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Developer Fast Start
PegaRULES Process Commander ® V6.1 SP1
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ii Developer Fast Start
Copyright 2010
Pegasystems Inc., Cambridge, MA
All rights reserved.
This document describes products and services of Pegasystems Inc. It may contain trade secrets and
proprietary information. The document and product are protected by copyright and distributed under licenses
restricting their use, copying, distribution, or transmittal in any form without prior written authorization of
Pegasystems Inc.
This document is current as of the date of publication only. Changes in the document may be made from time
to time at the discretion by Pegasystems. This document remains the property of Pegasystems and must be
returned to it upon request. This document does not imply any commitment to offer or deliver the products or
services described.
This document may include references to Pegasystems product features that have not been licensed by your
company. If you have questions about whether a particular capability is included in your installation, please
consult your Pegasystems service consultant.
For Pegasystems trademarks and registered trademarks, all rights reserved. Other brand or product namesare trademarks of their respective holders.
Although Pegasystems Inc. strives for accuracy in its publications, any publication may contain inaccuracies
or typographical errors. This document or Help System could contain technical inaccuracies or typographical
errors. Changes are periodically added to the information herein. Pegasystems Inc. may make improvements
and/or changes in the information described herein at any time.
This document is the property of:Pegasystems Inc.101 Main StreetCambridge, MA 02142-1590
Phone: (617) 374-9600Fax: (617) 374-9620www.pega.com
PegaRULES Process Commander®
Document: Developer Fast StartSoftware Version 6.1 SP1
Updated: August 4, 2010
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Contents
Chapter 1: Overview ................................................................................................................... 1-1
Business Process Management .......................................................................................... 1-3
Structure of This Document ................................................................................................ 1-4
Support Knowledgebase ..................................................................................................... 1-5
Prerequisites ......................................................................................................................... 1-6
Chapter 2: Using the Appl ication .............................................................................................. 2-1
Creati ng a Purchase Order .................................................................................................. 2-2
Adding Items to Your Purchase Order ........................................................................ 2-6
Approv ing the Purchase Order Request .......................................................................... 2-12
Chapter 3: Improving the Appl ication ....................................................................................... 3-1
Changing the Purchase Order Request Process ............................................................... 3-4
Defining a New Decision Table Rule .......................................................................... 3-13
Edi ting the Flow ........................................................................................................... 3-19
Chapter 4: Updating the User Interface .................................................................................... 4-1
Building a New Flow Action rule ......................................................................................... 4-2
Building a Section rule ................................................................................................. 4-3
Adding a Secti on ru le to a Flow Act ion ....................................................................... 4-9
Edi ting the Flow .................................................................................................................. 4-12
Adding a Data Field ............................................................................................................ 4-15
Inspecting Declarative Rules ............................................................................................. 4-21
Using the Declarative Rules Inspector ...................................................................... 4-22
Chapter 5: Review ing Your Appl ication.................................................................................... 5-1
Developing Applications by Changing Rules .................................................................... 5-1
Technology Under the Covers ............................................................................................ 5-3
Chapter 6: Document ing Your Appl ication .............................................................................. 6-1
Documenting the ESupply Application .............................................................................. 6-2
Appendix A: Appl ication Document fo r ESupply .................................................................... A-1
Appendix B: The Designer Studio Toolbar and Tab Bar ......................................................... B-1
Toolbar Buttons and Functions .......................................................................................... B-1
Tab Bar Button and Functions ............................................................................................ B-4
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Appendix C: Workstat ion Setup ................................................................................................ C-1
Internet Explorer Sett ings .................................................................................................... C-2
Temporary Internet Files Settings ............................................................................... C-2
Downloaded Program Files .......................................................................................... C-2
Other Securi ty Setti ngs ................................................................................................ C-3
Performance Tips and Keyboard Shortcuts ....................................................................... C-5
Visio Setti ngs ........................................................................................................................ C-6
Visio Versions................................................................................................................ C-6
Setting up Visio to Work With Flows ........................................................................... C-6
Appendix D: Instal ling the ESupply Appl ication and Appl ication Profi le .............................. D-1
Installing the ESupply Application and Application Profile ...................................... D-1
Appendix E: Contacting Pegasystems ..................................................................................... E-1
Education Services ....................................................................................................... E-1
Documentation Feedback ............................................................................................. E-1
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Chapter 1:
Overview
Welcome to the Developer Fast Start. This book introduces PegaRULES
Process Commander and provides hands-on instructions for modifying an
application built on PegaRULES Process Commander. It also introduces terms
and skills for application developers. (For brevity, the product is hereafter called
Process Commander.)
The hands-on tasks involve working with a small application called ESupply. Theapplication allows employees of ECorp to submit purchase order requests using
their Web browser and it automates the process of entering, routing, and
approving purchase orders.
The ESupply application is intentionally incomplete and simplified. Your
assignment is to make changes and enhancements to it. The tasks presented in
this book show you how to extend the application by adding and modifying rules
to meet the needs of ECorp. By following these exercises, you will learn to:
■ Navigate within the Designer Studio
■ Change the rules to reflect new steps in a business process
■ Create rules that enhance the application user interface and behavior
■ Produce a Microsoft Word document that describes the application and lists
its files, functions, and features.
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You make the modifications on your Process Commander system in a RuleSet
designated for development. This book takes you step-by-step through each
modification.
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Business Process Management
According to the Business Process Management Group (at www.bpmg.org),
Business Process Management (BPM) is the organizational activity "that
incorporates: Planning, Designing, Building, Operating, Maintaining, andImproving the business processes and their enabling capabilities forever and for
everyone. Business processes are capabilities, as important as facilities, people,
and technology. Like all assets they must be managed from inception to
retirement.”
Process Commander supports Simply Smart Business Process Management
through rules covering flows, assignments, routing, decisions, and automated
processing. Process Commander applications provide process management and
automation through six functional capabilities, informally known as the Six R's:
■ Receiving — Accepting and capturing the essential data describing work
from multiple sources, including keyboards, scanners, and external systems,
in a wide range of media and formats.
■ Routing — Using characteristics of the work together with knowledge about
the workforce to make intelligent matches and assignments.
■ Reporting — Providing real-time visibility of work in progress, work
completed, productivity, bottlenecks, and quality.
■ Responding — Communicating status, requests for information, and
progress to the work originator and to other people involved in the work, by
e-mail, fax, written mail, and other means.
■ Researching — Accessing external systems and databases through
connectors to support analysis and decision-making.
■ Resolving — Completing the work and updating downstream systems
promptly through automated processing and automated support of users,
Process Commander is the only BPM solution that automates both the business
rules and the business processes that drive work to completion.
Additionally, Process Commander employs a sophisticated common object
model to deliver the power of process and practice integration. This integration is
achieved without the expense and resources associated with maintaining
separate business process and rules databases, user interfaces, test
environments, and production environments.
http://www.bpmg.org/http://www.bpmg.org/http://www.bpmg.org/http://www.bpmg.org/
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Structure of This Document
This book includes the following chapters and appendices:
■ Chapter 2 describes how to use the ESupply application.
