Specifying Data

Activities performed within the context of a business process may require data as their input or deliver data as output. This way activity manipulates workflow relevant data and transfers this data among them. The properties of these workflow data have to be defined in the model. The data value must be set before the activity is started at runtime. For more details on data, refer to the chapter Workflow Data Workflow Data of the Concepts handbook. Concepts Handbook in the Stardust Documentation.

Figure: Representations of Data in the My Process Models panel and Process Diagram Canvas

Pre-defined Data

Each model created under the My Process Models panel contains following pre-defined data under the Data node.

• Process OID
• Root Process OID
• Current Date
• Current Locale
• Process Priority

You can perform following operations on data.

• Creating Data
• Renaming Data
• Deleting Data
• Using Data Flyout Menu
• Viewing and Editing Data Properties
• Working with Referenced Data

Creating Data

You can create following types of data in the Business Process Modeling perspective.

• Primitive Data - This icon represents primitive data in the My Process Models panel.
• Document Data - This icon represents document data in the My Process Models panel.
• Structured Data - This icon represents structured data in the My Process Models panel.

To create any of these three listed data, perform the following steps:

1. Expand the My Process Models panel displayed in the left pane of the Business Process Modeling perspective.
2. Make sure that a model is created using the Create Model option
3. Expand the created model
4. Right-click the Data node and click the option of which you want to create data

   
   Figure: Create Primitive Data

Renaming Data

Perform the following steps, to rename the data.

1. Under the Data node, right-click the data you want to rename and select Rename

   
   Figure: Rename Data

2. Specify the new name for data

Rename can be performed in the My Process Models panel, property panel of the element, and by double-clicking element in the Process Diagram canvas.

Deleting Data

Perform the following steps, to delete the data.

1. Under the Data node, right-click the data you want to delete and select Delete

   
   Figure: Delete Data

2. Click Yes in the delete Confirm dialog box. The data gets deleted.

   
   Figure: Delete Data - Confirm Dialog Box

Using Data Flyout Menu

The data flyout menu is displayed when you hover the mouse in the proximity of the data.

Figure: Data - Flyout Menu

Following menu options are available in the data flyout menu.

Menu Icon	Menu Option	Description
	Delete	Deletes the data from the swim lanes.
	Connect	Starts a data flow with the data as the first anchor point.

Viewing and Editing Data Properties

You can define properties for following types of data.

• Primitive Data
• Structured Data
• Document Data

Data Properties

To view and edit primitive data properties, perform the following steps:

1. Create the data and select it in the swim lane. The properties window is displayed at the top-right corner of the swim lane.

   
   Figure: Data - Flyout Menu

2. Specify the properties:
   • UUID - A unique identifier ID gets generated as an identifier for client server communication
   • ID - An ID generated automatically based on the data name. If element with the same name exists then during ID generation, a numerical suffix gets added to the ID. If the element is renamed, the ID gets regenerated.

     The UUID and ID options are displayed only when you switch to Integrator profile.

   • Name - Specify name of the data
   • Description - Specify the description
   • Public Visibility - By default, this check box is selected. It indicates that the element is visible and available for reference from any other model.
   • Data Type - By default, it displays the name of the created data type. You can select following options from the drop-down list:
     • Primitive - If you select this option from the Data Type drop-down list, then following fields are displayed.
       • Primitive Type - By default, the Text option is selected. You can specify following options:
         • Boolean (True, False)
         • Number (e. g. 18,756, 32-bit)
         • Long Number (e. g. 18756, 64- bit)
         • Scientific (e. g. 3, 1415, high precision)
         • Date and Time (14.04.2013 06:24 PM)
         • Enumeration - in this part, you can select an enumeration type, which is defined for the current model or in another available model. Refer to section Defining Enumeration Types of chapter Working with Structured Types for details on Enumeration types.

         

       • Default Value - You can specify a default value for the selected primitive type.
         • Text - You can specify default text to be displayed.
         • Boolean - You can select or clear the check box, if selected.
         • Number - You can enter maximum 9 digits, if selected.
         • Long Number - You can enter maximum 18 digits, if selected.
         • Scientific - You can enter floating-point number, if selected.
         • Date and Time - You can choose date and time from the calendar, if selected.
         • Enumeration - a drop-down list provides all values defined for the selected enumeration type.

           

     • Structured Data - If you select this option from the Data Type drop-down list, the following field is displayed.

       
       Figure: Structured Data

       • Structured Type - You need to define structured type in the model and then select it from this drop-down list. It also lists structured types from other models. For more information, please refer to the chapter Working with Structured Types.
     • Document - If you select this option from the Data Type drop-down list, the following field is displayed.

       
       Figure: Document

       • Document Type - You need to select document type from the drop-down list. It also lists structured types from other models.
     • Other - If the unsupported data is imported from the Eclipse-based modeler then this option displayed.

     
     Figure: Other

Opening the Data View

To open the Data View, click the Open Data View link on the right side of the panel.

Figure: Open the Data View

The Data Property view opens.

Figure: Data Property View

Additional to the general properties, you have two tabs in the Data Property view, one for setting the data type and one for adding comments.

For structured types, a link to open the corresponding structured data type details view is provided. Click the blue arrow on the right side of the Structured Type field to open the structured data types detail view.

Figure: Opening the Structured Data Type details view

Comments

To add comments, either click the Comments icon displayed at the top-right side of the diagram canvas or use the Comments tab in the data property view, which you can open as described in the section above.

Add comment in the text box and click Submit. The newest comment gets displayed at the top of the table. To delete the comment, select the comment and click the Delete icon. The user, who has submitted the comment, only that user can delete the comment. If the other user selects the comment or no comment is selected, the Delete icon remains in disabled state.

Figure: Data - Comment

Working with Referenced Data

If the Public Visibility check box is selected in the data property panel, then it can be referenced in the Consumer model. To reference the data, drag and drop the data from the Provider model to the Consumer model. The data gets referenced and it is editable in the Consumer model.

Rename and Delete Operation on Referenced Data

The following message is displayed in the Process Diagram message area when a referenced data is clicked, and external referenced data is not found due to rename operation on it in the Provider model.

Figure: Referenced Data - Rename

If the referenced data is deleted from the Provider model, it is displayed as Undefined element wherever it is referenced in the Consumer model. In that case, the following message is displayed in the Process Diagram message area when a referenced data is clicked. You should delete that Undefined element since no reference to that data exist.

Figure: Referenced Data - Delete

For more information, please refer to the section Dragging and Dropping of Elements of the chapter Swim Lanes Usage.