BPM, Workflow, and Case

Hi All,

We can set process instance variables within a task using tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner. But how can we get their values from code when the human task is running yet? I mean, not as Input parameter, but the actual values from code while the task is running, or postponed but later continued? Is it possible at all?

Thx,



------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------

The instance variables can be read using the ReST API. I'd assume they pick up on the changes made via that JS call (but I've not tested that)

------------------------------
Andrew PaierAndrew Paier
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 03:55 PM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi All,

We can set process instance variables within a task using tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner. But how can we get their values from code when the human task is running yet? I mean, not as Input parameter, but the actual values from code while the task is running, or postponed but later continued? Is it possible at all?

Thx,



------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------

Good Idea, thanks Andrew!

------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 04:59 PM
From: Andrew Paier
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

The instance variables can be read using the ReST API. I'd assume they pick up on the changes made via that JS call (but I've not tested that)

------------------------------
Andrew PaierAndrew Paier

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 03:55 PM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi All,

We can set process instance variables within a task using tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner. But how can we get their values from code when the human task is running yet? I mean, not as Input parameter, but the actual values from code while the task is running, or postponed but later continued? Is it possible at all?

Thx,



------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------

Hi Andrew, and All!

Finally I found the solution using JS API:

1. Get the process instance by its ID
   var pi = tw.system.findProcessInstanceByID(instanceId);
2. Get a business data of the process instance by its name
   var value = pi.businessData.get("variableName");

More info can be found here: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/how-access-process-instance-data

I tested and it returns the current value of the process variables, so it returns the new values right after a call of tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner(...);


------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 02:30 AM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Good Idea, thanks Andrew!

------------------------------
Laszlo

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 04:59 PM
From: Andrew Paier
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

The instance variables can be read using the ReST API. I'd assume they pick up on the changes made via that JS call (but I've not tested that)

------------------------------
Andrew PaierAndrew Paier

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 03:55 PM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi All,

We can set process instance variables within a task using tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner. But how can we get their values from code when the human task is running yet? I mean, not as Input parameter, but the actual values from code while the task is running, or postponed but later continued? Is it possible at all?

Thx,



------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------

Excellent find! I vaguely remember that perhaps in the past there were some problems with those calls. This might be bad memory on my part of a bug that has since been fixed. I want to say that there was a problem retrieving complex/nested types that way. Can you share if you are pulling Business Objects or individual data?

------------------------------
Andrew Paier
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 03:46 AM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi Andrew, and All!

Finally I found the solution using JS API:

1. Get the process instance by its ID
   var pi = tw.system.findProcessInstanceByID(instanceId);
2. Get a business data of the process instance by its name
   var value = pi.businessData.get("variableName");

More info can be found here: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/how-access-process-instance-data

I tested and it returns the current value of the process variables, so it returns the new values right after a call of tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner(...);


------------------------------
Laszlo

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 02:30 AM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Good Idea, thanks Andrew!

------------------------------
Laszlo

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 04:59 PM
From: Andrew Paier
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

The instance variables can be read using the ReST API. I'd assume they pick up on the changes made via that JS call (but I've not tested that)

------------------------------
Andrew PaierAndrew Paier

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 03:55 PM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi All,

We can set process instance variables within a task using tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner. But how can we get their values from code when the human task is running yet? I mean, not as Input parameter, but the actual values from code while the task is running, or postponed but later continued? Is it possible at all?

Thx,



------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------

Well, using this we cannot get complex objects, only simple type variables and lists.
Simple type variables are returned as is (boolean as boolean, date as date, etc.).
Lists are returned as serialized XML  string, so we must deserialize them into a variable with type list of object.

I use this code to get process level variables:

tw.local.name (String) input paramer: the name of the variable to return
tw.local.values (ANY*) output parameter: the returned list if the variable is a list of object
tw.local.value (ANY) output parameter: the returned value of the variable if the variable isn't a list

var pi = tw.system.findProcessInstanceByID(tw.system.currentProcessInstanceID);
var value = pi.businessData.get(tw.local.name);

if (value != null) {
if (/^<\s*variable\s*type\s*=\s*".*\[\]"\s*>.*/.test(value)) {
// List in XML
tw.local.values = tw.system.serializer.fromXml("" + value);
} else {
// Single value
if (typeof value === "string") {
tw.local.value = "" + value;
} else {
tw.local.value = value;
}
}
}


------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 10:46 AM
From: Andrew Paier
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Excellent find! I vaguely remember that perhaps in the past there were some problems with those calls. This might be bad memory on my part of a bug that has since been fixed. I want to say that there was a problem retrieving complex/nested types that way. Can you share if you are pulling Business Objects or individual data?

