Custom task property control (i.e. button/form)

[kjtdude]

I have created an Activiti Designer extension in Eclipse following the 5.6 user guide. I am able to add controls to the Main config tab using the @Property decoration.

However I need to add a button to that tab, have the user click on the button to invoke a custom form. This form will interact with our code and generate a string that should be associated with the AbstractCustomServiceTask private variable related to the @Property.

Thanks for any help about whether this is possible.

[tiesebarrell]

kjtdude,

at the moment you can't do this from the property screen. This is subject to this issue http://jira.codehaus.org/browse/ACT-414, which is, admittedly, not a very high priority since nobody has asked for it so far (until you just did).

Would you be able to wait for and use the resolution of that issue?

There is another way to accomplish this, which involves creating your own property sheet that then includes our default one (forgive the lack of details, but I don't recall the exact implementation), but that means you can only add things to the top or to the bottom and not somewhere in the middle of the form.

[kjtdude]

Thank you for the response Tiese.
ACT-414 covers my request in a more generalized manner and I can wait for that feature. If a button control that invokes a user implemented class and returns a string could be implemented in a nearer timeframe that would be greatly appreciated. In the meantime I think I can just create an Eclipse plug-in for our custom configuration UI and have the developer paste the results into a text control.
Thanks.

[tiesebarrell]

kjtdude,

OK, I can look into that intermediary solution. I assume you would want the class to be in the extension JAR?

[tiesebarrell]

kjtdude,

I have created this issue so you can track progress. I'll attempt to look into the temporary solution for the next release. I hope it's feasible.

http://jira.codehaus.org/browse/ACT-915

[pgadecki]

I have found a workaround for this issue. As org.activiti.designer.gui contributes to org.eclipse.ui.views.properties.tabbed.propertySections eclipse extension-point you could also make a plugin that makes such contribution:
In plugin.xml there are similar contributions:
<propertySection
               class="org.activiti.designer.property.PropertyMailTaskSection"
               filter="org.activiti.designer.property.PropertyMailTaskFilter"
               id="org.activiti.designer.mainConfigTab.mailtask"
               tab="org.activiti.designer.mainConfigTab">
</propertySection>


• class - is the class that creates SWT layout


• filter - specifies when that layout would be displayed (i.e. certain node type is selected)


• id - some identifier


• tab - to which property tab this would be added (if you choose one from provided by activiti-designer your content would appear together with default designer properties, you could also create your own tabs