Unable to use Listener Bean in Activiti workflow

[pero]

I was reading this presentation where it says that it is possible to use Spring beans as Task and Execution listeners in Activiti wokrflow.

http://www.alfresco.com/resources/devcon2011/sandiego/BPM-3_AdvancedWorkflowDeeperDive_Smith.pdf (pages 11-15)

When I tried to implement the same behavior I got this Execption:

org.activiti.engine.ActivitiException: Unknown property used in expression
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.el.JuelExpression.getValue(JuelExpression.java:55)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.listener.DelegateExpressionExecutionListener.notify(DelegateExpressionExecutionListener.java:39)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.pvm.runtime.AtomicOperationTransitionNotifyListenerTake.execute(AtomicOperationTransitionNotifyListenerTake.java:43)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandContext.performOperation(CommandContext.java:76)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntity.performOperation(ExecutionEntity.java:481)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.pvm.runtime.AtomicOperationTransitionDestroyScope.execute(AtomicOperationTransitionDestroyScope.java:111)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandContext.performOperation(CommandContext.java:76)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntity.performOperation(ExecutionEntity.java:481)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.pvm.runtime.AtomicOperationTransitionNotifyListenerEnd.eventNotificationsCompleted(AtomicOperationTransitionNotifyListenerEnd.java:36)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.pvm.runtime.AbstractEventAtomicOperation.execute(AbstractEventAtomicOperation.java:52)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandContext.performOperation(CommandContext.java:76)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntity.performOperation(ExecutionEntity.java:481)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.pvm.runtime.AbstractEventAtomicOperation.execute(AbstractEventAtomicOperation.java:45)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandContext.performOperation(CommandContext.java:76)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntity.performOperation(ExecutionEntity.java:481)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntity.take(ExecutionEntity.java:326)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.behavior.BpmnActivityBehavior.performOutgoingBehavior(BpmnActivityBehavior.java:92)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.behavior.BpmnActivityBehavior.performDefaultOutgoingBehavior(BpmnActivityBehavior.java:49)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.behavior.FlowNodeActivityBehavior.leave(FlowNodeActivityBehavior.java:44)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.behavior.FlowNodeActivityBehavior.execute(FlowNodeActivityBehavior.java:36)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.pvm.runtime.AtomicOperationActivityExecute.execute(AtomicOperationActivityExecute.java:40)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandContext.performOperation(CommandContext.java:76)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntity.performOperation(ExecutionEntity.java:481)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.pvm.runtime.AtomicOperationProcessStartInitial.eventNotificationsCompleted(AtomicOperationProcessStartInitial.java:44)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.pvm.runtime.AbstractEventAtomicOperation.execute(AbstractEventAtomicOperation.java:52)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandContext.performOperation(CommandContext.java:76)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntity.performOperation(ExecutionEntity.java:481)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.pvm.runtime.AtomicOperationProcessStart.eventNotificationsCompleted(AtomicOperationProcessStart.java:44)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.pvm.runtime.AbstractEventAtomicOperation.execute(AbstractEventAtomicOperation.java:52)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandContext.performOperation(CommandContext.java:76)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntity.performOperation(ExecutionEntity.java:481)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.pvm.runtime.AbstractEventAtomicOperation.execute(AbstractEventAtomicOperation.java:45)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandContext.performOperation(CommandContext.java:76)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntity.performOperation(ExecutionEntity.java:481)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntity.start(ExecutionEntity.java:280)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.cmd.StartProcessInstanceCmd.execute(StartProcessInstanceCmd.java:72)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.cmd.StartProcessInstanceCmd.execute(StartProcessInstanceCmd.java:31)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandExecutorImpl.execute(CommandExecutorImpl.java:24)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandContextInterceptor.execute(CommandContextInterceptor.java:42)
   at org.activiti.spring.SpringTransactionInterceptor$1.doInTransaction(SpringTransactionInterceptor.java:42)
   at org.springframework.transaction.support.TransactionTemplate.execute(TransactionTemplate.java:130)
   at org.activiti.spring.SpringTransactionInterceptor.execute(SpringTransactionInterceptor.java:40)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.LogInterceptor.execute(LogInterceptor.java:33)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.RuntimeServiceImpl.startProcessInstanceById(RuntimeServiceImpl.java:65)
   at org.alfresco.repo.workflow.activiti.ActivitiWorkflowEngine.startWorkflow(ActivitiWorkflowEngine.java:1011)
   at org.alfresco.repo.workflow.WorkflowServiceImpl.startWorkflow(WorkflowServiceImpl.java:399)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
   at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
   at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.invokeJoinpointUsingReflection(AopUtils.java:309)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:183)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:150)
   at org.alfresco.repo.security.permissions.impl.AlwaysProceedMethodInterceptor.invoke(AlwaysProceedMethodInterceptor.java:34)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
   at org.alfresco.repo.security.permissions.impl.ExceptionTranslatorMethodInterceptor.invoke(ExceptionTranslatorMethodInterceptor.java:46)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
   at org.alfresco.repo.audit.AuditMethodInterceptor.invoke(AuditMethodInterceptor.java:147)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
   at org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionInterceptor.invoke(TransactionInterceptor.java:110)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:202)
   at $Proxy71.startWorkflow(Unknown Source)
   at org.alfresco.repo.workflow.WorkflowBuilder.build(WorkflowBuilder.java:95)
   at org.alfresco.repo.forms.processor.workflow.WorkflowFormPersister.persist(WorkflowFormPersister.java:76)
   at org.alfresco.repo.forms.processor.workflow.WorkflowFormPersister.persist(WorkflowFormPersister.java:44)
   at org.alfresco.repo.forms.processor.workflow.AbstractWorkflowFormProcessor.internalPersist(AbstractWorkflowFormProcessor.java:76)
