Execute Workflow in EmForge

Create at least one project

So, now, then Workflow is deployed into EmForge we can execute it - so, we can start and perform our personal task (or, any other user will able to start and perform his/her own personal task). But - before start to work with task be sure you have at least one project in EmForge. The thing is - all tasks in EmForge are related to some project, so, to be able create new task you need to have at least one project!

Start new task

So, as soon as you will have project and you already has some workflows in the system you should be able to see "Create New Task" link on the "Tasks" main-menu item in EmForge. After clicking on this link "New Task" wizard will be started. On first step EmForge will ask you to choose project for task and start-task (workflow). Choose our "Start Personal Task" and press "Next".

On next step you should enter "Title" for task (in this example "Don't forget to read more about jBPM!")

On next step EmForge will try to perform the search for tasks, already available in the system - may be it is duplicate. Since we know it is new task and we do not have duplicates - simple click "Next"

On Next step you can enter detailed description for this task - with using powerful JspWiki-based wiki system of EmForge.

Next step is very interesting. Here you can specify some standard task properties like priority (Since for us this task is very important - let set "High"), date, until that this task should be done and... yes, our "Category" variable, we defined in workflow for our start-task. Since we marked Category as Required, you can see "*" sign near to it.

Last step is preview of created task

Click on "Create" - new task is created and you are navigated to "Task"-page.

Working with task

After creation of new task, workflow engine completed start-task by default transition and went to the 'Perform Personal Task' step. This step, according to specified "Assigner" is assigned to task owner - so, to same user who created this task.

So, if you will switch to the 'Tasks' view (from main EmForge menu) - you will see this active step in the list.

Clicking on this task will navigate you back to the Task page. Clicking on the Picture tab at the bottom you can see task picture - our workflow with current active step marked as red.

On Step Tab ("Step: Performs Personal Task") you can change general steps settings (like priority) - as well - as specify Custom Step Variable ("Comment") - defined in workflow.

To complete step you need to select "Perform Personal Task (go to Personal Task Finished): action and press submit. Please, fill Comment field with some info - since it is required!

After completing "Perform Personal Step" task will go to the terminal "Personal Task Finished" and task will be finished.

Step priority

One note about Step Priority. We specified Task Priority then created task. It was High. But each Step in Task Workflow may have own priority. By default Step priority is initialized with value from Task priority, but it may be changed by user. Simple example - we have a process to 'Request Vacation' (not development-related example, but still may be used in Software Development Company).

Some Employee created new Task "Request Vacation'. Where he specified dates of the vacation and why he need it. He set priority ASAP - since it is very important for him to get answer as soon as possible. In some moment, workflow come to the CEO to accept this vacation. Step 'Accept Vacation' assigned to CEP will have ASAP priority. But you know, CEOs always has many own ASAP tasks to do, so, for him this step is not really ASAP. To move down this step (it will not affect whole Task - it still will stay ASAP) in his active tasks list CEO may assign 'High' priority for step 'Accept Vacation'.

Not very good example (probably Employee after moving decision about his vacation even to the High priority never will get decision!) but we hope it demonstrate difference between Task and Step priority.

Conclusion

In this simplest example we created simplest workflow to manage own todo list, deployed it into EmForge and executed it.

Probably quite difficult for simple personal to-do - many Task Management Systems can do it without any workflows and much more easy.

But - it is only beginning - it is quite easy to extend this workflow to process automatically much-much more complex workflows.

Again, EmForge already come with default PersonalTaskProcess - so, you will need to develop personal to-do (for example by changing default PersonalTaskProcess) only if you need to extend somehow default (add some extra variables and so on).

Next examples demonstrated a little bit more complex ways for assignment:

• Assign task to some other user
• Assign task to some role in project