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Guide to Building Business Processes

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Starting Your Business Process

This section describes how to design the first node in your business process (the Start node) to represent the starting point of a business process.

A business process can be started as a result of receiving a request from a client or as the result of receiving a message from a Message Broker channel to which the business process is subscribed (a business process can subscribe to channels to receive events from for example: File event generators, JMS event generators, and Timer Event Generators), and by a choice of one of several events. This section includes the following topics:

 

Designing Start Nodes

A Start node represents the starting point of a business process. Depending on the method by which your business process starts, the Start Event of your process can contain any combination of Client Request, Client Request with Return, or Subscription nodes. You design the Start Event of your process by double-clicking the Start Event place holder placed just below your Start node.

To create a new business process, complete the tasks described in Creating a Business Process Application. When you create a new business process, it initially contains an empty Start node, a Start Event place holder, and a Finish node, as shown in the following figure Figure 3-1.

Figure 3-1 Start Node

Start Node

The first action in the business process is specified at the Start node. That is, you specify how the business process is started at run time by defining a Start Event. The empty node attached to the Start node, as well as the gray check box Start Node, shown in the preceding figure, indicate that the start method for this business process is not defined.

While you are building your business process by adding process nodes to it, you can go back to the start node to check the stateless status of your process. If your process at any time becomes stateful, the stateless property in the Start node property editor displays false. To learn more about stateless and stateful business processes, see Building Stateless and Stateful Business Processes.

The Start Node also indicates any business-process-wide problems, such as when a control declaration has an error or when an incorrect variable type is used for a variable. Any such problems are indicated by an Start Node appearing next to the Start Node. If you place your cursor over this icon, BEA Workshop for WebLogic Platform will display a message about the problems.

To Define the Start Method for Your Business Process

You can design the start node properties by invoking the starting event node builder. Node builders provide a task-driven interface that allow you to specify the logic required at nodes in your business process.

  1. Double-click the Start Event placeholder on the Start node in the Design view to display the Start node builder.

    2. The node builder displays, as shown in Figure 3-2.

    Figure 3-2 Node Builder


    Node Builder

  2. In the node builder, select the method by which you want your business process to start:
    • Invoked via a Client Request

      • Select this option if you want your business process to start as the result of receiving a message from a client.

    • Invoked synchronously via a Client Request with Return

      • Select this option if you want your business process to start as the result of receiving a synchronous request from a client. Any nodes added between the receive and send nodes inside the Client Request with Return group will be executed within the scope of the synchronous operation.

    • Subscribe to a Message Broker channel and start via an Event (Time, Email, File, Adapter, etc.)

      • Select this option if you want your business process to start as a result of receiving an asynchronous message from a Message Broker channel. You create a static subscription to a Message Broker channel on this node. This option also allows you to start your business process via an event through File, JMS, Email, or Timer Event Generator, which facilitate publishing events to Message Broker channels.

      Note: In WebLogic Integration, subscriptions to Message Broker channels defined at a Start node are referred to as static subscriptions, and subscriptions defined using a Message Broker Subscription control are referred to as dynamic subscriptions. See "Note about Static and Dynamic Subscriptions" in http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs92/wli.javadoc/index.html
    • Subscribe synchronously to a Message Broker channel and start via an Event

      • Select this option if you want your business process to start as a result of receiving a synchronous message from a Message Broker channel. You create a static subscription to a Message Broker channel on this node. This option also allows you to start your business process via an event through File, JMS, Email, or Timer Event Generator, which facilitate publishing events to Message Broker channels.

    • Invoked via one of several Client Requests or Subscriptions (Event Choice)

      • Select this option if you want your business process to start as a result of receiving one of a number of possible events. When an Event Choice node is used at the start of a business process, you can configure it to contain Client Request, Client Request with Return, or Message Broker Subscription nodes.

  3. To close the node builder, click Close.

    4. The drop target on the Start node is populated with an icon representing the method by which the business process starts.

To learn more about specifying the appropriate start node for your business process, see:

 

Client Request Start (Asynchronous)

If you specified that your business process starts when it receives a message from a client, that is using the Invoked via a Client Request option, your Start node is displayed as shown in Figure 3-3.

Figure 3-3 Client Request Start Node

Client Request Start Node

To Complete the Design of Your Client Request Node
  1. Double-click the Client Request node to invoke the node builder for the Client Request node.
  2. To complete the specification of events for your Client Request node, see Design Your Client Request Node.