   at org.alfresco.repo.forms.processor.FilteredFormProcessor.persist(FilteredFormProcessor.java:131)
   at org.alfresco.repo.forms.FormServiceImpl.saveForm(FormServiceImpl.java:138)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
   at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
   at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.invokeJoinpointUsingReflection(AopUtils.java:309)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:183)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:150)
   at org.alfresco.repo.security.permissions.impl.AlwaysProceedMethodInterceptor.invoke(AlwaysProceedMethodInterceptor.java:34)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
   at org.alfresco.repo.security.permissions.impl.ExceptionTranslatorMethodInterceptor.invoke(ExceptionTranslatorMethodInterceptor.java:46)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
   at org.alfresco.repo.audit.AuditMethodInterceptor.invoke(AuditMethodInterceptor.java:147)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
   at org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionInterceptor.invoke(TransactionInterceptor.java:110)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
   at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:202)
   at $Proxy124.saveForm(Unknown Source)
   at org.alfresco.repo.forms.script.ScriptFormService.saveForm(ScriptFormService.java:152)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
   at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.MemberBox.invoke(MemberBox.java:155)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.NativeJavaMethod.call(NativeJavaMethod.java:243)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.optimizer.OptRuntime.callN(OptRuntime.java:86)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.gen.c3._c1(file:/C:/ECLIPSE/eclipse-jee-indigo-croz-alfresco-ponude/apache-tomcat-6.0.29-alfresco-tht/webapps/tht-pilot-alfresco/WEB-INF/classes/alfresco/templates/webscripts/org/alfresco/repository/forms/form.post.json.js:57)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.gen.c3.call(file:/C:/ECLIPSE/eclipse-jee-indigo-croz-alfresco-ponude/apache-tomcat-6.0.29-alfresco-tht/webapps/tht-pilot-alfresco/WEB-INF/classes/alfresco/templates/webscripts/org/alfresco/repository/forms/form.post.json.js)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.optimizer.OptRuntime.callName0(OptRuntime.java:108)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.gen.c3._c0(file:/C:/ECLIPSE/eclipse-jee-indigo-croz-alfresco-ponude/apache-tomcat-6.0.29-alfresco-tht/webapps/tht-pilot-alfresco/WEB-INF/classes/alfresco/templates/webscripts/org/alfresco/repository/forms/form.post.json.js:90)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.gen.c3.call(file:/C:/ECLIPSE/eclipse-jee-indigo-croz-alfresco-ponude/apache-tomcat-6.0.29-alfresco-tht/webapps/tht-pilot-alfresco/WEB-INF/classes/alfresco/templates/webscripts/org/alfresco/repository/forms/form.post.json.js)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.ContextFactory.doTopCall(ContextFactory.java:393)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.ScriptRuntime.doTopCall(ScriptRuntime.java:2834)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.gen.c3.call(file:/C:/ECLIPSE/eclipse-jee-indigo-croz-alfresco-ponude/apache-tomcat-6.0.29-alfresco-tht/webapps/tht-pilot-alfresco/WEB-INF/classes/alfresco/templates/webscripts/org/alfresco/repository/forms/form.post.json.js)
   at org.mozilla.javascript.gen.c3.exec(file:/C:/ECLIPSE/eclipse-jee-indigo-croz-alfresco-ponude/apache-tomcat-6.0.29-alfresco-tht/webapps/tht-pilot-alfresco/WEB-INF/classes/alfresco/templates/webscripts/org/alfresco/repository/forms/form.post.json.js)
   at org.alfresco.repo.jscript.RhinoScriptProcessor.executeScriptImpl(RhinoScriptProcessor.java:483)
   at org.alfresco.repo.jscript.RhinoScriptProcessor.execute(RhinoScriptProcessor.java:191)
   at org.alfresco.repo.processor.ScriptServiceImpl.execute(ScriptServiceImpl.java:212)
   at org.alfresco.repo.processor.ScriptServiceImpl.executeScript(ScriptServiceImpl.java:174)
   at org.alfresco.repo.web.scripts.RepositoryScriptProcessor.executeScript(RepositoryScriptProcessor.java:102)
   at org.springframework.extensions.webscripts.AbstractWebScript.executeScript(AbstractWebScript.java:1193)
   at org.springframework.extensions.webscripts.DeclarativeWebScript.execute(DeclarativeWebScript.java:86)
   at org.alfresco.repo.web.scripts.RepositoryContainer$2.execute(RepositoryContainer.java:400)
   at org.alfresco.repo.transaction.RetryingTransactionHelper.doInTransaction(RetryingTransactionHelper.java:388)
   at org.alfresco.repo.web.scripts.RepositoryContainer.transactionedExecute(RepositoryContainer.java:462)
   at org.alfresco.repo.web.scripts.RepositoryContainer.transactionedExecuteAs(RepositoryContainer.java:500)
   at org.alfresco.repo.web.scripts.RepositoryContainer.executeScript(RepositoryContainer.java:316)
   at org.springframework.extensions.webscripts.AbstractRuntime.executeScript(AbstractRuntime.java:372)
   at org.springframework.extensions.webscripts.AbstractRuntime.executeScript(AbstractRuntime.java:209)
   at org.springframework.extensions.webscripts.servlet.WebScriptServlet.service(WebScriptServlet.java:118)
   at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:717)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
   at org.alfresco.web.app.servlet.GlobalLocalizationFilter.doFilter(GlobalLocalizationFilter.java:58)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:233)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.__invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java)
   at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:470)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:127)
   at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
   at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:298)
   at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11AprProcessor.process(Http11AprProcessor.java:861)
   at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11AprProtocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11AprProtocol.java:579)
   at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.AprEndpoint$Worker.run(AprEndpoint.java:1584)
   at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)
Caused by: org.activiti.engine.impl.javax.el.PropertyNotFoundException: Cannot resolve identifier 'startReviewListener'
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.juel.AstIdentifier.eval(AstIdentifier.java:83)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.juel.AstEval.eval(AstEval.java:50)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.juel.AstNode.getValue(AstNode.java:26)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.juel.TreeValueExpression.getValue(TreeValueExpression.java:114)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.delegate.ExpressionGetInvocation.invoke(ExpressionGetInvocation.java:33)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.delegate.DelegateInvocation.proceed(DelegateInvocation.java:37)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.delegate.DefaultDelegateInterceptor.handleInvocation(DefaultDelegateInterceptor.java:25)
   at org.activiti.engine.impl.el.JuelExpression.getValue(JuelExpression.java:50)
   … 135 more
‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

