Does Multi Instance User Tasks actually work?

[felipe1]

I'm trying to implement a process with a multi instance task. On my first attempt I got the following error:

Caused by: org.activiti.engine.ActivitiException: Couldn't execute end listener

I did some research and found a post from 08/2012 describing the exact same error (http://forums.activiti.org/content/emptystackexception-multi-instance-task-cdi) where is pointed out that there is a bug in the Activiti Engine. A JIRA was created (http://jira.codehaus.org/browse/ACT-1339), which is still open, and has not been updated since 11/2012. The affected version is 5.10 (I'm using 5.11).

My question is: does that mean that multi instance tasks do not work in Activiti at all? Was this corrected at some point and registered in a different JIRA issue?

I have tried completing the task with BusinessProcess#completeTask() and TaskService#complete(), but both approaches failed.

[felipe1]

I have updated to version 5.14.

Now I cannot even deploy my process.

I get the following exception:

<code>
16:58:47,010 SEVERE [br.com.glr.populisii.excecao.PopExceptionHandler] (http-localhost-127.0.0.1-8080-9) Error parsing XML: org.activiti.engine.ActivitiException: Error parsing XML
at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.BpmnParse.execute(BpmnParse.java:195) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.deployer.BpmnDeployer.deploy(BpmnDeployer.java:86) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.deploy.DeploymentManager.deploy(DeploymentManager.java:42) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.cmd.DeployCmd.execute(DeployCmd.java:68) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.cmd.DeployCmd.execute(DeployCmd.java:33) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandInvoker.execute(CommandInvoker.java:24) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandContextInterceptor.execute(CommandContextInterceptor.java:57) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.JtaTransactionInterceptor.execute(JtaTransactionInterceptor.java:64) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.LogInterceptor.execute(LogInterceptor.java:31) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.cfg.CommandExecutorImpl.execute(CommandExecutorImpl.java:40) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.cfg.CommandExecutorImpl.execute(CommandExecutorImpl.java:35) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.RepositoryServiceImpl.deploy(RepositoryServiceImpl.java:75) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.repository.DeploymentBuilderImpl.deploy(DeploymentBuilderImpl.java:139) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at br.com.glr.workflow.servicos.activiti.impl.ServicoWorkflowActiviti.publicaProcesso(ServicoWorkflowActiviti.java:156) [servico-workflow-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar:]
at br.com.glr.populisii.workflow.servicos.WorkflowAction.uploadArquivo(WorkflowAction.java:43) [classes:]
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) [rt.jar:1.7.0_09]
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57) [rt.jar:1.7.0_09]
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) [rt.jar:1.7.0_09]
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:601) [rt.jar:1.7.0_09]
at org.apache.el.parser.AstValue.invoke(AstValue.java:262) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.el.MethodExpressionImpl.invoke(MethodExpressionImpl.java:278) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.jboss.weld.util.el.ForwardingMethodExpression.invoke(ForwardingMethodExpression.java:39) [weld-core-1.1.5.AS71.Final.jar:2012-02-10 15:31]
at org.jboss.weld.el.WeldMethodExpression.invoke(WeldMethodExpression.java:50) [weld-core-1.1.5.AS71.Final.jar:2012-02-10 15:31]
at com.sun.faces.facelets.el.TagMethodExpression.invoke(TagMethodExpression.java:105) [jsf-impl-2.1.7-jbossorg-2.jar:]
at javax.faces.component.MethodBindingMethodExpressionAdapter.invoke(MethodBindingMethodExpressionAdapter.java:88) [jboss-jsf-api_2.1_spec-2.0.1.Final.jar:2.0.1.Final]
at com.sun.faces.application.ActionListenerImpl.processAction(ActionListenerImpl.java:102) [jsf-impl-2.1.7-jbossorg-2.jar:]
at org.primefaces.application.DialogActionListener.processAction(DialogActionListener.java:44) [primefaces-3.5.19.jar:3.5.19]
at javax.faces.component.UICommand.broadcast(UICommand.java:315) [jboss-jsf-api_2.1_spec-2.0.1.Final.jar:2.0.1.Final]
at javax.faces.component.UIViewRoot.broadcastEvents(UIViewRoot.java:794) [jboss-jsf-api_2.1_spec-2.0.1.Final.jar:2.0.1.Final]
at javax.faces.component.UIViewRoot.processApplication(UIViewRoot.java:1259) [jboss-jsf-api_2.1_spec-2.0.1.Final.jar:2.0.1.Final]
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.InvokeApplicationPhase.execute(InvokeApplicationPhase.java:81) [jsf-impl-2.1.7-jbossorg-2.jar:]
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.Phase.doPhase(Phase.java:101) [jsf-impl-2.1.7-jbossorg-2.jar:]
