Introduction to Process Applications

Developing a custom Process application involves customizing the user interface and the way work is done for one or more steps in a workflow, how the application accesses data and other resources, how data is updated, and how the application interfaces with the Process Engine and related services.

A custom Process (workflow) application may be created as either a "Work Performer" (performs an operation or set of operations associated with a workflow step, but does not require a user interface), as a "Step Processor" (performs all the operations associated with a step in a workflow and has a user interface), or as a user application, such as a "User Inbox" — also known as a "User Tasks Page" or "Personal Work Manager" — which provides a user interface that contains notifications from a user queue or work queue for work items to be performed by the user). Developing a Process application involves consideration of the various approaches you can use to plan and develop a Process application, as well as an understanding of what these applications are, what do they do, and how they may be customized.

Topics covered in this overview include:

Overview of Step Processors

As indicated above, a Step Processor is an application that performs the operations associated with a step in a workflow. There are two types of Step Processors:

There are two ways of developing a Step Processor or Launch Step Processor: either as a zero-download J2EE-based "HTML Step Processor" or as a "Java Step Processor" application or applet.

The following additional information is useful whether you are developing an HTML or a Java Step or Launch Step Processor:

Overview of Work Performers

As indicated above, a "Work Performer" is an application that performs an operation or set of operations associated with a workflow step, but which does not require a user interface (typically, Work Performers are automatic processes that do not have a user interface). Typical Work Performer operations include logging into and establishing a Process Engine (VWSession) session, polling a work queue (to find operations related to this workflow step), locking the retrieved object, processing the work (e.g., performing updates of data, saving, etc.), and cycling back to queue polling.

There are two types of Work Performers:

Overview of a User Inbox

A User Inbox (or "User Tasks Page") is typically an HTML page or Java applet that provides the user (workflow participant or Tracker) with the notifications on the work items he/she needs to work on. For example, if you are using P8 Workplace as your web application, this is the page that comes up when the user clicks on the Workplace Tasks tab. The notifications in the User Inbox include information and associated attachments, which are provided to the User Inbox from a user queue or work queue. Developers are often called upon to develop a customized user interface for the User Inbox, as well as customizing such operations as displaying a list of queues, displaying queue contents, opening a Step Processor's link, or Tracker item, and so on.

For information on developing a custom User Inbox as either an HTML page or a Java applet, see Developing a Custom User Inbox.