JBPM Dynamic forms

[clandestino_bgd]

Dear JBPM developers,
I would like to hear your view about existing dynamic forms functionality in JBPM 3.1.3.
In particular, I am curious why such approach has been chosen.
Let me try to summarize the main features of your approach:
1. For each task separate *.form file has to be created in GPD
2. The provided sample process has those *.form files which are JSF specific
3. The form is rendered by engine when Task is executed (have not found how - I would appreciate if you point me to the particular part of source)

The things I find a little bit problematic are:
1. JSF based .form files (I am using Struts for example)
2. The need for multiple definition of the same or very similar forms.

My question is:
1. Why diddn't you store the info how form will look like on variable level in process definition JPDL file. Each variable should be populated by one of the available HTML input controls.
2. Web pages (dynamic forms) then can have only custom JSP tags. This solution is chosen by RUNAWFE. Also I have did that when I developed WF service based on XPDL.

I would really appreciate your views about this.

Thank you.
Regards
Milan Agatonovic

[kukeltje]

1: .form files are not for 3.1.3 but for 3.2
2: Correct
3: search the code for forms.xml and trace back where that is all used. (I do not have the main classnames at hand now)

1: Then build your own ui framework. It is doable. We cannot support all existing web frameworks
2: it (might) be possible to use facelets templating

1: Search the discussions in this specific forum. Has been discussed before
2: ????

[smiljka]

Hi all,

I tried to find way the form is rendered by engine during task execution. But I couldn?t find it too.

I tried to search the code for forms.xml in order to trace back where that is all used. But there are two occurrence of forms.xml in the code:
jbmp\src\userguide\en\images.doc (jbmp\src\userguide\de\images.doc)
jbpm\src\java.jbpm.test\org\jbpm\jpdl\convert\ payraiseprocess-2.0.par

and it seems it is not helpful.

Thanls,
-- Smiljka

[kukeltje]

what version of the source are you using? The payraise process is looooooong gond as one of the default examples