio display. The choices are: Metal CDE/Motif Windows
Interface View . . .	Display additional visual objects to represent subworkflows, XML documents, and Plug-ins. Selecting this menu item displays the Interface View Preferences dialog box. For details about setting interface view preferences, see Setting Interface View Preferences. If a start, event, or done node contains a customized property defined by a plug-in, a small plug-in icon is displayed in the upper-right corner of the node icon.

 

Configuration Menu

Choose Configuration—>Option to perform the functions described in the following table.

Menu Option	Function
Organizations	Define organizations that represent different business entities, geographical locations, or any other distinction relevant to the particular business of the company. For details about defining organizations, see Maintaining Organizations.
Business Operations	Define business operations representing a method call on an EJB or Java Class instance. For details about defining business operations, see Defining a Business Operation.
Events	Define event key expressions. For instructions about defining event key expressions, see Understanding Event-Driven Processing.
Plugins	View and configure the available plug-ins. For details about configuring plug-ins, see Working with Plug-Ins.
Permissions	Define the user and role permission levels. For details about defining permission levels, see Setting Permissions for Users and Setting Permissions for Roles.
Role Mappings	Map the currently-defined roles to WebLogic Server groups. For details about mapping roles, see Changing the Mapping for Roles.

 

Tools Menu

Choose Tools—>Option to perform the functions described in the following table.

Menu Option	Function
Export Package . . .	Export workflow objects as a jar file. For details about exporting packages, see Exporting and Importing Workflow Packages.
Import Package . . .	Import workflow objects from a jar file. For details about importing packages, see Exporting and Importing Workflow Packages.
Show XML Finder . . .	Display the XML finder dialog box to manage the XML repository. For details about managing the XML repository using the XML finder, see Managing the XML Repository.

 

Help Menu

Choose Help—>Option to perform the functions described in the following table.

Menu Option	Function
Help Topics	Access the online help files for the Studio.
Plugin Help	Access the online help files for the loaded plug-ins.
About WebLogic Process Integrator Studio . . .	Provide software version information about the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator Studio.

 

Folder Tree Display

The BEA WebLogic Process Integrator Studio interface contains a folder tree display, which organizes workflow components in a standard tree structure.

Figure 2-2 BEA WebLogic Process Integrator Folder Tree Display

 

Note: Information is displayed for the current organization only. To select a different organization, use the Organization drop-down list at the top of the screen.

To view details about any of the following items shown in the folder tree display, double-click the item to expand it:

• Templates

• Calendars

• Users

• Roles

• Routing

• Workload Report

• Statistics Reports

For example, double-click the Templates folder to display a list of workflow templates. Double-click a workflow template to display a list of all workflow template definitions. Expanding a particular workflow template definition displays folders containing the tasks, decisions, events, joins, starts, dones, and variables for that workflow template definition.

You can right-click most items in the folder tree to display a menu containing options relevant to the highlighted item. Choosing any menu option displays a corresponding dialog box on the right-hand side of the screen. However, right-click menus in the folder tree are context specific. Depending on the context in which you are accessing the right-click menu, certain options may not be accessible. For example, if your security realm does not permit you to add users and roles to WebLogic Process Integrator, the Create Role and Add Users menu options will not be accessible to you.

For example, right-click on an existing workflow template to display a menu with the options shown in the following figure:

Figure 2-3 Workflow Template Menu Options

 

You can have multiple workflow diagrams open simultaneously. You can view more than one workflow, and toggle back and forth between them.

Figure 2-4 Multiple Workflow Diagrams

 

Workflow Drawing Area and Toolbar

The workflow drawing area, shown in the following figure, is where you create your workflow diagrams. The workflow toolbar contains the shapes representing workflow nodes and the connector you use to define a workflow.

To open the workflow drawing area, you either create a new workflow template definition or open an existing workflow template definition.

Once the drawing area is open, you can perform the following tasks:

• Place a shape in the drawing area by clicking the shape on the toolbar, placing your cursor on the drawing area, and then clicking again to drop the shape onto the drawing area.

• Move a shape within the diagram by clicking and dragging the shape with your mouse.

Refer to Defining and Maintaining Workflows, for detailed instructions on performing these tasks.

Figure 2-5 Workflow Drawing Area

 

The following table describes the various nodes the Studio provides to define a workflow template definition.

Table 2-1 Workflow Template Definition Nodes

Symbol	Shape Name	Purpose
	Start	Indicates the start of the workflow.
	Task	Defines a task in the workflow.
	Decision	Represents a condition in the workflow that evaluates to True or False. (If the condition is verified, it is True. If it is not, it is False.)
	And	Allows joining of one or more task, decision, or event nodes with an AND condition.
	Or	Allows joining of one or more task, decision, or event nodes with an OR condition.
	Done	Indicates the end of the workflow.
	Event	Represents an event that can be triggered either internally or externally by an XML message. Subactions can be performed and/or workflow variables can be set as the result of the trigger of the event.
	Draw Connection	Used to connect workflow nodes. The arrow directs you to the subsequent task in the flow. Note: In the case of a Decision, when the arrow is drawn from a Decision shape, the Create Connection dialog box prompts you to specify whether the connection is True or False.