Related Topics

Sending Messages to Clients

Handling Exceptions

Client Operations and Control Communication Methods

 

Client Request with Return Start (Synchronous)

If you specified that your business process starts when it receives a message from a client and a synchronous response is sent back to the client, that is using the Invoked synchronously via a Client Request with Return option, your Start node is displayed as shown in Figure 3-4.

Figure 3-4 Client Request with Return start Node

Client Request with Return start Node

Note the following properties for the Client Request with Return group node:

After you add any node to your business process, you can design its properties and behavior by invoking the node builder and completing the tasks appropriate for that node. You can also add optional nodes between the Request and Return part of the Client Request with Return node. This allows you to process data or perform tasks after the message from the client is received and before the return is sent back to the client. For more information on how to add optional nodes to your Client Request with Return node, see Adding Nodes to Your Client Request with Return Node Group .

The following sections describe how to complete the design of your Client Request with Return nodes:

To Complete the Design of Your Client Request with Return Node Group

To complete the design of your Client Request with Return node, you need to complete the following sections:

Specify General Settings for the Request Part of Your Node Group
  1. Double-click the Client Request with Return start Node icon (upper icon) in the Client Request with Return node group in your business process.

    2. The node builder is invoked. It contains two tabs: General Settings and Receive Data.

  2. In the General Settings tab, enter a name in the Method Name field to specify the name of the method on this Client Request with Return node.

    3. The name you assign to the method is the name of the method that is exposed via the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) when you make your business process available as a Web service. To learn more about how the methods in your project are exposed to clients, see Components of Your Application.

  3. In the General Settings tab, click Add. A panel, which shows the data types is displayed.
  4. Select the type and format of the data your Client Request with Return node expects to receive from clients (that is, the data type for the method parameter). You can also specify a name for the method parameter.
  5. Select the type and format of your data. The options available are:
    • Simple Types

      • Lists Java primitive and classes data types

    • XML Types

      • Lists the XML Schemas that are available in your business process project and the untyped XMLObject and XMLObjectList data types. To learn how to import a Schema into your project, see Importing XML Schema.

    • Non-XML Types

      • Lists the Message Format Language (MFL) files available in your business process project and the untyped RawData data type. WebLogic Integration uses a metadata language called Message Format Language (MFL), based on XML, to describe the structure of non-XML data. Every MFL file available in your project is listed in Non-XML Types. Note that an XML Schema representation of each MFL file is built by BEA Workshop for WebLogic Platform and is also available in the XML Types listing.

      For more detailed descriptions of the data types, see Working with Data Types.

  6. After you select the data type, click OK. The parameter specification you made is displayed in the General Settings tab in the node builder.
    7. Note: If you selected typed XML or typed non-XML data type in the previous step, you can select the Validate box to have the incoming message validated against your specified schema before the message is received by the node. For more information about schemas, see Validating Schemas and Creating and Importing Schema Files.
  7. In the General Settings tab, continue clicking Add and select the type and format of your data until you have added as many parameters as you want to use.
  8. To remove a parameter from the node builder pane, select the parameter in the list and then click Remove.
Specify Receive Data Settings for the Request Part of Your Node Group
  1. Click the Receive Data tab.

    2. This tab allows you to define one or more variables to hold the data that your business process receives from clients. The Receive Data tab has two modes:

    • Variable Assignment- Use this mode when you want to assign the data received from the client to a variable of the same data type. By default, the Receive Data tab opens on the Variable Assignment panel.
    • Transformation- Use this mode when you want to create a transformation between data assigned to a variable and that expected by the method parameter.
  2. If the data types of your method parameters and the data type of the variables you are going to use match, you can map your variables to the corresponding methods directly.
    1. If not already selected, select the Variable Assignment option.

