IntegratingJBPMIntoAppFusePartDeux

Part I: Integrating jBPM into AppFuse - Integrate jBPM Support (via Spring-Modules) into AppFuse.
Part II: Integrating jBPM into AppFuse Part Deux - Setup AppFuse/jBPM in Eclipse, model defintions using the Jbpm Process Designer.
Part III: Integrating jBPM into AppFuse Part Trois - Enhance defintions to support tasks, users, schedule and injecting spring beans into actions (Under Construction).

About this tutorial

Table of Contents

• [1] Install Process Design Tool for Eclispe
• [2] Create a simple Process Defintion
• [3] Write test case to validate Process Definition execution
• [4] Apply patch to prevent process definition redployment across server restart

[#1] Install Process Design Tool for Eclispe

[#2] Create a simple Process Defintion

Create the following package:
org.appfuse.jbpm.process

All the processes will live under the .process package. Whenever you create a new defintion, the process designer creates a new package with that name.
Start off by creating a simple test process.

i) Create a new process definition file.

ii) Give the process a name - test.

Reference the definition in org/appfuse/jbpm/dao/hibernate/applicationContext-hibernate.xml:

 <!-- jBPM Configuration -->
    <bean id="jbpmConfig" class="org.springmodules.workflow.jbpm31.LocalJbpmConfigurationFactoryBean">
	<!-- pass in existing sessionFactory -->
		<property name="sessionFactory" ref="jbpmSessionFactory"/>
		<property name="configuration" value="org/appfuse/jbpm/jbpm.cfg.xml"/>
		<property name="processDefinitions">
			<list>
				<ref local="testProcess"/>
			</list>
		</property>
		<property name="createSchema" value="false"/>
	</bean>

	<bean id="testProcess" class="org.springmodules.workflow.jbpm31.definition.ProcessDefinitionFactoryBean">
		<property name="definitionLocation" value="org/appfuse/jbpm/process/test/processdefinition.xml"/>
	</bean>

1) Click on one of each process states(Start, State, End) on the left panel and draw them in.

2) Choose transition from the left panel and click thru all the states to establish flow.

Congratulations you have written your 1st process defintion!

[#3] Write test case to validate Process Definition execution

protected void onSetUpBeforeTransaction() throws Exception {
      ...
      definition = context.getGraphSession().findLatestProcessDefinition("test");
  }

public void testProcessDefinition() throws Exception {

      ProcessDefinition def = context.getGraphSession().findLatestProcessDefinition("test");
      
      assertNotNull("Definition should not be null", def);
  }

public void testTransitions() throws Exception {
        .....
        assertEquals("Instance is in 'helloWorld' state", inst.getRootToken().getNode().getName(), "helloWorld");
        .....
  }

Recompile and run JUnit test. Execute ant refresh.



Select the project's context menu by right clicking on the project root(jbpmtutorial) and choosing the refresh option.



Select Project from the Eclispe's menu above and choose clean.



Now you can run the ProcessTest. Ensure ProcessTest is open and selected and then choose Run As -> JUnit Test



Upon execution JbpmConfiguration will deploy the 'test' process definition, and run through the tests.

Congratulations you have deployed and tested a process defintion!

[#4] Apply patch to prevent process definition redployment across server restart

For production usage it is not ideal to redeploy process definitions on server restarts. Once you have stable definitions there is no need for redeployment. You can apply the following patch to have the JbpmConfiguration not deploy process definitions on restarts, instead have it redeployed only if the definition on the file system is out of sync with the database.

 <!-- jBPM Configuration -->
    <bean id="jbpmConfig" class="org.appfuse.jbpm.config.CustomLocalJbpmConfigurationFactoryBean">
    ....
    ....

newdef3.jpg		23693 bytes
CustomLocalJbpmConfigurationFactoryBean.java		5625 bytes
test3.jpg		11009 bytes
newdef2.jpg		30770 bytes
test2.jpg		32009 bytes
newdef4.jpg		60839 bytes
newdef1.jpg		50306 bytes
test5.jpg		164921 bytes
test4.jpg		84699 bytes
testpackage.jpg		78539 bytes
test1.jpg		107150 bytes