■ Chapter 3 describes how to improve the application by changing the
purchase order request process.
■ Chapter 4 describes how to update the user interface.
■ Chapter 5 reviews all tasks you completed in the previous chapters.
■ Chapter 6 describes how to document your application using Process
Commander.
■ Appendix A provides the ESupply application documentation.
■ Appendix B provides a description of the icons and buttons found on the
Designer Studio toolbar and tab bar.
■ Appendix C provides additional information that might be useful when setting
up your workstation.
Tip: Print Appendix B and have it available as you go through this book to
help you learn about the toolbar and tab bar buttons.
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Support Knowledgebase
The Pega Developer Network (PDN), located at http://pdn.pega.com, is the
primary technical resource area for the PegaRULES Process Commander
community. The PDN contains a broad range of technical articles includingtroubleshooting and “how-to” information as well as a comprehensive and
searchable knowledgebase to help speed application development.
http://pdn.pega.com/http://pdn.pega.com/http://pdn.pega.com/http://pdn.pega.com/
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Chapter 2:
Using the Application
This chapter shows you how to use the application to experience it from the
worker and manager points of view by:
■ Creating a purchase order request
■ Approving the purchase order request
In Chapters 3 and 4, you assume the role of a designer and you change thebusiness process, appearance, and functions supported by the application.
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Creating a Purchase Order
1. Open your browser to the URL for logging into your Process Commander
system. The Process Commander login screen appears (Figure 2-1).
Note:
The URL is usually obtained from your organization’s system
administrator. It is typically in the format:
http ://:/prweb/PRServlet, where is the
system on which Process Commander is installed and is the
assigned port. The URL is case sensitive.
Figure 2-1. Process Commander Login Screen
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2. Log into the system as [email protected] with the password rules to
access the ESupply application. The User portal appears (Figure 2-2).
Figure 2-2. User Portal
If prompted with a Windows Security warning, click Install (Figure 2-3 shows
an example). This might occur a few more times as Windows downloads
each needed ActiveX control.
Figure 2-3. ActiveX Control Warning
Figure 2-2 shows the portal layout typical for application users who are not
managers. It provides access to work, status information, and facilities for
searching through both incomplete and completed work. The colors, fonts,
and logo you see in this layout are customized for ECorp. Process
Commander provides defaults. You can build applications using yourcompany’s standards and formats.
The area in the portal labeled My Work shows any purchase orders that the
WorkUser previously entered that are not processed to completion. This area
is known as the user’s worklist . In the above example, the worklist is empty
(displaying the message “No matching data was found”). Each user’s worklist
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contains a list of work items assigned to that user, prioritized by Urgency
level.
Note:
You can exit from the ESupply application at any time by clicking the Log
Off link at the upper right of the portal. Log off before closing the browserwindow.
Do not use the Internet Explorer Back button when using Process
Commander. Instead, navigate using the tabs and buttons within the
portal layout.
3. Select Purchase Order from the New selection box (Figure 2-4).
Figure 2-4. New Selection Box — Purchase Order
A form labeled New Purchase Order appears in the portal workspace.
4. In the New Purchase Order form, select IT from the Department Name
selection box. In the Department Number field, enter a number (Figure
2-5). Optionally enter a note in the Note field.
Figure 2-5. New Order Entry Form in the Workspace
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5. Click the Create button at the bottom of the form. This action transmits your
input to the Process Commander server and creates a work object
according to the purchase order process defined in this application. The
system assigns a sequential identifier called the work object ID to the work
object. In the work object form displayed in the portal, this ID is visible inthe top bar of the form (circled in Figure 2-6). The work object form displays
for you to enter input. In this application, the work object IDs begin with the
prefix “P-” to identify purchase orders.
Figure 2-6. Purchase Order Request P-1
6. Click the (close) icon in the upper right corner of the work object form to
close it. The worklist refreshes and an assignment row for this work object
appears on your worklist. Because additional steps are needed before your
tasks with the work object can be completed, a row for this assignment for
appears in your worklist. Figure 2-7 shows a worklist containing one
selected assignment row for the purchase order.
Figure 2-7. Purchase Order in the Worklist
An Urgency value is a number between 0 and 100 that indicates the importance
(priority) of completing and resolving the work assignments. Here, the ESupply
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application initially assigns an urgency of 10 to a new assignment. As time
passes, the urgency increases, reflecting the priority of completing the
assignment.
The Instructions column displays a text phrase that indicates what the user
needs to do for that assignment. Here, items for the purchase order need to beadded to the request.
Adding Items to Your Purchase Order
1. On your worklist, locate the purchase order you created. Click the ID to
reopen the purchase order form for additional processing. The Enter Item
Information section appears in the form.
2. In the Item Name column, select an item from the drop-down list. When an
item is selected, its price appears in the Price column and the cursor
moves to the Quantity field. Enter a number for the quantity to be
purchased and press the Tab key. The total charge (price multiplied by
quantity) appears for that line item.
Note: Use the Tab key to advance from field to field. Do not use the
Enter key, as pressing Enter submits the form.
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3. Click the Add a row icon to add another row. Select another item and
enter its quantity. If you want, you can add additional rows and more items.
Figure 2-8 shows an example.
Figure 2-8. Purchase Order Line Items
Note: If you make a mistake and want to delete an item’s row, click the
garbage can icon ( ) at the right end of the row.
4. Click Submit to move to the next step in the purchase order process (if
necessary, use the right-hand scroll bar to bring the Submit button into
view).
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5. After clicking Submit, the Confirm Order section appears in the form (note
the Confirm Order label circled in Figure 2-9).
Figure 2-9. Purchase Order with Add Shipping Details
To see where this point of the process occurs within the overall process flow,
click the Where-Am-I icon . The You Are Here window opens and displays the
flow diagram for the process (Figure 2-10). This is the path that this process’s
work objects follow. The shapes in this diagram are types of building blocks in
the Process Commander representation of the business process. Common
shapes are explained in Chapter 3.
Check marks appear next to those process steps that the work object has
passed through and are complete. Following the diagram from the top downward,
the work object was created, then was assigned to the Current Operator, which is
WorkUser here.
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That first assignment shape (green rectangle) labeled Enter Data Information
corresponds to the form where a user must select some items and the quantities
before the work object can continue through the process. When you clicked the
Submit button, the work object moved to the next assignment shape, the one
labeled Confirm Order. The arrow shape indicates the current step of the flow.
The P-1 work object is at the Confirm Order assignment.
Figure 2-10. Location of Request in Process Flow
An assignment shape corresponds to a human-based step in the flow.
Assignments are points in the process that are to be handled by a person (to
provide input or take other actions). Here, the Confirm Order assignment shape
is where a user confirms the order and adds shipping details to the purchase
order request.
6. Close the You Are Here window.
7. Select the Add Shipping Details check box. The Shipping Information
fields appear in the form (Figure 2-11).
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8. Enter the shipping information for your purchase order.
Note: Use the Tab key to advance from field to field. Do not use the
Enter key, as that submits the form.