      2. The Client Sends field is populated with the parameter(s) you specified on the General Settings tab.

    2. If you want to assign a variable that you have already created in your project to the method parameters, under Select Variables to assign, click the arrow in the drop-down list and select it from the menu. The variable you select is added to the node builder pane.
    3. If you want to create a new variable and assign it to the method parameter, click the arrow in the drop-down list, select Create new variable..., then follow the instructions in the To Create a New Variable in the Node Builder section.
    4. If the data types of your method parameters and your variables match, click OK. Your new variable is created and displayed in the Receive Data tab.
  3. If the data types of your method parameters and your variables are different, you can use the XQuery Mapper Tool included in BEA Workshop for WebLogic Platform to map between heterogeneous data types. The data transformations you create using the tool are stored in data transformation files. When the data transformation files containing your data transformations are built, they are built as controls. The controls expose transformation methods, which business processes invoke to map disparate data types.
    1. To create a transformation map, select the Transformation option in the node builder.

      2. The node builder transformation window displays the data types expected by your method in the Client Sends pane.

    2. In Step 1 of the Transformation option window, click Select Variable to select one or more variables to be used.
      3. Note: To remove a parameter from the node builder pane, select the parameter in the list and then click Remove. This action removes the variable from the node builder, not from your business process. The variable is still included in your business process; it is visible in the Variables pane in the Data Palette.

      When designing a business process, you use a Transformation to create maps between disparate data types. If an instance of a Transformation control (defined by a data transformation file) already exists in your project, then that instance is used to create the map.

    3. If an appropriate instance of a Transformation control is not available in your project, you can create a new one by clicking Create Transformation to invoke the XQuery Mapper tool window. This automatically applies changes to the builder and opens a transformation editor in a new window.

      4. The XQuery Mapper Tool displays a representation of the source schema and target schema in Source and Target panes. You can create a map between the data type of the method parameter and the data type of the variable, or variables, to which you assign the data. To learn how to create and test a map using the XQuery Mapper Tool, see the Guide to Data Transformation.

      Note: To return to node builder, in the Package Explorer pane, double-click the Process.java file.
    4. If the appropriate instance of a Transformation control is available in your project, click Advanced... in the node builder. The Advanced Option window opens. In this window select the Control and Method. If the method arguments and return type matches those as selected in the Transformation pane, click OK.
    5. To close the node builder, click Close.
About Editing Node Configurations

You can edit the configuration at any node by opening the node builder and changing the existing specifications. If you add or remove variables in a node builder that already contains a configured transformation, you must edit or recreate the transformation. To do so, add or remove the variables, then click Edit Transformation or Create Transformation.

Note: When selecting a variable in a node builder's Transformation pane, and then clicking Remove, removes the selected variable from the node builder, not from your business process. The variable is still included in your business process; it is visible in the Variables pane in the Data Palette.
Specify General Settings for the Return Part of Your Node Group
  1. Double-click the Client Request with Return start Node icon (lower icon) in the Client Request with Return node in your business process.

    2. The request part of the node builder is displayed. It contains two tabs: General Settings and Send Data.

  2. In the General Settings tab, enter a name in the Method Name field to specify the name of the method on this Client Receive with Return node.

    3. The name you assign to the method is the name of the method that is exposed via the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) when you make your business process available as a Web service. To learn more about how the methods in your project are exposed to clients, see Components of Your Application.

  3. In the General Settings tab, click Select and select the type and format of the data your Client Request with Return node expects to send to clients (that is, the data type for the return value).
  4. Select the type and format of your data. The options available are:
    • Simple Types
    • Lists Java primitive and classes data types.
    • XML Types

      • Lists the XML Schemas that are available in your business process project and the untyped XMLObject and XMLObjectList data type.

    • Non-XML Types

      • Lists the Message Format Language (MFL) files available in your business process project and the untyped RawData data type. WebLogic Integration uses a metadata language called Message Format Language (MFL), based on XML, to describe the structure of non-XML data. Every MFL file available in your project is listed in Non-XML Types. Note that an XML Schema representation of each MFL file is built by BEA Workshop for WebLogic Platform and is also available in the XML Types listing.

      For more detailed descriptions of the data types, see Working with Data Types .

  5. After you select the data type, click OK. The return type field is populated with the parameter types you added in the preceding steps.
Specify Send Data Settings for the Return Part of Your Node Group
  1. Click the Send Data tab.

    2. This tab allows you to define one or more variables to hold the data your business process send to clients.

  2. If the data types of your return value and the data type of the variables you are going to use match, you can map your variables to the corresponding return value directly.
    1. If not already selected, select the Variable Assignment option. By default, the Send Data tab opens on the Variable Assignment panel.

