topic Re: Service parameters and return value in Alfresco Archive

Service parameters and return value

mhw — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:01:40 GMT

Hi, I am trying to interact with a service facade using XML only. I am stuck with how to pass parameters from outside expressions.I have the following process:<serviceTask id="javaService" name="Read voltage" activiti:expression="#{ServiceDelegate.execute()}" activiti:resultVariable="vo

Re: Service parameters and return value

trademak — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 11:42:01 GMT

Hi,

You can simply pass the variables in the method call.
So you can use #{ServiceDelegate.execute(yourVariableName)}It's also possible to pass the whole execution instance by using #{ServiceDelegate.execute(execution)}
Best regards,

Re: Service parameters and return value

mhw — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:01:33 GMT

Hi trademak,

thanks for your answer. I understand, that I can pass an own variable. But how do I pass the execution? With the "activiti:class"-call the execution is magically (this is what I dont understand) passed. With "activiti:expression" and the same jul-snippet the execution is a null pointer.

How would you initialize the "execution"-variable here:
#{ServiceDelegate.execute(execution)}
Best regards,
Michael

Re: Service parameters and return value

trademak — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:22:26 GMT

Hi Michael,

Not sure if understand your questions, but the ServiceDelegate class (or whatever class it's wired to) execute method should look similar to:

public void execute(DelegateExecution execution) {
The #{ServiceDelegate.execute(execution)} line will pass the DelegateExection instance to this method.

Best regards,

Re: Service parameters and return value

mhw — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:43:24 GMT

Hi trademak,

thank you for your time again. You are right again, execution is passed. The null pointer comes not from execution parameter.
My delegate class:

public class ServiceDelegate implements JavaDelegate, Serializable {
…
 public void execute(DelegateExecution execution) throws Exception {
  String serviceNameString = (String) serviceName.getValue(execution);

  if(serviceNameString.equals("READ_VOLTAGE")){
  …

The serviceName field is null. With my "activiti:class" process the serviceName is injected with:

 public void setText(Expression serviceNameExpression){
  this.serviceName = serviceNameExpression;
 }

With this process part passing the serviceName works :

  <serviceTask id="javaServiceReadVoltage" name="Read voltage"
   activiti:class="com.bosch.wfe.activity.delegate.ServiceDelegate">
   <extensionElements>
    <activiti:field name="serviceName">
     <activiti:string>READ_VOLTAGE</activiti:string>
    </activiti:field>
   </extensionElements>
  </serviceTask>

With this process part it is _not_ working:

 <serviceTask id="javaService" name="Read voltage"
  activiti:expression="${ServiceDelegate.execute(execution)}"
  activiti:resultVariable="voltage">
  <extensionElements>
   <activiti:field name="serviceName">
    <activiti:string>READ_VOLTAGE</activiti:string>
   </activiti:field>
  </extensionElements>
 </serviceTask>

Perhaps this is the wrong approach. What I want is: passing a variable to a service and getting a return value(which I can use in a gateway). But with XML only (because the editors want to be flexible). Hopefully I made my problem clear now.

Best regards,
Michael

Re: Service parameters and return value

mhw — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:30:27 GMT

The serviceName field is null. With my "activiti:class" process the serviceName is injected with:
public void setText(Expression serviceNameExpression){ this.serviceName = serviceNameExpression; }

This was not true. Service parameter is injected without this method. I must have been confused.

Now I have this workflow:


…
 <serviceTask id="javaServiceReadVoltage" name="Read voltage"
   activiti:class="com.bigcompany.wfe.activiti.delegate.ServiceDelegate">
  <extensionElements>
   <activiti:field name="serviceName">
    <activiti:string>READ_VOLTAGE</activiti:string>
   </activiti:field>
  </extensionElements>
  
 </serviceTask>
 
    <sequenceFlow id="flow3" sourceRef="javaServiceReadVoltage" targetRef="exclusiveGw" />
    
    <exclusiveGateway id="exclusiveGw" name="Exclusive Gateway" />
    
    <sequenceFlow id="flow4" sourceRef="exclusiveGw" targetRef="theTask1">
      <conditionExpression xsi:type="tFormalExpression">${ServiceResult == 12.0}</conditionExpression>
    </sequenceFlow>

The process variable "ServiceResult" is set within the delegate service:

   double result = ServiceFacade.readVoltage();
   execution.setVariable("ServiceResult", result);

But this solution is based on the "knowledge" that the variable name is "ServiceResult". If the editor has no possibility to look in the source this has to be documentated elsewhere.
Therefore this is no solution for us.
Please, somebody: What can we do to name the result variable as an editor?

Best regards,

Michael

Re: Service parameters and return value

jbarrez — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:49:03 GMT

This is inheritly so for the Activiti engine, as it is a Java worflow engine in the first place.
There is currently no way of providing process variables in the process.

Re: Service parameters and return value

mhw — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:00:08 GMT

This is inheritly so for the Activiti engine, as it is a Java worflow engine in the first place.
There is currently no way of providing process variables in the process.

Thank you for the clarification. I was confused because "activiti:resultVariable" let one introduce such a process variable in the process. I was wondering why this seems forbidden with an "activiti:class"-Element.

Re: Service parameters and return value

erny18031 — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:07:39 GMT

This is inheritly so for the Activiti engine, as it is a Java worflow engine in the first place.
There is currently no way of providing process variables in the process.
Thank you for the clarification. I was confused because "activiti:resultVariable" let one introduce such a process variable in the process. I was wondering why this seems forbidden with an "activiti:class"-Element.

I was just wondering about the same thing. Input to the service task is easy using "Expressions" in code and "activiti:field" in bpm20.xml. The reverse should also be possible, e.g.


  <serviceTask id="serviceTask1" name="Service Taks" activiti:class="org.example.activi.servicetasks.MyService">
    <extensionElements>
      <activiti:field name="param1"><activiti:expression>${whatever}</activiti:expression></activiti:field>
      <activiti:field name="param2" activiti:resultVariable="processVariable1" />
  </serviceTask>

Regards.
Erny

Re: Service parameters and return value

ronald_van_kuij — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:27:50 GMT

Why should this be possible? What do you mis?

Re: Service parameters and return value

trevershick — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:09:15 GMT

<serviceTask id="javaServiceReadVoltage" name="Read voltage"
   activiti:class="com.bigcompany.wfe.activiti.delegate.ServiceDelegate">
<extensionElements>
   <activiti:field name="serviceName">
    <activiti:string>READ_VOLTAGE</activiti:string>
   </activiti:field>
</extensionElements>

</serviceTask>

Michael

Perhaps it seems too easy or silly but couldn't you just pass in the name of the variable you wan tthe service task to return the result as with a meaningful default?
   <activiti:field name="responseVariable">
    <activiti:string>myResult</activiti:string>
   </activiti:field>

then in your code it's just execution.setVariable(responseVariable, "the result")?

that would allow the bpmn author to specify what var to use.