Figure 2-11. Shipping Details
9. Click Submit.
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The Confirmation section appears (Figure 2-12). The Status in the form says
Pending-Approval, and the line in the Confirmation section shows that the work
object has gone to a manager for approval. An assignment for the approval
request is placed on the manager’s worklist.
Figure 2-12. Confirmation of Purchase Order
In the ESupply Purchase Order process, the purchase order request
automatically routes to a manager for approval when the order total is greater
than $100. (You can test this by creating a second purchase order request with a
total of $100 or less.)
Close the form by clicking the (close) icon in the form. Then click Log Off to
log out of the portal.
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Approving the Purchase Order Request
Managers or supervisors have access to all of the facilities available to
application users and more. In this sample application, managers have the ability
to approve or reject certain purchase orders.
1. Log into the system as [email protected] with the password rules to
access the ESupply application as a manager. The Manager portal appears
(Figure 2-13).
Figure 2-13. Manager Portal
Managers use different portal gadgets and tools than their staff members do. As
you are acting as a manager, you may be prompted with a Windows warning
regarding one or a few additional ActiveX controls. Click Install each time. Figure
2-14 shows an example.
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Figure 2-14. ActiveX Control Warning
2. Click the Process Work bar (bottom left of the portal) to change the work
space on the right. The manager’s worklist appears in the portal.
Figure 2-15. Manager’s Worklist
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3. Find the purchase order that you entered most recently as the WorkUser.
Hold the mouse pointer over its row to see Smart Info details for that
purchase order (Figure 2-16).
Figure 2-16. Worklist Item and Smart Info Pop-Up Details
4. Click the purchase order’s work object ID to open it so that you can act on it
(Figure 2-17).
Figure 2-17. Take Action Form
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5. Click Approv e to approve the purchase order request.
The ESupply application displays a confirmation form (Figure 2-18). The resolved
status indicates the business process is complete.
Figure 2-18. Work Object Confirmation
Note: In this flow, after a manager Approves (or Rejects) the purchaseorder request, the work object becomes resolved with a status of
Resolved-Completed (or Resolved-Rejected).
Other gadgets in the Manager portal allow managers or supervisors to review
staff members’ worklists, transfer work between staff members, and review real-
time reports about progress, volume, backlogs, and trends.
Close the form by clicking the (close) icon in the form. Then click Log Off to
log out of the portal.
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Chapter 3:
Improving the Application
In this chapter, by working as a developer, you will extend the purchase order
process to require a second approval on some purchase orders. To make the
application more closely match ECorp’s business practices, you will modify the
process flow to require a Vice President’s (VP) approval for those purchase order
requests that meet all of the criteria for any row of the following table (Figure
3-1). At least one row must match the criteria for the purchase order to go to the
VP for approval.
Dept Name Bill Customer Order Total
IT >$1,000
HR >$500
Finance No
Finance Yes >$200
Legal Yes >$500
Legal No >$200
IT No >$2,000
Figure 3-1. ECorp Purchase Order VP Approval Criteria
For example, according to the third row of the criteria table, if:
■ The Department Name in the submitted purchase order is set to Finance
And
■ The Bill Customer check box is unchecked (clear)
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Then VP approval is required, regardless of the total amount of the order.
However, if these three conditions are all true:
■ The Department Name is set to Finance
■
The Bill Customer check box is checked■ The Order Total is $199.00
Then none of the rows contain criteria that are all met. In this case, no VP
approval is required.
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When you complete the changes to the application to implement this policy, the
revised process diagram will look like Figure 3-2, with the added shapes shown
within the dashed red lines.
Figure 3-2. Revised Process Flow Diagram
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Changing the Purchase Order Request Process
Follow these steps to learn about the Process Commander Designer Studio. The
Designer Studio is the portal in which application designers and developers
perform their work.
1. Log into the system as Designer with the password password to access
the Designer Studio.
If prompted with a Windows Security warning, click Install (Figure 3-3 shows
an example). This might occur a few more times as Windows downloads
each needed ActiveX control.
Figure 3-3. ActiveX Control Warning
The Designer Studio opens (Figure 3-4).
Figure 3-4. Designer Studio
The Application Explorer in the left panel provides quick access to this
application’s rules. It presents a multi-level tree structure to browse for and
perform operations on rules. Rules are organized into Process Commander
rule categories. For example, the ESupply application contains the Purchase
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Order class which contains rules that belong to various rule type categories
such as Process, Decision, and User Interface (Figure 3-5).
Figure 3-5. Process Rule Category in Application Explorer
2. Open the PurchaseOrder flow rule (Figure 3-6):
a. Click the + icon to expand the PurchaseOrder class and see the
categories it contains (Figure 3-5).
b. Click the + icon to expand the Process category to see the rule types
it contains.
c. Click the + icon to expand the Flow rule type.
d. Click the PurchaseOrder link to open the flow rule. (In the Application
Explorer, a green arrow icon ( ) preceding a name indicates a starting
flow rule. A blue dot icon ( ) preceding a name identifies a single rule.)
Figure 3-6. PurchaseOrder Flow Rule in Application Explorer
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Note: If Windows presents an additional ActiveX warning, click Install to
accept.
The Flow rule form for the PurchaseOrder process opens (Figure 3-7).
Figure 3-7. PurchaseOrder Flow Rule
Process Commander has dozens of rule types; each type is identified in the
text label at the upper left of the corresponding form (in this case, FLOW).
Tabs provide access to individual fields on the form, and tools on the toolbar
operate on the rule. The PurchaseOrder flow rule is marked read-only ( ),
so you cannot alter this instance directly. Instead, you will save a copy of this
flow rule into a RuleSet named ESupply with a higher RuleSet Version of 01-
01-03. Then you make updates to the new copy.
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3. Click Save As to save a copy of the process flow rule into the
ESupply:01-01-03 RuleSet Version. A Save As Rule Instance dialog opens
(Figure 3-8).
Figure 3-8. Save Rule Instance Dialog
The two fields labeled Appl ies To and Flow Type identify the keys of the
flow rule. Do not alter the values in these fields. The new flow rule should use
the same keys as the original you are copying.
Select ESupply from the RuleSet drop-down list. The Version field defaults
to 01-01-03.
4. Click the Save As button.
5. The next steps change the Purchase Order flow to include a decision
shape that determines whether the VP must approve a purchase order
request.
A decision shape, represented in the flow diagram by an orange diamond,
identifies an automatic step where processing may advance along any one of
two or more outcomes. In this case, the decision shape has two outcomes:
■ VP approval is required (True)
■ VP approval is not required (False)
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6. Click the Flow Editor toolbar icon ( ) as shown in Figure 3-9. This opens
the Visio Flow Editor.
Figure 3-9. PurchaseOrder Flow Rule and Flow Editor Button
Note: When the Visio Flow Editor opens, it may display a security
warning (Figure 3-10). If it does, select “Always trust macros from this
publisher” and then click Enable Macros. If the Enable Macros button
remains disabled, your Visio security settings are set too high. In thatcase, close the dialog box. Update Visio as described in Appendix C and
try again.