      2. The Client Expects field is populated with the return type you specified on the General Settings tab.

    2. If you want to assign a variable that you already created in your project to the return value, select it from the drop-down menu.
    3. If you want to create a new variable and assign it to the method parameter, select Create new variable..., then follow the instructions in the To Create a New Variable in the Node Builder section.
    4. If the data types of your return value and your variables match, close the node builder by clicking Close.
  3. If the data types of your return value and your variables are different, you can use the XQuery Mapper tool included in BEA Workshop for WebLogic Platform to map between heterogeneous data types. The data transformations you create using the tool are stored in data transformation files. When data transformation files containing your data transformations are built, they are built as controls. The controls expose transformation methods, which business processes invoke to map disparate data types.
    1. To create a transformation map, select the Transformation option.

      2. The node builder transformation window displays the data types expected by your method displayed in the Client Expects pane.

    2. In Step1 of the Transformation option window, click Select Variable to select one or more variables to be used.
      3. Note: To remove a variable from the node builder pane, select the variable in the list and then click Remove. This action removes the variable from the node builder, not from your business process. The variable is still included in your business process; it is visible in the Variables pane in the Data Palette.

      When designing a business process, you use a Transformation to create maps between disparate data types. If an instance of a Transformation control already exists in your project, then that instance is used to create the map.

    3. If an appropriate instance of a Transformation control is not available in your project, you can create a new one by clicking Create Transformation to invoke the XQuery Mapper tool window. This automatically applies changes to the builder and opens a transformation editor in a new window.

      4. The XQuery Mapper tool displays a representation of the source schema and target schema in Source and Target panes. You can create a map between the data type of the method parameter and the data type of the variable, or variables, to which you assign the data. To learn how to create and test a map using the XQuery Mapper tool, see Guide to Data Transformation.

      Note: To return to node builder, in the Package Explorer pane, double-click the Process.java file.
    4. If the appropriate instance of a Transformation control is available in your project, click Advanced.... The Advanced Option window opens. In this window select the Control and Method. If the method arguments and return type matches those as selected in the Transformation pane, click OK.
    5. To close the XQuery Mapper tool window, click Close.
      6. Note: To learn about changing the configuration you design in the Transformation pane of a node builder, see About Editing Node Configurations.
  4. To close the node builder, click Close.

    5. In the Design view, the Client Request with Return start Node icon indicates that you completed the configuration and design of this node.

  5. To save your work, select FileArrow symbolSave.

Adding Nodes to Your Client Request with Return Node Group

The Client Request with Return node functions as a combination of a Client Request node and a Client Receive node within a synchronous interaction. As such, you can add additional nodes in between the request and the return part of your Client Request Node but you cannot add any nodes that wait or block. To add a node to your Client Request with Return node, select the node you want to add in the Palette and drag and drop it into your Client Request with Return node.

The following nodes can be added:

Naming the Methods on Client Request with Return Nodes

The names that you assign to methods on your Client Request with Return nodes correspond to the names of the methods that are exposed via the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) when you make your business process available as a Web service. The name must be a valid Java class name.

Related Topics

Sending Messages to Clients

XQuery Statements

Handling Exceptions

Client Operations and Control Communication Methods

 

Subscription Start (Asynchronous)

If you specified that your business process is started via the Subscribe to a Message Broker channel and start via an Event (Time, Email, File, Adapter, etc.) option (see To Define the Start Method for Your Business Process), your Start node is displayed as shown in Figure 3-5.

Figure 3-5 Subscription Start Node

Subscription Start Node

A static subscription to a Message Broker channel is defined on the Subscription node. Your business process is started as the result of receiving a message from a Message Broker channel.

Note: In WebLogic Integration, subscriptions to Message Broker channels defined at a Start node are referred to as static subscriptions, and subscriptions defined using a Message Broker Subscription control are referred to as dynamic subscriptions. See "Note about Static and Dynamic Subscriptions" in .http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs92/wli.javadoc/index.html

The following sequence concisely describes the message flow at run time:

  1. A service publishes a message to a Message Broker channel, using a MB (Message Broker) Publish control, a File event generator, Timer event generator, or a JMS event generator. To learn more about how events are published to Message Broker channels.
  2. A business process instance subscribes to, and receives messages from the Message Broker channel via the Subscription node. To ensure scalability of your application, the inbound messages by default are buffered on the queue for the current business process. To learn about buffering, see Buffering Client Messages.
Note: An asynchronous subscription start causes the subscribed business process to run in a different transaction from the publisher's transaction. In general, this is the recommended design pattern to use when you want to design your business process to start when it receives a message from a Message Broker channel. To learn about the scenarios for which a synchronous subscription start is recommended, see About Choosing Synchronous or Asynchronous Subscription Start Nodes.
To Complete the Design of Your Subscription Start Node
  1. Double-click the Subscription node associated with the Start node in your business process to invoke the Subscription node builder.

