starting V9 process with ECL

I need to start processes (blank form actions) from a C# application. But I don't want to use the process activator. I didn't find anyting in the SDK documentation. There is only described how to handly already startet folders. How can I do that? Thanks in advance...

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Comments

Brian Mellert

I can't speak to ECL specifics, but I'd think at a minimum you'd be able to raise a flag to start a process. I know it can be done via command line, and indirectly via a BPM stored procedure call. I'd think it would be possible via ECL as well.

Sven Lorenz

The thing is I don't want to modify any process. It should be possible to start the application, connect to a Metastorm server, select a process and then start it.

Iain_Lindsay

You can process a blank form action in the same way as a folder action but without a FolderID.

Here is a simple example (using ECL.WS) of processing a blank form, passing some data to a text field:

try
{
    ActionResponse startResponse = _mbpm.StartAction(
                    _session,
                    string.Empty, // blank form so we don't pass a folder ID
                    "MyProcessName",
                    "MyBlankFormActionName",
                    false,
                    null);

    Action action = startResponse.Action;

    ((TextField)action.Fields.First(o => o.Name == "MyTextField")).Value = "Hello";

    // submit the action
    ActionResponse submitResponse = _mbpm.SubmitAction(_session, action.FolderID, action.Name, action.FormName, action.ServerData, action.Fields.ToArray());

    // get the ID of the created Folder
    string folderId = startResponse.Action.FolderID;
}
catch (System.ServiceModel.FaultException<OperationsFaultContract> ex)
{
    // get the error messages from the engine...
    string engineErrorMessages = string.Join(",", ex.Detail.m_messages);

    // do something with the error messages…                
}

The above snippet assumes you've already got a session via the ECL... _mbpm is an instance of ServiceClient and _session is the ServiceSessionState returned by the Login method.

Hope that helps

iain

Grzegorz Lag

Hello BMellert

Do you know some supported stored procedure to make an action in mbpm?

Could you post some example?

Brian Mellert

(Now that I am finally able to connect to this forum again ....)

I mentioned two possible methods, and an ECL option was listed elsewhere.

eRaiseFlag can be called at the OS level, passing applicable parameters.

There is also a BPM installed database procedure named esp_eRaisedFlag_insert which I use in some places which insert values into eRaisedFlag for processing. However it does not automatically cause the engine to process the flag. A separate/normal engine event needs to occur for the engine to process the flags inserted into the table. We accomplish this by calling a "dummy" (no flag by the dummy name used) raise flag. This causes the engine to check the table and process any outstanding data.

Not an ideal solution, but is one possible method.