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Figure 3-10. Visio Macro Warning
When Visio opens, it displays the flow diagram as shown in Figure 3-11.
Figure 3-11. Visio Flow Diagram
The blue rectangle at the top of the flow diagram identifies the start of the
business process where a new purchase order request is created.
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Processing of each purchase order proceeds along the connectors from
shape to shape.
The three green rectangles with clocks on them mark assignment shapes
(Enter Item Information, Confirm Order, and Manager Approve Order).
Assignments are the steps in the process that require a human actor (here, auser or manager) to enter information or record their decisions. The orange
diamond shape labeled ManagerReview identifies an automated decision. In
this process, the automated decision has two outcomes: True or False.
Note: The Visio tool contains a Flow Properties panel where you can
choose which stencil to use to depict the flow. Each stencil has shapes
that correspond to that stencil in terms of color, borders, etc. The default
is the FlowStandard stencil. If you choose a different stencil in the drop-
down list, the flow diagram in the Flow Editor refreshes to reflect that
stencil’s shapes.
The Visio tool contains a Visio Shapes panel that displays the 18 Process
Flow shapes that Process Commander uses for the selected stencil (Figure
3-12). Each shape has a descriptive ToolTip. (If the names under the icons
do not display, right click on the Shapes heading and select Icons and
Names from the context menu).
Figure 3-12. Process Flow Shapes and the Shapes Context Menu
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Note: While using Visio, you can click the Undo button ( ) on the toolbar
to reverse the most recent action. Do not attempt to log off while Visio is
active.
7. Add a decision shape to the process flow below the existing
ManagerReview assignment shape as follows:
a. Click and drag a decision shape from the Shapes stencil onto the
flow diagram.
b. Position the decision shape below the Manager Approve Order
assignment shape (Figure 3-13).
Figure 3-13. Position of Decision Shape
8. Click on the decision shape to select it. The Decision Properties panel
appears above the Shapes panel to the left of the process flow.
9. In the Decision Properties panel, specify the following items as shown in
Figure 3-14:
a. Select Decision Table as the Type.
b. Enter VPApproveOrder (with no spaces) in the Rule field.
c. The Name field is arbitrary and may contain spaces. Accept the default
value (which Process Commander copies from the Rule field) by doing
nothing, or enter other brief text to identify this task.
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Figure 3-14. Decision Properties Panel
At this point, the flow rule references a decision table rule, but the decision
table rule does not yet exist. Next, you’ll create that rule.
10. In the Decision Properties panel, click the Open icon ( ) next to the
VPApproveOrder Rule field to create a new decision table rule with that
name. A New Rule Instance window appears (Figure 3-15).
Figure 3-15. New Rule Instance
11. Confirm or enter the following:
– Do not change the Appl ies To field.
– The Purpose field should be VPApproveOrder; if not, change it
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– The RuleSet should be ESupply; if not, change it
– The Version should be 01-01-03; if not, change it
12. Click Create. The Decision Table rule form appears (Figure 3-16).
Figure 3-16. Decision Table Rule Form
Defin ing a New Decision Table Rule1. In the Decision Table rule form, click the Results tab to bring it to the front
(Figure 3-17). Complete two rows of the Al lowed Resul ts array to identify
the allowed results for this decision table. In this case, the allowed results
are:
– True: This purchase order requires VP approval
– False: This purchase order does not require VP approval
Figure 3-17. Results Tab
When completing arrays, click:
— to add a new row at the bottom of the array
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— to insert a new row between existing rows
— to delete a row
Note: No changes are needed to the Set Properties?, Options, or
Preset Property Values areas of this tab.
2. Click the Table tab to bring it to the front. In this tab, you record the
decision table logic as presented previously in Figure 3-1:
Dept Name Bill Custom er Order Total
IT >$1,000
HR >$500
Finance No
Finance Yes >$200
Legal Yes >$500Legal No >$200
IT No >$2,000
3. The decision table in this example has three inputs that are identified by
property rules: DepartmentName, BillCustomer, and OrderTotal. Each
column in the decision table (except the Return column) corresponds to a
property. Use these steps to complete the Table tab:
a. Click the column heading cell (the cell just below the Conditions column
title) to label the column in the matrix. A Property Chooser pop-up
window displays (Figure 3-18).
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Figure 3-18. Decision Table Rule – Decision Property Chooser
Note: The green triangle at the bottom right corner of the Property
input field is a SmartPrompt control. SmartPrompts appear on many
rule and data forms to provide a selection list available for fast entry.
To complete a field that contains this control, press your keyboard’s
Down Arrow key () to access the list. For the Property field here,
this SmartPrompt control displays a list of available property rules
that you can select.
b. With the cursor in the Property field, press the Down Arrow key () to
use the SmartPrompt control to access a list of the available properties.
Continue pressing the Down Arrow key to scroll down the list until you
see the DepartmentName property. When DepartmentName is
highlighted, press Enter to enter it into the field. (Figure 3-19). You can
also double-click the property name to enter it.
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Figure 3-19. Select a Property in the Decision Table Property Chooser
After you choose the DepartmentName property, the Label field displays
a default value.
c. Click Save to save the property to the decision table matrix.
4. The starting table contains a single input conditions column. You need to
add two columns; one for the BillCustomer property and one for the
OrderTotal property.
To add a column to the right of the starting column:
a. Click the cell under Department Name to select that column (Figure3-20).
Figure 3-20. Decision Table Rule – Adding a Column (before)
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b. Click the Insert Column After icon . A new column appears to the right
of the starting column. Do this again to add a second column (Figure
3-21).
Figure 3-21. Decision Table Rule – Adding a Column (after)
5. Add the BillCustomer and OrderTotal properties (Figure 3-22) to the
columns using the Property Chooser (Figure 3-19).
Figure 3-22. Decision Table Rule – Labeling a Column
6. Enter the first decision criteria as shown in Figure 3-1 to complete the first
row of your decision table, following these steps:
a. In the first cell under Department Name, click on the cell. The
SmartPrompt appears in the cell. Use the SmartPrompt (press the Down
Arrow key) to display the selection list and enter the name IT.
b. Under Bill Customer , leave the entry blank for this row.
c. Enter >1000 for the entry under Order Total. You can omit the dollar
sign, commas, and pennies in the amount.
d. In the Actions Return column, select True for the value (Figure 3-23).
There are only two allowed return actions, True and False, which are
defined by the results that you specified earlier on the Results tab.
Figure 3-23. Decision Table Rule – First Row Completed
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7. Enter additional rows by clicking the Insert Row After icon (Figure
3-24).
Figure 3-24. Decision Table Rule – Empty Rows Added
8. Using Figure 3-1 as your guide, complete the table so it looks like Figure
3-25. In the Bill Customer column, enter =False for No and =True for Yes.
In the otherwise (final) row, set the return action to False.
Figure 3-25. Decision Table Rule Completed
9. Click Save to save the updated decision table rule. An icon at the top of
the form indicates that the rule was saved, but with a warning.
