This release includes several exciting new features that are described in the paragraphs below.
With this release, we cover the missing part that was assignment, due dates and priorities. Not that it was not possible to handle it before by using lanes and some process variables but it is now much more easier.
Starting from version 23.1, in the modeler for User Task, you can now define:
Like variable expressions, these attributes can be defined using
With this release, we started the implementation of inter process communication through messages by implementing the following BPMN objects:
Your process can now send messages to the outside world but also wait for an incoming message. Combined with the new REST API, this feature offers the ability for external applications to send a message and a payload that can be then used in your process!
That feature was probably one of the most asked by our customers, the Flows for APEX PL/SQL API is now REST-enabled so you can remotely execute all the API calls.
We also provide, in the engine app, a configuration page to create REST clients and assign them their roles based on the API call you want to allow.
We hope that this feature will make the integration of Flows for APEX with third-party system way more easier than before, we can’t wait to see what you will build with it!
The bpmn.io library has been updated to the latest version in our APEX plug-ins (modeler and viewer). The result is:
We hope that this release will make process designers really happy.
With this release, we also wanted to address a few things that we think APEX developers using Flows for APEX will find useful like:
This release brings a lot of improvements for Process Administrators. Firstly, we implemented the process model and diagram changes logging. With this feature, we think that we fully cover the logging needs.
We also introduce a new Process Timeline page in the engine app, accessible through the action menu of the flow instance detail page. It will basically display, in a nice format, everything that happens to an instance.
We leverage the APEX automation power to create Instance Summary Archive and automated purging of the logs. Everything can be configured on the configuration pages.
Finally we started to implement process statistics by generating process and tasks statistics that include processing and waiting times. We do encourage you to turn on the statistics on your system to start gathering data about your processes!
Four new languages are now supported in Flows for APEX by the introduction of:
Flows for APEX is now supporting all of the 10 languages that the APEX Application Builder supports.
]]>Richard Allen demonstrated key features of 22.2 in the APEX Office Hours session of 29-SEP. For those of you that missed that session, you can watch a replay here.
Minimum requirements for installation are Oracle DB 19c+ and Oracle APEX 20.1+. For a quick start, I suggest to install it in a free workspace on https://apex.oracle.com.
We have also updated the sample app “Expense Claims” that ships with the software distribution to reflect most of the new features in 22.2. If you are new to BPMN 2.0, I recommend looking at the preinstalled tutorials in the Flows for APEX app.
Ready to start building your first process-oriented app based on Flows for APEX 22.2? Have a look at our updated step-by-step tutorial on the start page of flowsforapex.org.
]]>With the help of process variables, information can be stored persistently in the database over the entire duration of a process instance. You can set a process variable through the PL/SQL API or, with 21.1, do this declarative for each step in the BPMN model. The variables are meant to be set at special trigger points in the model (e.g., after a task has been executed or before the process is split up at a gateway) and read out again at a later point in time without the need of an APEX session.
Sometimes the execution of a step in a process fails, so that the process cannot continue. In this case, the transaction of the current step is rolled back, and the instance is set to an error state. With the help of the previously mentioned auditing capabilities, the error can be located and fixed. To restart the step, either execute the PL/SQL procedure flow_api_pkg.flow_restart_step or press the corresponding button on the Flow Monitor page.
The Flows for APEX engine app is used to manage the BPMN models and process instances. With version 21.1, several enhancements have been made:
Next to the existing region plug-in “Flows for APEX viewer” for displaying BPMN models, 3 process plug-ins were introduced that can be used in your own APEX application to manage a flow instance without the need of custom coding:
The plugins are included in the distribution of the Flows for APEX application and can be easily exported and imported to be used in own applications.
During the execution of a process flow, information is written to a logging table at various points in Flows for APEX. This includes events occurring at instance level as well as task-level together with a timestamp and the calling user. These can be called upon in the engine app via the detail page of a process instance for management and debugging purposes. Furthermore, logging information for a specific step in the instance can be displayed by simply clicking on it in the Flows for APEX Viewer.
To demonstrate the integration of Flows for APEX in an APEX application, a new demo application comes with the distribution of Flows for APEX 21.1. This application covers a simple expense claim process and helps APEX developers to understand how to develop process-driven applications.
]]>