From BPD to jPDL

jPDL, short for jBPM Process Definition Language, is a language defined by JBoss for specifying an XML and the mechanism to package all the process definition related files into a process archive.

BP-VA supports modeling business process in BPD and generating jPDL from it.

Process

A process stands for a business process. In a BPD, process is modeled by a pool. In a process, there are tasks and transitions. Normally, no process details need be specified for jPDL.

A pool

Participant

A participant stands for a user of the business process. In a BPD, participant is modeled by lane in pool. Same as process, no participant details need be specified for jPDL besides the participant name.

A lane

Task

A task stands for something needed to be handled. In a BPD, task is directly modeled by a task. If the task is a User Task or Manual Task, the task need be started and completed by user. Otherwise, it will be completed automatically.

A task

To set the type of task, right click on the task and select Type, and the type from the popup menu.

Setting a task's type

Supported element types

The following model element types are supported by jPDL generation. The rest will be ignored.

Element Supported Model Element Type Task-node Manual task User task Node Typeless task (i.e. task without type specified) Business rule task Receive task Reference task Script task Send task Service task Decision Typeless gateway (i.e. gateway without type specified) Complex gateway Data-Based Exclusive gateway (XOR) Event-Based Exclusive gateway (XOR) Inclusive gateway (OR) Fork Parallel gateway (AND) Super-state BP Group End-state Typeless end event (i.e. end event without result specified) Cancel end event Compensation end event Error end event Escalation end event Link end event Message end event Multiple end event Signal end event Terminate end event Start-state Typeless start event (i.e. start event without trigger specified) Compensation start event Error start event Escalation start event Link start event Message start event Multiple start event Parallel start event Rule start event Signal start event Timer start event

Supported model element types

Generating JPDL

For jPDL, all components in a process, including flow objects and flows, must be named, and named uniquely. Note that if an element has no name given, a default name Unnamed{N} will be assigned to that element. If the name is duplicated. The {N} will be appended to that element, where the {N} is a sequence number.

1. Right click on the background of BPD and select Diagram Type > jPDL from the popup menu.
2. Right click on the background of BPD and select Utilities > Generate jPDL from the popup menu.
   

   To generate jPDL

   
   

   NOTE:

   If you have received an error, make sure your process was correctly modeled. For example, did you draw a non supported shape type like sub-process? If yes, revise the design by removing those non supported shape and possibly replace with others.

3. Enter the folder and click OK. The output files are generated. They includes:
   
   • BookStore.zip (Deployable process archive)
   • gpd.xml (Graphical process definition)
   • processdefinition.xml (Process definition)
   • processimage.jpg (Process image)