10. Scroll down to read the warning message at the bottom of the rule form.
Click the Show Conflicts button to check this rule for logic consistency
(Figure 3-26). One logic error appears in the bottom row (indicated by a
warning icon ). The bottom row contains an unreachable condition. It has
a combination of input values that cannot be used. The top row is reached
first (IT and order total > 1000) and masks the bottom row (IT and order
total > 2000).
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Figure 3-26. Decision Table Rule – Logic Errors
11. To delete a row, click in any cell in the row to select the row, then select the
Delete Row icon . Click the Show Conflicts button again to confirm that
no logic errors remain. A message displays “The Decision Table is
consistent.”
12. Save the revised decision table and close the rule form by clicking the red
arrow in its tab ( ). You are returned to the Visio Flow Editor.
Editing the Flow
1. In Visio Flow Editor, in the Decision Properties panel, click the Appl y
button to apply the properties to the decision shape. Process Commander
automatically presents the True and False return values as connectors
from the decision shape (Figure 3-27).
Figure 3-27. Visio Updates
2. Now you will redirect the flow action (connector) from the Manager ApproveOrder assignment shape to the VPApproveOrder decision shape, following
the steps below:
a. Click the ManagerApprove connector that starts at the Manager Approve
Order assignment shape and ends at the UpdateStatus Completed utility
shape.
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b. Click the red square connected to the UpdateStatus Completed utility
shape, drag the arrow head of the connector to the top of the
VPApproveOrder decision shape, and connect the arrow head to the
point at the top of the decision shape (Figure 3-28). If the
ManagerApprove label does not appear, pull the decision shape down to
reveal it.
Figure 3-28. Visio Updates
This connection means that the business process requires a decision after a
purchase order request is approved by the manager.
3. Select and drag an assignment shape from the Shapes stencil and
drop it below the decision shape, so that purchase order requests can be
routed to the Vice President. Position the assignment shape below the
VPApproveOrder decision shape (Figure 3-29).
Figure 3-29. Assignment Shape
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4. With the assignment shape selected, complete the Assignment Properties
panel as shown in Figure 3-30. In the HarnessPurpose field, use the
SmartPrompt to select PerformManager. (A Process Commander harness
rule provides the basis of a form for work object processing.)
Figure 3-30. Assignment Properties
Note: The blue triangles that appear at the bottom right corners of the
fields are SmartPrompt controls. In the HarnessPurpose field, press the
Down Arrow key to access the appropriate list. The top items in the lists
are ones specific to the ESupply application.
5. In the StatusWork field, use the SmartPrompt to select Pending-Approval.
Enter text into the Name, Instructions, and ConfirmationNote fields.
Then click Appl y to apply these inputs to the assignment shape.
6. Add a router shape to the VPApproval assignment shape so that the
purchase order is routed to the user identified by the Operator ID
[email protected] (Figure 3-31):
a. Select and drag a router shape from the Shapes stencil onto the
flow diagram.
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b. Connect the router shape to the VPApproval assignment shape.
Figure 3-31. Router Shape
7. Select the router shape. In the Router Properties panel, in the Rule field,
use the SmartPrompt control to select ToVP (Figure 3-32) and then click
Appl y. (The system automatically sets the Name field to match the Rule
field.)
Figure 3-32. Router Properties
Note: The blue triangle at the bottom right corner of the Rule field inputbox is a SmartPrompt control. Press the Down Arrow key to access the
list. This SmartPrompt displays a list of router rule names from which you
can select.
8. The True and False connectors from the decision shape are currently
“dangling” or unattached to other shapes. Process Commander uses red
connectors to indicate that they are not attached to a shape. Follow the
steps below to attach the connectors.
a. Attach the True connector to the VPApproval assignment shape to send
the purchase order request to the Vice President for approval when the
decision table calculates a return value of True.
b. Attach the False connector to the UpdateStatus Completed utility shape
.
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When the decision table rule returns a value of False, the Vice President’s
approval is not required. The following events occur automatically:
– The request’s status is updated to “Resolved-Completed.”
– The purchase order request is resolved.
Figure 3-33 shows all the shapes connected correctly.
Figure 3-33. True / False Connector
9. Add connectors leading from the VPApproval assignment shape by
following these steps:
a. Click the connector shape in the Shapes stencil and drag it
anywhere on the flow diagram. (Typically, it is convenient to put the
connectors somewhere in the white space near where you plan to attach
them.)
b. Repeat to add a second connector (Figure 3-34).
Figure 3-34. Unattached Connectors
c. Attach the tail (top) ends to the bottom of the VPApproval assignment
shape.
d. Connect one connector head to the UpdateStatus Completed utility
shape.
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e. Connect the second connector head to the UpdateStatus Rejected utility
shape (Figure 3-35).
Figure 3-35. Connectors from VPApproval Assignment Shape
10. The newly added connectors are labeled [no data] because their
properties are not yet defined. Select the connector that ends on the
UpdateStatus Completed utility shape. In the Connector Properties panel,
define the connector properties for this connector.
a. In the Flow Action field, use the SmartPrompt to select
ManagerApprove (Figure 3-36).
Figure 3-36. Manager Approve Connector Properties
b. In the Likelihood field, enter 75. (Process Commander uses the
likelihood values to determine the order of actions in the action list in the
user interface.)
c. Click Appl y.
11. Complete the Connector Properties panel for the connector that leads to
the UpdateStatus Rejected utility shape.
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a. In the Flow Action field, use the SmartPrompt to see the list of available
choices. Double-click on More to expand the list (Figure 3-37).
Figure 3-37. SmartPrompt More Choice
b. Scroll down and select the Reject choice (Figure 3-38).
Figure 3-38. Reject Flow Action Choice
c. In the Likelihood field, enter 25 (Figure 3-39). (A likelihood is a valuebetween 1 and 100. It reflects an assumed or known probability of the
human actor taking that action.)
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Figure 3-39. Reject Connector Properties
d. Click Appl y.
12. Click anywhere in white space in the Visio work area. Confirm that none of
the connector arrows are red, including the small boxes at the arrow head
and arrow tail. Process Commander marks incomplete connectors in red
and “floating” connectors (those with both head and tail unconnected) in
gray. Drag the connector arrows to connect them to the shapes if
necessary. Your diagram should look like Figure 3-2.
13. Click to save your flow changes. If errors appear, fix the errors to
correct the diagram and then re-save it.
14. Exit the Flow Editor by clicking Return . The display returns to the flowrule form.
15. Test your process changes using the Run menu. Click the Run icon ( ) in
the Quick Launch bar and create a new purchase order request (Figure
3-40). You do not need to log out, but can act as the work user, manager,
and VP.
Figure 3-40. Run Menu from Quick Launch Bar
To complete the test, do the following:
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a. Create a new purchase order request, using data values similar to those
entered in the example in Chapter 2.
b. Enter line items and quantities that produce a total amount that meets
one of the criteria for requiring VP approval as shown in Figure 3-1. For
example, if the Department is IT, any order over $1000 requires the VP’sreview.
c. Confirm the purchase order request.
d. Click the link displayed at the bottom of the confirmation note that
indicates the purchase order is assigned to the manager (Figure 3-41).