------------------------------
Andrew Paier

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 03:46 AM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi Andrew, and All!

Finally I found the solution using JS API:

1. Get the process instance by its ID
   var pi = tw.system.findProcessInstanceByID(instanceId);
2. Get a business data of the process instance by its name
   var value = pi.businessData.get("variableName");

More info can be found here: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/how-access-process-instance-data

I tested and it returns the current value of the process variables, so it returns the new values right after a call of tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner(...);


------------------------------
Laszlo

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 02:30 AM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Good Idea, thanks Andrew!

------------------------------
Laszlo

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 04:59 PM
From: Andrew Paier
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

The instance variables can be read using the ReST API. I'd assume they pick up on the changes made via that JS call (but I've not tested that)

------------------------------
Andrew PaierAndrew Paier

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 03:55 PM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi All,

We can set process instance variables within a task using tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner. But how can we get their values from code when the human task is running yet? I mean, not as Input parameter, but the actual values from code while the task is running, or postponed but later continued? Is it possible at all?

Thx,



------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------

That's nice! Good technique to work with process variables at CSHS/service flow level.

You wouldn't need to pull complex objects from BPD anyway because it's a bad bad idea to have complex objects as instance variables. Your production servers won't hold it with some tens of thousands of instances with complex variables in it.

My rule of thumb is always keep process variables primitive, just a bunch of ids, not even lists!

Also on the point of getting data and updating data inside a coach, I've always preferred to use REST API inside coach views. Because that gives your users Ajax experience aka modern web experience. I guess you can do that with boundary events and JS API but I've always found them limited and troublesome.

------------------------------
Thong Huynh
Sydney NSW
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 10:59 AM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Well, using this we cannot get complex objects, only simple type variables and lists.
Simple type variables are returned as is (boolean as boolean, date as date, etc.).
Lists are returned as serialized XML  string, so we must deserialize them into a variable with type list of object.

I use this code to get process level variables:

tw.local.name (String) input paramer: the name of the variable to return
tw.local.values (ANY*) output parameter: the returned list if the variable is a list of object
tw.local.value (ANY) output parameter: the returned value of the variable if the variable isn't a list

var pi = tw.system.findProcessInstanceByID(tw.system.currentProcessInstanceID);
var value = pi.businessData.get(tw.local.name);

if (value != null) {
if (/^<\s*variable\s*type\s*=\s*".*\[\]"\s*>.*/.test(value)) {
// List in XML
tw.local.values = tw.system.serializer.fromXml("" + value);
} else {
// Single value
if (typeof value === "string") {
tw.local.value = "" + value;
} else {
tw.local.value = value;
}
}
}


------------------------------
Laszlo

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 10:46 AM
From: Andrew Paier
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Excellent find! I vaguely remember that perhaps in the past there were some problems with those calls. This might be bad memory on my part of a bug that has since been fixed. I want to say that there was a problem retrieving complex/nested types that way. Can you share if you are pulling Business Objects or individual data?

------------------------------
Andrew Paier

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 03:46 AM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi Andrew, and All!

Finally I found the solution using JS API:

1. Get the process instance by its ID
   var pi = tw.system.findProcessInstanceByID(instanceId);
2. Get a business data of the process instance by its name
   var value = pi.businessData.get("variableName");

More info can be found here: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/how-access-process-instance-data

I tested and it returns the current value of the process variables, so it returns the new values right after a call of tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner(...);


------------------------------
Laszlo

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 02:30 AM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Good Idea, thanks Andrew!

------------------------------
Laszlo

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 04:59 PM
From: Andrew Paier
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

The instance variables can be read using the ReST API. I'd assume they pick up on the changes made via that JS call (but I've not tested that)

------------------------------
Andrew PaierAndrew Paier

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 03:55 PM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi All,

We can set process instance variables within a task using tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner. But how can we get their values from code when the human task is running yet? I mean, not as Input parameter, but the actual values from code while the task is running, or postponed but later continued? Is it possible at all?