    2. Tabs on the node builder include:

    • General Settings
    • Specify Filter
    • Receive Data

      • The following steps describe the tasks available on these tabs.

  2. Complete the following tasks on the General Settings tab:
    1. In the Method Name field, enter a name for the subscription request method.

      2. The data type and format of the data your subscription request method (that is, the data type for the method parameter) is specified automatically, based on the configuration of your channel file.

    2. Select a channel name from the drop-down list of Message Broker channels associated with the Channel Name field.
      3. Note: If no appropriate channels are available for you to select, you must create a file that specifies the Message Broker channels for your application .
  3. Click the Specify Filter tab.

    4. Specifying a filter is optional. Filters can be applied to the data type the business process receives from the channel, or when you have specified a qualified metadata type in your channel configuration.

    The field in the Specify Filter tab is populated with the data type for the subscription method parameter you specified on the preceding tab. If you specified your channel to be able to receive qualified metadata, the Qualified Metadata attribute is also listed and you can filter on that parameter instead.

    To specify a filter:

    1. Select the input type or schema element on which you want to filter.
    2. An XQuery expression is generated, and the Filter field is populated with the XQuery expression based on your selection in the preceding step.
      3. Note: If you want to filter on an XMLObject parameter, you have to enter the XQuery statement in the Filter field or edit your source code directly.
    3. In the Filter Value field, enter a value against which you want to match the filter.
  4. Click the Receive Data tab.

    5. This tab allows you to define one or more variables to hold the data that your business process receives from the channel.

  5. If the data types of your method parameters and the data type of the variables you are going to use are the same, you can map your variables to the corresponding methods directly.
    1. If it is not already selected, select the Variable Assignment option.

      2. The Client Sends field is populated with the parameter(s) you specified on the General Settings tab, in other words, the parameter type of the channel.

    2. If you want to assign a variable that you already created in your project to the method parameters, select it from the drop-down menu.
    3. If you want to create a new variable and assign it to the method parameter, select Create new variable..., then follow the instructions in the To Create a New Variable in the Node Builder section.
    4. If the data types of your method parameters and your variables match, click Close to close the node builder.
  6. If the data types of your method parameters and your variables are different, you can use the XQuery Mapper tool included in WebLogic Integration to map between heterogeneous data types. The data transformations you create using the tool are stored in data transformation files. When the data transformation files containing your data transformations are built, they are built as controls. The controls expose transformation methods, which business processes invoke to map disparate data types.
    1. To create a transformation map, select the Transformation option.

      2. The node builder transformation screen is displayed; the data types expected by your method are displayed in the Client Sends pane.

    2. In Step 1 on the Transformation option window, click Select Variable to select one or more variables to be used.
      3. Note: To remove a variable from the node builder pane, select the variable in the list and then click Remove. This action removes the variable from the node builder, not from your business process. The variable is still included in your business process; it is visible in the Variables pane in the Data Palette.

      When designing a business process, you use a Transformation to create maps between disparate data types. Your project must contain an instance of a Transformation control defined by a data transformation files for you to create the map.

    3. If an appropriate instance of a Transformation control is not available in your project, you can create a new one by clicking Create Transformation to invoke the transformation tool. This automatically applies changes to the builder and opens the transformation tool in a new window.

      4. The transformation tool displays a representation of the source schema and target schema in Source and Target panes. You can create a map between the data type of the method parameter and the data type of the variable, or variables, to which you want to assign the data.

      Note: To return to node builder, in the Package Explorer pane, double-click the Process.java file.
    4. If the appropriate instance of a Transformation control is available in your project, click Advanced.... The Advanced Option window opens. In this window select the Control and Method. If the method arguments and return type matches those as selected in the Transformation pane, click OK.
    5. Close the Transformation tool by clicking Close.
      6. Note: To learn about changing the configuration you design in the Transformation pane of a node builder, see About Editing Node Configurations.
  7. To close the node builder, click the Close.

