Task DueDate v boundary timer

[mikepoole]

Please excuse my ignorance on this matter

Could someone tell me the difference between a task DueDate and a boundary timer event - as in, when shoudl you use one and when should you use the other?

Is it as simple as a boundary event takes you to another step whereas the DueDate simply marks a task so that it can be queried as being overdue or not?

Many thanks

Mike

[frederikherema1]

Mike,

You're assumption is right. The dueDate on the task is just a property of the task, query able through our API. An expired due date doesn't influence process-flow. A timer can.

[mikepoole]

Thanks so much Frederik.

Really appreciate it

Regards

Mike

[mikepoole]

Mike,

You're assumption is right. The dueDate on the task is just a property of the task, query able through our API. An expired due date doesn't influence process-flow. A timer can.

So is there a way to tie the two together? ie: do all your logic to set the boundary event's timeDate property and always have the task's DueDate equal that value?

Mike

[frederikherema1]

The timer declaration allows you to specify a "date" using an expression.

<boundaryEvent id="escalationTimer" cancelActivity="true" attachedToRef="firstLineSupport">
   <timerEventDefinition>
    <timeDate>${dateVariable}</timeDate>
  </timerEventDefinition>
</boundaryEvent>       
The Task's dueDate can be set using an expression:


<userTask id="theTask" name="Important task" activiti:dueDate="${dateVariable}"/>

Than it's just a matter of setting the "dateVariable" on your process BEFORE the flow reaches the task (eg. service-task that contains your logic for calculating date in front or ExecutionListener on the transition before the task, …)

[mikepoole]

Fantastic. Makes perfect sense

Thanks again Frederik

[mikepoole]

Can I ask what format the activiti:dueDate should be on the User Task?

For the boundary timer, I have no problem setting a process variable to "2012-06-18T11:55:00" but any attempt to put anything else in for the task due date causes a "cannot resolve to a Date" error

Many thanks

Mike

[frederikherema1]

Mike. This is a minor issue I guess, can you create a JIRA for this? The timer accepts ISO-XXX date string, but the dueDate currently only expects an expression that resolves to a java.util.Date.

A current workaround would be to define a bean (using spring or de beans-list on process-engine configuration), e.g.. 'dateBean', and use that to convert ISO-XXX date to actual date:


activiti:dueDate=${dateUtil.convertToDate(timerDateVar)}