Figure 3-41. Purchase Order Sent for Manager Approval
e. As manager, approve the request.
f. Verify that after the manager approves the purchase order request, therequest is routed to the Vice President for approval.
Of course, more complete testing of every condition in the decision table rule is
required in real-world development situations.
You may log off now or continue with the next chapter. To log off, click the
Logout link in the upper right area of the Designer Studio.
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Chapter 4:
Updating the User Interface
Currently, the Vice President sees the same user interface as the manager when
approving or rejecting a purchase order request. However, ECorp’s business
policy requires the VP to enter an approval code. The business policy also gives
the VP the option to enter a note about the approval.
In this chapter you will enhance the user interface to enable the VP to enter
these details.
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Build ing a New Flow Action rule
Recall from Chapter 2 that assignments are points in the process that are to be
handled by a person (to provide input or take other actions). Rules known as
flow actions determine which inputs are requested from the user in the work
object form’s Take Action area when the user is completing the assignment.
To provide the VP the opportunity to enter input during the VPApproval
assignment, a new flow action rule is needed to implement those details.
1. Log in as Designer with the password password , as in Chapter 3.
2. From the Application Explorer tree in the left panel, locate the Flow Action
rule type:
a. Click the + icon to expand the PurchaseOrder class.
b. Click the + icon to expand the User Interface category to see the Flow Action rule type.
3. Right-click on Flow Action and select New from the context menu (Figure
4-4).
Figure 4-1. Flow Action Context Menu
The New Rule Instance window opens (Figure 4-2). Specify the following:
a. Keep the Appl ies To value as it is.
b. For the Action Name, enter VPApprove.
c. For the RuleSet, select ESupply.d. For the Version, select 01-01-03.
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Figure 4-2. New Flow Action Rule Instance
4. Click the Create button to create the new VPApprove flow action and
display the rule form in the Designer Studio. Click Save to save the
VPApprove flow action rule to the system (Figure 4-3).
Figure 4-3. VPApprove Flow Action Rule Form
At this point the new VPApprove flow action rule displays no user interface
items for the VP to enter information. Section rules are used to implement
these user interface features for a flow action.
Build ing a Section rule
1. From the Application Explorer tree in the left panel, locate the Section rule
type:
a. Click the + icon to expand the PurchaseOrder class.
b. Click the + icon to expand the User Interface category to see the
Section rule type.
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2. Right-click on Section and select New from the context menu (Figure 4-4).
Figure 4-4. Section Context Menu
The New Rule Instance window opens (Figure 4-5). Specify the following:
a. Keep the Appl ies To value as it is.
b. For the Purpose, enter VPApproval.
c. For the RuleSet, select ESupply.
d. For the Version, select 01-01-03.
Figure 4-5. New Section Rule Instance
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3. Click the Create button to create the new VPApproval section and display
the rule form in the Designer Studio (Figure 4-6). An initial layout appears
on the Layout tab. Click Save to save the VPApproval section rule to
the system.
Figure 4-6. VPApproval Section Rule Form
The first update is to add a field where the VP is required to enter an approval
code.
4. Click the first empty cell in the first Label column and click the magnifying
glass icon ( ) that appears. In the Cell Properties panel that opens, enter
the text Approv al Code in the Value field as shown in Figure 4-7. On the
General tab, select the Required box. This selection will display a required
icon ( ) next to the label in the user interface. Click OK to save these
choices to the section layout.
Figure 4-7. Adding the Approval Code Label on the VPApproval Section
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5. Click the Basic control group ( ) to open the Basic panel. Select the
Input Box item and drag it to the Field column cell next to the Appr ov al
Code on the top row as shown in Figure 4-8.
Figure 4-8. Add the Input Box Field
6. Click the magnifying glass icon ( ) next to the Input Box cell. This opens
a Cell Properties panel (Figure 4-9).
Figure 4-9. Input Box Field Cell Properties Panel
In the Cell Properties panel, specify the following items:
a. In the Property field, enter .ApprovalCode (using the exact case and
being sure to include a leading period).
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b. Click the Open icon ( ) next to the Property field. This opens a
Properties New Rule Instance dialog (Figure 4-10).
Figure 4-10. New Property Rule Instance
c. Make sure that ESupply is selected in the RuleSet field and that 01-01-
03 is selected in the Version field. Click the Quick Create button to
create the new property rule.
d. Return to the Cell Properties panel, select the General tab, and click the
Required box. This ensures that a value is entered in the work form
before it is submitted. Otherwise, an error message appears and reminds
the user to enter a value. Click OK.
7. In the Layout tab of the Section rule form, click the cell on the second row
of the Label column (under the Approv al Code label). Open the Cell
Properties Panel (by clicking ) and enter Note in the Value field. Click
OK.
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8. From the Basic panel, drag a Text Area item to the cell in the second row
Field column to the right of the Note label, as shown in Figure 4-11.
Figure 4-11. Add the Text Area Field
9. Open the Cell Properties panel for the newly added text area.
In the Cell Properties panel, specify the following items:
a. In the Property field, use the SmartPrompt (by pressing the Down Arrow
key) to display a list of available properties (Figure 4-12). Select
ApprovalCode from the list, to set it as the value for the Property field,
and click Appl y.
Figure 4-12. Property List from SmartPrompt
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b. In the Display As field, use the SmartPrompt to select
TextAreaWithExpand (Figure 4-13).
Figure 4-13. TextAreaWithExpand Format Option
c. Click OK to save the selections for the text area and close the Cell
Properties panel.
10. Close the Basics panel by clicking the X in its upper right corner, and click
Save ( ) to save your changes to the Section rule form.
11. Click the VPApproval tab’s close button ( ) to close the VPApproval
section’s rule form.
Adding a Section rule to a Flow Act ion
Now that the section is created, add it to the VPApprove flow action so that the
approval code and note user interface elements are displayed in the Take Action
area when the VP completes the assignment.
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1. Return to the VPApprove flow action rule form by clicking on its tab in the
Designer Studio (Figure 4-14).
Figure 4-14. VPApprove Flow Action Rule Form
2. In the Application Explorer, expand the Section rule type to locate the
newly created VPApproval section. Select the blue dot ( ) to the left of the
VPApproval section in the Application Explorer and drag it into theVPApprove rule form to where is displayed (Figure
4-15). (Each blue dot identifies a single rule.)
Figure 4-15. Drag VPApproval Section into VPApprove Flow Action
The VPApprove flow action rule form displays a section reference that
references the VPApproval section and its user interface elements (Figure
4-16).
Figure 4-16. VPApprove Flow Action with Section Reference to VPApproval
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3. Save the VPApprove flow action by clicking .
4. Click Preview ( ) to see the runtime presentation of the new flow action
rule, at the bottom of the window (Figure 4-17).
Figure 4-17. User Interface Preview of Flow Action
5. Click the X button at the top right of the Preview area to close it.
6. Click the VPApprove tab’s close button ( ) to close the VPApprove flow
action’s rule form.
