How can a multi-instance task read the inputDataItem?

[wolpert]

I have the following xml fragment in my business process…

    <callActivity id="digitizeVideo" name="DigitizeVideo" calledElement="SourceVideo">
      <multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics isSequential="false">
        <loopDataInputRef>assetsToDigitize</loopDataInputRef>
        <inputDataItem name="assetId"></inputDataItem>
      </multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics>
    </callActivity>

When the call activity is executed, I get a bunch of new processes running. The first task is being worked on needs the assetId in this case. How is it set? Specifically, I see the initial process instance which has the assetsToDigitize variable set, which has executions. One of those executions have the assetId set. It also has 5 subProcessInstances which do not have the variable set, and the task does not have the variable set. As far as I can tell, given a taskId, I can't 'find' the assetId its supposed to work on.

So, my question is; what is the proper way to find the variable set via the multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics behavior when I only have the taskId available to me?

[trademak]

Hi,

Hmm interesting. Did you look at the possibility to pass a process variable to the sub process using an in parameter on the call activity?
So like:

<extensionElements>
  <activiti:in source="assetsToDigitize" target="assetId" />
</extensionElements>
Best regards,

[wolpert]

My example isn't much different then the miParallelUserTasksBasedOnCollection test case… which is this:

  <multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics isSequential="false">
        <loopDataInputRef>assigneeList</loopDataInputRef>
        <inputDataItem name="assignee" />
        <completionCondition>${nrOfCompletedInstances/nrOfInstances >= 0.6 }</completionCondition>
      </multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics>

In my case, it makes everything correct, and I see a variable in the database attached to an execution, but if I only have the task object itself, how can I access the variable set by the 'multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics'? I've tried task variables and variablesLocal, process instance variables and variablesLocal, and every other combination. I can try that other technique but is it doing anything different? From looking at the source code, I'm not sure it is.

[wolpert]

I'm trying the 'in' technique now. Though it seems that the variable should automatically be set, I'll see if this will work.

[wolpert]

It did work by using the activiti:in, but I had to use this format:

      <extensionElements>
        <activiti:in source="assetId" target="assetId"></activiti:in>
      </extensionElements>

I have no need to use activitiut in my case. I'm not sure I understand why this isn't default behavior of activiti, but I am happy I have a technique that works and supported by the eclipse designer.

Thanks.