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl.execute(LifecycleImpl.java:118) [jsf-impl-2.1.7-jbossorg-2.jar:]
at javax.faces.webapp.FacesServlet.service(FacesServlet.java:593) [jboss-jsf-api_2.1_spec-2.0.1.Final.jar:2.0.1.Final]
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:329) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:248) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.primefaces.webapp.filter.FileUploadFilter.doFilter(FileUploadFilter.java:77) [primefaces-3.5.19.jar:3.5.19]
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:280) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:248) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.jboss.weld.servlet.ConversationPropagationFilter.doFilter(ConversationPropagationFilter.java:62) [weld-core-1.1.5.AS71.Final.jar:2012-02-10 15:31]
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:280) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:248) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at br.com.glr.populisii.usuario.FiltroAutenticacao.doFilter(FiltroAutenticacao.java:43) [classes:]
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:280) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:248) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:275) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:161) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.jboss.as.jpa.interceptor.WebNonTxEmCloserValve.invoke(WebNonTxEmCloserValve.java:50) [jboss-as-jpa-7.1.1.Final.jar:7.1.1.Final]
at org.jboss.as.web.security.SecurityContextAssociationValve.invoke(SecurityContextAssociationValve.java:153) [jboss-as-web-7.1.1.Final.jar:7.1.1.Final]
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:155) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:368) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:877) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:671) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$Worker.run(JIoEndpoint.java:930) [jbossweb-7.0.13.Final.jar:]
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:722) [rt.jar:1.7.0_09]
Caused by: java.lang.ClassCastException: org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.behavior.ParallelMultiInstanceBehavior cannot be cast to org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.behavior.UserTaskActivityBehavior
at org.activiti.cdi.impl.event.CdiEventSupportBpmnParseHandler.addCreateListener(CdiEventSupportBpmnParseHandler.java:124) [activiti-cdi-5.14.jar:]
at org.activiti.cdi.impl.event.CdiEventSupportBpmnParseHandler.parse(CdiEventSupportBpmnParseHandler.java:102) [activiti-cdi-5.14.jar:]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.BpmnParseHandlers.parseElement(BpmnParseHandlers.java:73) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.BpmnParse.processFlowElements(BpmnParse.java:400) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.handler.ProcessParseHandler.transformProcess(ProcessParseHandler.java:82) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.handler.ProcessParseHandler.executeParse(ProcessParseHandler.java:44) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.handler.ProcessParseHandler.executeParse(ProcessParseHandler.java:30) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.handler.AbstractBpmnParseHandler.parse(AbstractBpmnParseHandler.java:79) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.BpmnParseHandlers.parseElement(BpmnParseHandlers.java:73) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.BpmnParse.transformProcessDefinitions(BpmnParse.java:367) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.BpmnParse.execute(BpmnParse.java:190) [activiti-engine-5.14.jar:5.14]
</code>


Here is the piece of my .bpmn file that declares the multi instance user task:

<code>
  <userTask
   id="aprovacao-superiores"
   activiti:assignee="#{responsavel}"
   activiti:formKey="tarefa_aprovacaoAumentoSalario.xhtml"
   name="Aprovação Superiores">
   <documentation id="Documentation_7">Aprovação do aumento de salário de #{funWF.fun.pes.atrNomePessoa} pelos superiores</documentation>
   <multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics
    id="MultiInstanceLoopCharacteristics_1"
    isSequential="false"
    activiti:collection="#{servicoAprovacaoHierarquia.obtemSuperiores(1, 3)}"
    activiti:elementVariable="responsavel">
   </multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics>
  </userTask>
</code>

[felipe1]

After further analysis I have find out that this error only occurs if  *CdiEventSupportBpmnParseHandler* is declared in the activiti.cfg.xml. I believe this is a bug, so I've opened a Jira issue (http://jira.codehaus.org/browse/ACT-1848).


  <property name="postBpmnParseHandlers">
   <list>
    <bean class="org.activiti.cdi.impl.event.CdiEventSupportBpmnParseHandler" />
   </list>
  </property>


[trademak]

Okay thanks, yes that looks like a bug.