Thx,



------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------

I came across this and remembered pulling complex variables from process instance data.
- will only work if all attributes in the complex type are primitive (no further nesting)
+ should safeguard you against changes in the complex type between snapshots (fills only attributes in the "current type")

Sample code:

// Get complex object from process instance data and assign it to obj
function setNestedObject(obj, instanceObjName, instanceData) {
	var props = obj.propertyNames;
	for (var i = 0; i < props.length; i++)
		obj.setPropertyValue(props[i],instanceData.get(instanceObjName + "." + props[i]));
}

var pi = tw.system.findProcessInstanceByID(tw.local.pid);
if (pi) {
	var instanceData = pi.businessData;	
	setNestedObject(tw.local.pruefung.kfmPruefer, "pruefung.kfmPruefer", instanceData);
}

In this sample there is a complex object pruefung on BPD-level and kfmPruefer is a nested complex object in pruefung.
kfmPruefer only has Strings. It should also work with Numbers. However, probably not with Dates as this is not a primitive type in JS (I have not tested this).
I guess you could make this work for arbitrary complex object, but it would get complicated as you will need recursion, type checking/handling etc.

------------------------------
Frank Hillebrecht
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 10:59 AM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Well, using this we cannot get complex objects, only simple type variables and lists.
Simple type variables are returned as is (boolean as boolean, date as date, etc.).
Lists are returned as serialized XML  string, so we must deserialize them into a variable with type list of object.

I use this code to get process level variables:

tw.local.name (String) input paramer: the name of the variable to return
tw.local.values (ANY*) output parameter: the returned list if the variable is a list of object
tw.local.value (ANY) output parameter: the returned value of the variable if the variable isn't a list

var pi = tw.system.findProcessInstanceByID(tw.system.currentProcessInstanceID);
var value = pi.businessData.get(tw.local.name);

if (value != null) {
if (/^<\s*variable\s*type\s*=\s*".*\[\]"\s*>.*/.test(value)) {
// List in XML
tw.local.values = tw.system.serializer.fromXml("" + value);
} else {
// Single value
if (typeof value === "string") {
tw.local.value = "" + value;
} else {
tw.local.value = value;
}
}
}


------------------------------
Laszlo

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 10:46 AM
From: Andrew Paier
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Excellent find! I vaguely remember that perhaps in the past there were some problems with those calls. This might be bad memory on my part of a bug that has since been fixed. I want to say that there was a problem retrieving complex/nested types that way. Can you share if you are pulling Business Objects or individual data?

------------------------------
Andrew Paier

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 03:46 AM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi Andrew, and All!

Finally I found the solution using JS API:

1. Get the process instance by its ID
   var pi = tw.system.findProcessInstanceByID(instanceId);
2. Get a business data of the process instance by its name
   var value = pi.businessData.get("variableName");

More info can be found here: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/how-access-process-instance-data

I tested and it returns the current value of the process variables, so it returns the new values right after a call of tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner(...);


------------------------------
Laszlo

Original Message:
Sent: Thu February 11, 2021 02:30 AM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Good Idea, thanks Andrew!

------------------------------
Laszlo

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 04:59 PM
From: Andrew Paier
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

The instance variables can be read using the ReST API. I'd assume they pick up on the changes made via that JS call (but I've not tested that)

------------------------------
Andrew PaierAndrew Paier

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 03:55 PM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi All,

We can set process instance variables within a task using tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner. But how can we get their values from code when the human task is running yet? I mean, not as Input parameter, but the actual values from code while the task is running, or postponed but later continued? Is it possible at all?

Thx,



------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------

Thank you Andrew! so helpful

------------------------------
Karen Onnabit
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 04:59 PM
From: Andrew Paier
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

The instance variables can be read using the ReST API. I'd assume they pick up on the changes made via that JS call (but I've not tested that)

------------------------------
Andrew PaierAndrew Paier

Original Message:
Sent: Wed February 10, 2021 03:55 PM
From: Laszlo Kertesz
Subject: How to get instance variable values within a human task after it is started?

Hi All,

We can set process instance variables within a task using tw.system.updateCurrentInstanceVariablesByCurrentTaskOwner. But how can we get their values from code when the human task is running yet? I mean, not as Input parameter, but the actual values from code while the task is running, or postponed but later continued? Is it possible at all?

Thx,



------------------------------
Laszlo
------------------------------