In the Design View, the Subscription Start Node icon indicates that you completed the configuration and design of this node. To learn about buffering on your subscription node, see Buffering Client Messages.

  1. To save your work, select FileArrow symbolSave.

Related Topics

Subscription Start (Synchronous)

Sending Messages to Clients

Handling Exceptions

Client Operations and Control Communication Methods

 

Subscription Start (Synchronous)

If you specified that your business process is started via the Subscribe synchronously to a Message Broker channel and start via an event option (see To Define the Start Method for Your Business Process), your Start node is displayed as shown in Figure 3-6.

Figure 3-6 Subscription Start (Synchronous) Node

Subscription Start (Synchronous) Node

A synchronous static subscription to a Message Broker channel is defined on the Synchronous Subscription node. Your business process is started as the result of receiving a synchronous message from a Message Broker channel.

Note: In WebLogic Integration, subscriptions to Message Broker channels defined at a Start node are referred to as static subscriptions, and subscriptions defined using a Message Broker Subscription control are referred to as dynamic subscriptions.

The following sequence summarizes the message flow at run time for the scenario in which you design a Synchronous Subscription node at the start of your business process:

  1. A service publishes a message to a Message Broker channel, using a MB (Message Broker) Publish control, a File event generator, Timer event generator, or a JMS event generator.
  2. A business process instance subscribes to, and receives messages from, the Message Broker channel via the Synchronous Subscription node.
About Choosing Synchronous or Asynchronous Subscription Start Nodes

In general, an asynchronous subscription start pattern is recommended because it causes the subscribed business process to run in a different transaction from the publisher's transaction. In contrast, a synchronous subscription start causes the subscribed business process to run in the same transaction as the publisher. This type of subscription decreases loose coupling and can associate the results of a transaction rollback of one subscriber with an otherwise independent subscriber. However, there are two scenarios in which the synchronous subscription start pattern is recommended:

To Complete the Design of Your Synchronous Subscription Start Node
  1. Double-click the Subscription node associated with the Start node in your business process to invoke the Subscription node builder.
    2. Note: You can configure only the node that represents the message received by the business process. That is, you can only invoke a node builder for the first of the icons in the pair that represents the Synchronous Subscription Start node.

    Tabs on the node builder include:

    • General Settings
    • Specify Filter
    • Receive Data

      • The following steps describe the tasks available on these tabs.

  2. Complete the following tasks on the General Settings tab:
    1. Select a channel name from the drop-down list of Message Broker channels associated with the Channel Name field.
      2. Note: If no appropriate channels are available for you to select, you must create a file that specifies the Message Broker channels for your application.
    2. In the Method Name field, enter a name for the subscription request method.

      3. The data type and the format of the data your subscription request method (that is, the data type for the method parameter) is specified automatically, based on the configuration of your channel file.

  3. Click the Specify Filter tab.

    4. Specifying a filter is optional. Filters can be applied to the data type the business process receives from the channel, or when you have specified a qualified metadata type in your channel configuration.

    The field in the Specify Filter tab is populated with the data type for the subscription method parameter you specified on the preceding tab. If you specified your channel to be able to receive qualified metadata, the Qualified Metadata attribute is also listed and you can filter on that parameter instead.

    To specify a filter:

    1. Select the data type on which you want to filter.
    2. An XQuery expression is generated, and the Filter field is populated with the XQuery expression based on your selection in the preceding step.
      3. Note: If you want to filter on an XMLObject parameter, you will have to enter the XQuery statement in the Filter field or edit your source code directly.
    3. In the Filter Value field, create a value against which you want to match the filter.
  4. Click the Receive Data tab.

    5. This tab allows you to define one or more variables to hold the data that your business process receives from the channel.

  5. If the data types of your method parameters and the data type of the variables you are going to use are the same, you can map your variables to the corresponding methods directly.
    1. If it is not already selected, select the Variable Assignment option.

      2. The Client Sends field is populated with the parameter(s) you specified on the General Settings tab, in other words, the parameter type of the channel.

