Opening XPDL 2.0 documents in Process Designer

XML for Process Definition Language (XPDL) provides a standardized XML file format that can be used to interchange process models between tools. Easy to use diagramming tools that support BPMN (a graphical notation with standardized shapes for business processes) and mapping to XPDL enable business users to exchange process maps with developers who implement the process in advanced process modeling applications, such as Process Designer. This direct communication eliminates the time-consuming task of recreating the steps and routes in the process modeling application.

TIP Some diagramming tools can produce process diagrams that associate data with various steps in the process, but they are not designed to implement the full range of processing logic required for a functional automated process. When the workflow author opens those diagrams in Process Designer, he must specify the appropriate participants or queues for each step, conditions for routes, appropriate system functions, and other items to create a functional workflow definition.

BPMN elements

The BPMN standard provides a set of graphical elements that business users can use to create easy to understand diagrams to exchange with other users either directly or in XPDL format. Each advanced process modeling application supports a subset of the list of elements. The table below shows the mapping of standard BPMN shapes to Process Designer objects.

NOTE   The XPDL 2.0 specification provides great flexibility in how processes can be represented. While Process Designer can open, display, and save process maps in XPDL 2.0 format, an XPDL document from a BPMN application might not be completely represented in Process Designer. Items indicated below as not mapped are not displayed in Process Designer. If you edit the process map in Process Designer and save it in XPDL format, items identified below as unmapped BPMN constructs will be lost. Therefore, both the appearance and content might be changed when the map is opened in the original or another BPMN application.

 

BPMN shape BPMN entity In Process Designer Notes

BPMN Start

BPMN Start shapes

Start

and various other Start entities

PE launch step  PE Start step

PE general step  PE System step

If there are multiple Start entities in the XPDL file, the first one maps to the Launch or Start step; all others map to a General or System step.

BPMN Task

Task PE General step  PE System step General step or System step

BPMN sub-process collapsed

Sub-process collapsed PE System step

System step—Call (Submap)

While the XPDL standard does not define the sub-process collapsed shape as an activity, Process Designer maps this entity to a Call system function.

BPMN sub-process expanded Sub-process expanded Submap Submap

BPMN exclusive decision

Exclusive decision-merge (XOR)

PE General step  PE System step Split type OR or Join type OR

BPMN Inclusive decision

Inclusive decision-merge (OR) PE General step  PE System step

Join type AND
(not mapped to a split type)

BPMN Parallel fork

Parallel fork-join (AND) PE General step  PE System step Split type AND or Join type AND
BPMN Text annotation
Text annotation PE Text annotation  

BPMN Flow - normal

Connection sequence
normal flow

PE Route Route with no condition

BPMN Flow - conditional

Connection sequence conditional flow PE Route Route with condition

BPMN Flow - default

Connection sequence default flow PE Route Route with no condition
(must be last route from a step

BPMN Connection association

Connection association PE Annotation association Text annotation association

The following BPMN entities represent various types of events with triggers and results that do not map directly to objects in Process Designer. If they are present in the XPDL file, they are mapped as indicated in the table below.

BPMN shape BPMN entity In Process Designer Notes

BPMN various intermediate event shapes

Various Intermediate events PE General step  PE System step General step or System step

BPMN various end event shapes

Various End events PE General step  PE System step

These map to General step or System step.

Although an End event might be required in some BPMN modeling applications, it is not mapped to a corresponding step in Process Designer.

BPMN Complex and Event base shapes Complex decision merge and Event base exclusive exchange (XOR) PE General step  PE System step

These map to General step or System step.

Not mapped to Split type or Join type

BPMN Pool and Swimlanes
Pool and Swimlanes   Pool and Swimlane information is preserved in Process Designer but not mapped.

 

The following BPMN entities are not mapped to Process Designer objects.

BPMN shape BPMN entity
BPMN Data object
Artifact data object

BPMN Task shapes

Various task entities

BPMN sub-process shapes

Various sub-processes entities

BPMN Off-page connector

Off-page connector
BPMN Group and Transaction shapes
Group and Transaction entities