Optional aspect?

[jdbrown]

I have a use case where I want to assign the bpm:assignee aspect to one of my custom types, but I do not want to make it mandatory.  Is there a way override this so it is optional?

[davidc]

You don't have to use the bpm:assignee aspect.  It's just a short-cut for adding the appropriate meta-data to your task for collecting an assignee.  It just so happens to name the assignee slot bpm:assignee and it's this name that's referred to throughout the out-of-the-box workflows.

Take a look inside the aspect, and you'll see it's defining an association.  That's the important part.  You can either create your own aspect via copy/paste (and rename both aspect and assoc), or just add an equivalent assocation direct to your task type (renamed too).  In your association, remove the mandatory constraint.

Then in your process definition, refer to your name, not bpm:assignee.

[jdbrown]

David, that was what I was thinking to do, but isn't the bpm:assignee also special in that it is updated to the workflow context and to the taskInstance itself automatically out of the box?  If I create my own association I would need to duplicate that work as well right?

Thanks.

[davidc]

All custom properties will be propagated to the workflow context and subsequent tasks (if appropriate), unless explicitly told not to using the <variable> command.