Adding a variable to a business process

Variables store the messages that are exchanged between the partners in a process and the data that is used in its business logic.

A variable belongs to the scope in which it is declared. If it is created in the global process scope then it is a global variable, and thus visible to the process as a whole. Those that are created within nested scopes are called scoped or local variables, and can only be seen by objects within the scope in which it was created.
You can create two kinds of variables using the instructions in this topic.
  • To create a local or scoped variable, click the scope first, and then follow the instructions.
  • To create a global variable, click a blank area of the canvas or any other activity that is not a scope, and then follow the instructions.
  1. In the tray, click the plus symbol (The plus symbol) beside the Variables area.
  2. Give the variable an appropriate name.
  3. Click the Details tab in the properties area.
  4. Choose from one of the following choices by enabling the appropriate check box.
    Option Description
    Data Type This variable can be either a business object or a simple XSD type.
    Interface This variable stores the input, output or fault parameter for a particular interface.
  5. To define it as a Data Type variable, proceed as follows:
    1. Enable the Data Type radio button.
    2. Click Browse to choose a simple type or business object from the Data Type Selection wizard.
  6. To define it as an Interface variable, proceed as follows:
    1. Enable the Interface radio button.
    2. Select an interface from the drop down list or click Browse to choose one with the Interface selection wizard.
    3. Select an operation from the drop down list.
    4. If you select Input, you will be able to type your variable using any of the inputs defined in this operation. Similarly, click Output to see a list of the output variables available.
You have successfully created a variable. If this is a global variable, then it will be visible to all objects and activities within the process. If it is a local variable, it will only be visible to the scope within which it was declared.

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