My startReviewListener listener bean is defined in module-context.xml as folows

<bean id="startReviewListener" class="hr.alfresco.pilot.workflow.listener.StartReviewListener">
      <property name="serviceRegistry" ref="ServiceRegistry" />
</bean>
‍‍‍‍‍

Implementation of StartReviewListener is given below

import org.activiti.engine.delegate.DelegateExecution;
import org.activiti.engine.delegate.ExecutionListener;
import org.alfresco.service.ServiceRegistry;

public class StartReviewListener implements ExecutionListener {

    private transient ServiceRegistry serviceRegistry;

    public void setServiceRegistry(final ServiceRegistry p_serviceRegistry) {
        this.serviceRegistry = p_serviceRegistry;
    }

    @Override
    public void notify(final DelegateExecution p_delegateExecution) throws Exception {
        p_delegateExecution.getVariable("");
    }

}
‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

And I have the following execution listener defined in my activiti workflow definition

<activiti:executionListener event="start" delegateExpression="${startReviewListener}" />
‍‍‍

I am using Alfresco Community 4.0.d on Tomcat and Postgres. Does anybody else have same experience? Am I doing something wrong or this is a bug in Alfresco? Or Activiti perhaps? I have also tried using this execution listener definition but with no luck either. Same error happens.

<activiti:executionListener event="start" delegateExpression="${StartReviewListener}" />
‍‍‍

[amandaluniz_z]

Hi Pero,

Many have faced this problem…. have a look at this forum post

Adei