    2. If you want to assign a variable that you already created in your project to the method parameters, click Select Variable and select it from the drop-down menu. The variable you select is added to the node builder pane.
    3. If you want to create a new variable and assign it to the method parameter, select Create new variable..., then follow the instructions in the To Create a New Variable in the Node Builder section.
    4. If the data types of your method parameters and your variables match, close the node builder by clicking Ok.
  6. If the data types of your method parameters and your variables are different, you can use the XQuery Mapper tool included in WebLogic Integration to map between heterogeneous data types. The data transformations you create using the tool are stored in data transformation files. When data transformation files containing your data transformations are built, they are built as controls. The controls expose transformation methods, which business processes invoke to map disparate data types.
    1. To create a transformation map, select the Transformation option.

      2. The node builder transformation pane is displayed; the data types expected by your method are displayed in the Client Sends pane.

    2. In Step 1 on the Transformation option pane, click Select Variable to select one or more variables to be used.
      3. Note: To remove a variable from the node builder pane, select the variable in the list and then click Remove. This action removes the variable from the node builder, not from your business process. The variable is still included in your business process; it is visible in the Variables pane in the Data Palette.

      When designing a business process, you use a Transformation to create maps between disparate data types. If an instance of a Transformation control already exists in your project, then that instance is used to create the map.

    3. If an appropriate instance of a Transformation control is not available in your project, you can create a new one by clicking Create Transformation to invoke the XQuery Mapper tool. This automatically applies changes to the builder and opens the transformation tool in a new window.

      4. The transformation tool displays a representation of the source schema and target schema in Source and Target panes. You can create a map between the data type of the method parameter and the data type of the variable, or variables, to which you want to assign the data.

      Note: To return to node builder, in the Package Explorer pane, double-click the Process.java file.
    4. If the appropriate instance of a Transformation control is available in your project, click Advanced.... The Advanced Option window opens. In this window select the Control and Method. If the method arguments and return type matches those as selected in the Transformation pane, click OK.
    5. To close the node builder, click Close.
      6. Note: To learn about changing the configuration you design in the Transformation pane of a node builder, see About Editing Node Configurations.

In the Design view, the check box icon Subscription Start (Synchronous) Node indicates that you completed the configuration and design of this node.

  1. To save your work, select FileArrow symbolSave.

Related Topics

Subscription Start (Asynchronous)

Sending Messages to Clients

Handling Exceptions

Client Operations and Control Communication Methods

Message Broker

Event Generators

Event Choice Start

If you specified that your business process is Invoked via one of several Client Requests or Subscriptions (Event Choice), (see To Define the Start Method for Your Business Process), your Start node is displayed as shown in Figure 3-7.

Figure 3-7 Event Choice Start Node

Event Choice Start Node

By default, Event Choice nodes are created with two branches. Click Event Choice Start Node to create additional branches. A new branch is added on the left or right of the existing branches.

You can add additional nodes to the paths in your Event Choice node to specify the events executed at run time after the business process starts. The Start Event targets at the start of each branch indicate that only certain nodes are allowed at these locations: specifically, when you use an Event Choice node at the start node in your business process, it can contain only Client Request, Client Request with Return or Subscription nodes.

Note: When you create an Event Choice node at locations other than the Start node in your business process, it can contain Client Request nodes and Control Receive nodes. To learn more about designing Event Choice nodes, see Receiving Multiple Events.
To Complete the Design of Your Event Choice Start Node

To specify the events to be executed on each branch of your Event Choice Start node, complete the following tasks for each branch of the node:

  1. Double-click the Start Event placeholder to invoke the node builder, see Figure 3-8.
    2. Figure 3-8 Node Builder Event


    Node Builder Event

  2. From the node builder, select the event for which this branch waits:
    • A Client Request
    • A Client Request with Return
    • A Message Broker Subscription
    • A Synchronous Message Broker Subscription
  3. Click Close.

    4. The drop target on your Event Choice branch is changed to reflect the event you specified.

  4. To complete the specification of events, double-click the event nodes on the Event Choice branches to invoke the associated node builder:
  5. To save your work, select FileArrow symbolSave.

Related Topics

Business Process Source Code

Handling Exceptions

Adding Message Paths

Adding Timeout Paths

Exception Handlers on Start Nodes

You can create a global exception handler for your business process by creating an exception path for the Start node. You create the logic for the exception handler path to define the flow of execution in the case when an exception is thrown by your business process. A global exception handler responds to exceptions that are otherwise not handled in the business process.

To learn how to create exception handler paths on Start nodes, see Handling Exceptions.


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