Adding Variables to the Execution Pane

Select BPMN Element

To add any execution object, you must first select the element on the BPMN canvas to which you want to add the execution.

The related execution part will be displayed in the execution canvas. As no execution has been implemented yet, the panel shows an empty UML diagram.

If the selected BPMN element is a Message Start Event, the execution pane also shows section Message with an incoming variable message of type Any.

If you have selected the outgoing relation of an Exclusive Gateway, section Return is displayed, containing the unchangeable variable return of type Boolean.

Select Type

Now go to the Library panel and expand the library you want to use.

Page Library Panel contains further details about the panel contents. On page Libraries Administration is explained how to upload a library to the Designer.

Drag to Execution Pane

Adding variables to the execution pane is simple:

  • Select the necessary data type from your library.
  • Drag it from the library panel and drop it on the execution pane.

There are different targets to drop an element to:

You can cancel the operation by pressing Esc or dropping the element outside the execution pane. 

Adding a New Variable

You can add a new variable by dropping it in section Persisted or Local.

You can drag the following library contents to the pane:

  • Class
  • Interface
  • Parameter

This applies to variables from your own customized libraries as well as to the Bridge base types.

See page Persisting Data for further information.

Adding Multiplicity

Once you have dragged a variable to the execution pane, you can add multiplicity.

Open the attributes panel for the variable in question.

Here you will find the attribute Array. To add multiplicity, activate the checkbox.

If the checkbox is activated, the variable has the multiplicity 0..* and the element on the pane is extended by a pair of square brackets:

Changing the Type

You can change the type of any variable if you drag a type from your library and drop it on the variable itself.

Example:
As per default, the incoming message has type Any. To gain access to the data you want to use, you need to apply the correct type from your library - which is WebShopOrder.

After you have dropped the type on the variable, it has changed its type.

Example:
The selected type WebShopOrder is applied to the incoming message.

Use simple type Any from library Bridge Base to change the message type back to its default.

Object message cannot be of simple type. If you try to drop a simple type other than default type Any on the message element, a red frame indicates that this is prohibited.

Changing the Section

It is also possible to change the section for a variable. You can drag & drop variables:

  • From Local to Persisted
  • From Persisted to Local
  • From Message to Persisted or Local

  • Local to Persisted: The local variable is removed, a new persisted variable with the same name is created. If the name is already in use, a suffix is added. Existing relations are reattached to the new variable.

  • Persisted to Local: The persisted variable is removed and a new local variable with the same name is created. If the name is already in use, a suffix is added. Existing relations are reattached to the new variable.

  • Message to Persisted or Local: A new variable is created in the corresponding area. Its name is the same as if a new variable of the same type as the message was created. A relation is drawn from message to the new variable.

Special Case: Adding Persisted Variables

For detailed information see page Persisting Data.

If you add variables to section Persisted, they are usable in all executions of the BPMN model.

To use a persisted variable, click the icon to open the list of available persisted variables and select the variable you want to use.