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Editing the Flow
At this point, the new flow action VPApprove is complete, but not referenced by
any shape in the flow rule. In this section you will use the Flow Editor again to
update the PurchaseOrder flow, so that the new VPApprove flow action runs
when the VP approves a purchase order request.
1. Open the PurchaseOrder flow using the Application Explorer.
2. Click the Flow Editor toolbar button . Replace the ManagerApprove flow
action (a connector) that starts at the VPApproval Assignment shape with
the new VPApprove flow action, following these steps:
a. Select the ManagerApprove connector that starts from the VPApproval
Assignment shape (Figure 4-18).
Figure 4-18. ManagerApprove Connector Selected
b. In the Connector Properties panel, for the Flow Action field, use the
SmartPrompt to replace ManagerApprov e with VPApprove.
Figure 4-19. Connector Properties for VPApprove
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c. Click the Apply button in the Connector Properties panel. The connector
in the flow is now labeled VPApprove (Figure 4-20).
Figure 4-20. VPApprove Connector from VPApproval Assignment
d. Click Save ( ) to save your changes.
e. Click Return to close the Flow Editor and return to the
PurchaseOrder rule form.
3. Test the revised process to verify that the VP is now required to enter an
Approval Code and an optional note when approving a purchase order
request.
To complete the test, do the following steps:
a. Click the Run icon ( ) in the Quick Launch bar and select Run Process
> Purchase Order .
b. Create a purchase order request that requires VP approval. The
requirements are stated in the decision rule table you created in Figure
3-25. For example, enter HR as the Department Name and select one
laptop, which requires VP approval because it is over $500.
c. As manager, approve the request.
d. Click the VP Approval Required link. The VP sees the Take Action box
shown in Figure 4-21.
Figure 4-21. Take Action for VP
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When the VP clicks the VPApprove button, the approval screen appears.
The VP is now required to enter an approval code and may also enter an
optional note (Figure 4-22).
Figure 4-22. Approval Code
Click the Expand button ( ) to enter a note. Enter the information and click
Submit to finish the process.
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Adding a Data Field
When approving purchase order requests, the Vice President would like to add a
payment date. To support this requirement, add a Payment Date field to the Vice
President Approval form.
1. Log in as Designer with the password password .
2. In the Application Explorer, the section that you created earlier
(VPApproval) appears as part of the User Interface category. Click the
VPApproval section link to open the rule (Figure 4-23 and Figure 4-24).
Figure 4-23. VPApproval Section
Figure 4-24. VPApproval Section – Current Form
3. Select the Approval Code cell and then click the Insert Row After button
to insert a new row below the Approval Code row (Figure 4-25).
Figure 4-25. Section – Insert Row After Button
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4. A property rule named PaymentDate already exists. Add this property to
the new row following these steps:
a. In the Application Explorer, click the + icon to expand the PurchaseOrder
class.
b. Click the + icon to expand the Data Model category to see theProperty rule type.
c. Click the + icon to expand the Property rule type (Figure 4-26). Each blue
dot ( ) identifies a simple property rule, one that holds only a single
value such as a date or amount. Other icons in this tree, such as ,
identify aggregate properties, which are similar to arrays and structures.
d. Select the blue dot to the left of the PaymentDate link. (Do not click the
PaymentDate link.)
Figure 4-26. Payment Date – Using an Existing Property
e. Hold the mouse button down, and drag the property onto the VPApproval
section rule form (Figure 4-27). Drop the property into the Field cell
(second column) of the new row.
Figure 4-27. Payment Date Label and Entry Field
The cell now contains the .PaymentDate property. This property holds a date
and time. Process Commander supports a wide variety of input and output
formats for dates and times.
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5. In the Label column, open the Cell Properties panel for the PaymentDate
label cell (click on ). In the Value field, insert a space so that the label is
two words (Payment Date) as shown in Figure 4-28. Click OK to save the
change to the form.
Figure 4-28. Label for Payment Date Property
6. Click the cell in the Field column next to the Payment Date label, and open
the Cell Properties panel by clicking on .
7. Click the icon next to the Display As field (Figure 4-29). The Param
Window opens (Figure 4-30).
Figure 4-29. Display As Selection
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Figure 4-30. Param Window for Display As
8. Complete the fields in the Param window following these steps:
a. Select DateTime for the Format field. (SmartPrompt is available.)
b. Click the Params button and in the Parameters section, select display
parameters for the DateTime format (Figure 4-31):
• Set the Display Mode field to Popup window.
• Select the Calendar Icon check box. This selection provides a
calendar control icon in the work object form that the users can
click to select a date.
• Select the Al low Text Field En try check box. This selection
provides a text field in the work object form in which users can
type to enter a date.
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Figure 4-31. Param Window for DateTime Property Display Settings
9. Click OK in the Param window to save the display format selections to the
Cell Properties panel. The Param window closes.
10. In the Cell Properties panel, click OK .
11. Click the Save toolbar button to save the updated VPApproval section
rule form.
12. Click the Preview toolbar button to view the effect of your changes in
the bottom half of the portal (Figure 4-32).
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Figure 4-32. Preview of Changes
13. Test the changes, following these steps:
a. Click the Run icon ( ) in the Quick Launch bar and select Run Process
> Purchase Order .
b. Choose order quantities that will require Vice President approval.
c. Enter shipping details and complete the manager approval step.
d. As Vice President, confirm that the payment date is requested (the
Payment Date field is displayed).
e. Click the calendar icon to enter a date and time.
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Inspecting Declarative Rules
This application calculates several properties with declarative rules, which are
rules that define calculations among property values. For example, each
LineItemTotal is the value of the item’s Price multiplied by Quantity.
To see the list of declarative rules, go to the Application Explorer, select the
ECorp-FW-ESupply-Work class, expand the Decision category, and then expand
the Declare Expressions category as shown in Figure 4-33.
Figure 4-33. Declare Expressions in Application Explorer
To open a rule from the Application Explorer, click on the rule name. Figure 4-34
and Figure 4-35 show the .OrderTotal and LineItemTotal.Order() rule forms
respectively. The dashed lines in the figures enclose the property values for each
rule.
Figure 4-34. Declarative Expression for .OrderTotal
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Figure 4-35. Declarative Expression for .LineItemTotal
Like formulas in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, properties controlled by
declarative rules are computed automatically whenever a value changes that
affects the computation. For example, the target property LineItemTotal is
computed whenever the Price or Quantity changes. Similarly, you don’t need to
create an explicit program to recalculate the OrderTotal after you input a quantity.
Using the Declarative Rules Inspector
You can use the Declarative Rules Inspector to see which properties in the work
object form are dependent upon these rules, and to graphically illustrate those
dependencies.
1. To enable the Declarative Rules Inspector, click the Run icon ( ) in the
Quick Launch bar and select Rules Inspector > Declarative Rules (Figure
4-36).
Figure 4-36. Declarative Rules Inspector
2. Create a new purchase order request by selecting > Run Process >
Purchase Order . On the work object form, a “D” link appears next to eachproperty that is calculated by a declarative rule.
