Getting started with a custom web app

[jgiuffrida]

Hi all,

Currently undergoing a project involving BPMN and the wonderful Activiti API. Activiti has served us well in the generation of BPMN workflows and we have been using Activiti Explorer to test the logic, conditions, metadata collection, etc of our processes.

We now want to create a custom web client that allows us to expand on the functionality of Activiti Explorer and uses JMS for event handling and processes invoking 'child processes'

We were thinking of using Activiti Explorer as a base, is it modular enough to be 'rebranded' and expanded on into a custom web app?

If anyone is willing to share any guidelines or tips on how to begin this process in an efficient manner, it would be much appreciated, we've started looking into things such as Spring and REST, but we'd prefer to hear what the community thinks first.

Cheers,

James

[gdharley]

If you are looking at building a custom web application then I would not suggest you start with Activiti Explorer.

The options I would recommend you look at:

1. BrazosUI for Activiti (this is my companies product so I have to plug it).

2. Alfresco Application Development Framework (recently released by Alfresco) 

3. Custom angular application based on the activiti-app in the version 6 release of Activiti
4. Full custom using the REST API as the interface to the process engine.

All of the above options make use of the REST API.

Ceers

Greg

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[jgiuffrida]

Hi Greg,

Thanks for your suggestions and timely response. Currently taking a look at the activiti-app in version 6 of Activiti.

I'm currently autogenerating forms in my workflow lifecycle definitions (bpmn files) using formProperties, however it seems that my UserTasks don't seem to render these formProperties anymore like they previously did in Activiti Explorer.

Is there any way to get this feature back? I assume it has been deprecated in favour of the new Kickstart form creation.

Cheers,

James

[gdharley · Accepted solution]

Hey James,
The lack of support for form properties is something I brought up with the core dev team way back at the first release of Enterprise Edition 1.2.

I was hoping the new Community Edition version (6.0) would bring this feature back, meaning.

If no V6 form is referenced and form properties are defined then render the page based on the form properties.

Looking at the source, I dont think this is a big piece of work to do (probably no more than a man week) but so far no-one has addressed it.

It would certainly reduce some of the friction to upgrade from community to enterprise or even go from community 5 to community 6.

If I ever get time I will likely address this myself, but today, the feature does not exist.

Sorry,

Greg 

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[jgiuffrida]

Thank you Greg!!