Relocating the Toolbar

By default, the workflow toolbar appears at the top of the drawing area. Depending on the size of the Studio window or drawing area, you might not be able to see the entire toolbar. To see the entire toolbar, relocate the toolbar to another part of the Studio drawing area, or to another location on your desktop.

To relocate the toolbar:

1. Click the background area of the toolbar (for example, the space between the Draw Connection and Zoom Out shapes).

2. Drag the toolbar to the desired location.

If you drag the toolbar to another location on your desktop outside of the Studio drawing area, the toolbar becomes a separate window on your desktop, which you can minimize, maximize, and close.

 

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Toggling Between Normal and Interface View

Workflows often interface to different objects, such as subworkflows and business operations. At times, it might be useful to see the objects to which a workflow interfaces. You can view workflows using two views: normal and interface.

A normal view displays the components in the workflow diagram, but not the objects to which the workflow interfaces. An interface view displays the components in the workflow diagram, plus the following objects to which the workflow can interface:

• Subworkflows — other workflows to which the current workflow connects

• Business operations — software components, such as EJBs and Java classes, that the workflow invokes to perform a function

• Inbound and outbound XML documents — XML documents that are coming into the workflow, or that the workflow is sending to another workflow or application.

• Plug-ins — custom workflow components

To toggle between a normal and interface view, click the following button in the toolbar:

Setting Interface View Preferences

Within an interface view, you can choose which objects to display in the workflow diagram. To specify the objects you want to view:

1. Choose View—>Interface View to display the Interface View Preferences dialog box.

   Figure 2-6 Interface View Preferences Dialog Box

   
    

2. Select the check boxes for the objects you want to display, or clear the check boxes for the objects you do not want to display.

   The settings are system-wide; that is, they apply to all template definitions. They are saved from session to session in the Studio; they are not saved as part of the template definition.

For details about displaying workflow objects in an interface view, see Toggling Between Normal and Interface View.

Viewing Inbound XML Document Data

In an interface view, the following icon represents an inbound XML document in the workflow diagram.

 

Note: The arrow points toward the parent template node to indicate inbound direction.

An inbound XML document icon is displayed for start and event nodes that respond to incoming XML documents. Hover the mouse pointer over the XML document icon in the workflow diagram to display a text box containing the type (inbound or outbound), root, and key of the XML document.

Viewing Outbound XML Document Data

In an interface view, the following icon represents an outbound XML document in the workflow diagram.

 
 

Note: The arrow points away from the parent template node to indicate outbound direction.

An outbound XML document icon is displayed if either a Send XML to Client or Post XML Event action is defined for an object. You can obtain information about the XML document as follows:

• Hover the mouse pointer over the XML document icon in the workflow diagram to display a text box containing the type (inbound or outbound), root, and key of the XML document.

• Double-click the XML document icon to display the dialog box for the defined action; either Send XML to Client or Post XML Event. Alternatively, you can select the icon, right-click on it and select Properties from the pop-up menu to display the appropriate dialog box.

For details about the Send XML to Client and Post XML Event actions, see Using Integration Actions.

Viewing Subworkflow Data

In an interface view, the following icon represents a subworkflow in the workflow diagram.

 

A subworkflow icon is displayed if a Start Workflow action is defined for an object. You can obtain information about the subworkflow as follows:

• Hover the mouse pointer over the subworkflow icon to display a text box containing the name of the called subworkflow.

• Double-click the icon to display the Start Workflow dialog box. Alternatively, you can select the subworkflow icon, right-click the icon, and select Properties to display the Start Workflow dialog box.

For details about the Start Workflow action, see Start Workflow.

Viewing Business Operation Data

In an interface view, the following icon represents a business operation in the workflow diagram.

 

A business operation icon is displayed if a Perform Business Operation action is defined for an object. You can obtain information about the business operation as follows:

• Hover the mouse pointer over the business operation icon in the workflow diagram to display a text box containing the name of the business operation to be performed.

• Double-click the business operation icon to display the Perform Business Operation dialog box. Alternatively, you can select the icon, right-click the icon, and select Properties to display the Perform Business Operation dialog box.

For details about business operations, see Defining a Business Operation.

Viewing Plug-In Data

In an interface view, the following icon, or a custom icon, represents a plug-in action in the workflow diagram.

 

If a node contains a plug-in action, you can obtain information about the action as follows:

• Hover the mouse pointer over the plug-in icon in the workflow diagram to display a text box containing a description of the plug-in action.

• Double-click the plug-in icon to display the corresponding plug-in action dialog box. Alternatively, you can select the icon, right-click the icon, and select Properties to display the plug-in action dialog box.

Note: If a start, event, or done node contains a customized property defined by a plug-in, a small plug-in icon is displayed in the upper-right corner of the node icon.

 

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Exiting the Studio

To exit the Studio:

1. If you want to save changes to a workflow, right-click the workflow template definition and choose Save from the menu that is displayed.

2. Choose File—>Exit, or select the System Close box. A dialog box asks you to confirm your decision. Click Yes to exit.

Note: If you try to exit the Studio without saving your changes, a dialog box prompts you to do so.