How to define a

[flawlor]

I'm trying to figure out how to use the DESIGNER to make use of Super States.

My assumption from what little is in the user guide and elsewhere is that I could use SuperStates to define a high-level process, e.g.

phase1 -> phase2 -> phase3

And then define the details of each phase.

Is the high-level definition, above, defined as one .par and then each phase as a separate .par? Or what?

How do you point "phase1" at its detailed process definition?

While the user guide has some information on super states it doesn't really explain this either.

I'd appreciate any help,

-- Frank

[hosierdm]

You need to be looking at ProcessState, not SuperState. There is an example on process composition in the User Guide. Plus there are examples in the source code bundled with the distribution.

[flawlor]

Thanks for the pointer.

Sections 4.3.3 and 9.8 have some useful informatin on Process Composition.

However, it doesn't answer any of the questions I asked.

Does anyone have any pointers?

Thanks
-- Frank

[hosierdm]

It does answer at least one of your questions:

"flawlor" wrote:

How do you point "phase1" at its detailed process definition?

 <process-state name="initial interview">
 <sub-process name="interview" />
 <variable name="a" access="read,write" mapped-name="aa" />
 <variable name="b" access="read" mapped-name="bb" />
 <transition to="..." />
 </process-state>

You point phase1 at its detailed process definition by using the sub-process element as shown above (taken from Section 9.8 in the User Guide). Each unique process that is pointed to by a sub-process needs to be its own par and deployed separately (prior to deploying the process that references it). I don't think there is a way to nest multiple process definitions in a single source XML.

[flawlor]

The questions were about how to define the process and sub-processes IN THE DESIGNER.

[hosierdm]

As far as I know, right now you cannot specify any details of a sub-process in the Process State using the graphical components. For example, you cannot specify which process the process state is linked to using any graphical dialogs. The only way to do it is to manually edit the source, which is available in the Source tab in the designer. So create all your sub-processes in the designer, add a process state for each sub-process in your super-process in the designer, and then edit the source XML for the super-process to specify which process goes with each process state...in the designer.

[koen.aers]

The support for this in the graphical designer is still limited to switching to the source tab unfortunately.

Regards,
Koen

[flawlor]

Thanks, that helps. I'm just tying to understand how it might look in the designer. I need to be able to explain this to people.

Maybe you can answer my other question. Would everything be in one .par? So, from the designer I would see the top level proces (p1 -> p2 -> p3) and the defintiion of all three phases?

It would seem much more modular if they were in different visual components (= different .par files?), but then I don't understand how you would reference a sub-process in a different .par.

-- Frank

[flawlor]

Is there any better support for this coming in 3.2?