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Developer Fast Start 4-23
For example, assume that you select the Laptop item and enter two for the
quantity. Notice that a D appears next to the LineItemTotal property (Figure
4-37). Click the “D” link to inspect how that property value is calculated.
Figure 4-37. Reviewing Declarative Rules
After clicking the “D”, the Dependency Network Viewer opens and shows the
Dependency Network for the LineItemTotal property (Figure 4-38).
Figure 4-38. Dependency Network Viewer
The symbols shown are described below:
■ A function symbol ( ) references a declarative rule.
■ The arrows show how computations depend on each other – where results
from one computation feed into inputs of a later computation.
Process Commander supports complex declarative rules and lets you test and
debug declarative computations interactively.
To disable the Declarative Rules Inspector feature, click > Rules Inspector >
Declarative Rules.
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Chapter 5:
Reviewing Your Application
By following Chapters 3 and 4 in this tutorial, you used rule forms and the flow
editor to refine the ESupply application. Process Commander uses sophisticated
industry-standard technologies to implement your changes without requiring you
to directly specify coding-level details. You do not need advanced IT skills to
produce applications that are functional, easy to use, and visually appealing.
Developing Applications by Changing RulesYou created a few new rules in the ESupply RuleSet that include the following:
■ A decision table rule VPApproveOrder that controls which purchase order
requests are routed to the VP for review
■ A property rule Approval Code that holds an input value entered by the Vice
President
■ A flow action VPApprove that prompts the VP with two new fields after the
VP approves a purchase order request
■ A section VPApproval that provides the user interface for the VPApprove flowaction
These new rules supplement the original set of rules in the ESupply RuleSet,
which defined the application before you changed it. As you will see in Chapter 6,
Documenting Your Application, and from the application document in Appendix
A, the ESupply RuleSet contains about 125 rules.
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5-2 Developer Fast Start
The Application Explorer provides designers and developers with quick access to
rules in the ESupply RuleSet. These rules, in turn, build on hundreds of built-in,
out-of-the-box standard rules that are present in every Process Commander
system and which form the foundation building blocks of applications.
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Developer Fast Start 5-3
Technology Under the Covers
If you are familiar with the technologies mentioned below, you can appreciate the
power and breadth of Process Commander as a development environment.
■ A property rule (for example the ApprovalCode property) corresponds to a
scalar variable.
■ Flow action rules are converted to HyperText Markup Language (HTML).
■ The Visio representation of a business process is converted internally to an
XML (eXtended Markup Language) document that later becomes a Java
class.
■ Rules and other data are stored in a relational database supported by any of
several popular database products from Oracle, Microsoft, or IBM.
■ Computations such as declarative rules and decision table rules aretransformed into efficient Java programs.
The architecture and design of Process Commander provides these benefits:
■ Inheritance and polymorphism enable you to build applications by overriding
or extending existing rules. For example, the flow rule that you saved into the
higher RuleSet Version overrides (supersedes) the initial flow rule that came
with the ESupply application.
■ Through hardware clustering, one Process Commander system can support
thousands of users in multiple locations who enter, work on, and resolve
millions of work objects.
■ Applications can be developed iteratively with incremental enhancements.
■ Developers can quickly switch from a development task to a testing task and
back as you did by using the Run menu from the Quick Launch bar.
■ Process Commander applications can interface with other systems using a
wide variety of industry-standard technologies (such as SOAP / Web
services, e-mail, relational databases, J2EE facilities including Enterprise
JavaBeans, and JavaServer Pages).
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Chapter 6:
Documenting Your Application
Process Commander includes tools that enable you to easily document what you
have built. This chapter describes how to use those tools.
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6-2 Developer Fast Start
Documenting the ESupply Application
1. In the Designer Studio, select the Pega logo button ( ) and then click
Appl ic ation > Tools > Document (Figure 6-1).
Figure 6-1. Document Menu Item
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Developer Fast Start 6-3
The Application Document wizard opens. On the first screen, select the
ESupply application and the ApplicationDocument template (Figure 6-2) and
click Next >>. On each subsequent screen of the wizard, select the items
you would like to include in the document and click Next >> to proceed
through the wizard until you reach the Create Document screen.
Figure 6-2. Application Documentation Wizard
2. On the Create Document screen of the wizard, click the Create Document
button. Process Commander generates a Word document that lists all of
the rules in the application. The generation process might take a minute or
two (Figure 6-3).
Figure 6-3. Create Document
Appendix A contains the document created by Process Commander for the
ESupply application.
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6-4 Developer Fast Start
When your work with Process Commander is complete, click the Logout link at
the upper right corner of the Designer Studio to end the client session.
This is the conclusion of the Developer Fast Start guide. More information on the
ESupply application and appendices describing the Designer Studio toolbar and
tab bar and the typical workstation setup can be found in the following pages.
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Appendix A:
Application Document for ESupply
The following pages show the document created by Process Commander for the
ESupply application.
Note: Page breaks and fonts in the generated ESupply document have been
modified for inclusion in this book.
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A-2 Developer Fast Start
Application Document for ESupply
01.01.01
ESupply
Created by: DesignerOn July 20, 2010
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Developer Fast Start A-3
Copyright 2010
Pegasystems Inc., Cambridge, MA
All rights reserved.
This document describes products and services of Pegasystems Inc. It may contain trade secretsand proprietary information. The document and product are protected by copyright and distributed
under licenses restricting their use, copying distribution, or transmittal in any form without prior
written authorization of Pegasystems Inc.
This document is current as of the date of publication only. Changes in the document may be
made from time to time at the discretion of Pegasystems. This document remains the property of
Pegasystems and must be returned to it upon request. This document does not imply any
commitment to offer or deliver the products or services described.
This document may include references to Pegasystems product features that have not been
licensed by your company. If you have questions about whether a particular capability is includedin your installation, please consult your Pegasystems service consultant.
For Pegasystems trademarks and registered trademarks, all rights reserved. Other brand or
product names are trademarks of their respective holders.
Although Pegasystems Inc. strives for accuracy in its publications, any publication may contain
inaccuracies or typographical errors. This document or Help System could contain technical
inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically added to the information herein.
Pegasystems Inc. may make improvements and/or changes in the information described herein
at any time.
This document is the property of:Pegasystems Inc.101 Main StreetCambridge, MA 02142-1590
Phone: (617) 374-9600Fax: (617) 374-9620www.pega.com
Document Name: Application Document
Updated: July 20, 2010
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A-4 Developer Fast Start
Contents
Overview of ESupply 01.01.01 .................................................................................................... A-6
Descr ip tion ............................................................................................................................ A-6
Business Object ives ............................................................................................................ A-6
Actors .................................................................................................................................... A-6
Work Types ........................................................................................................................... A -6
RuleSets ................................................................................................................................ A-6
PurchaseOrder ............................................................................................................................. A-7
PurchaseOrder - Flow .......................................................................................................... A-7
Other Use Cases (Not Referenced in the Application) .................................................... A-14
Properties Referenced ....................................................................................................... A-15
Other Classes ............................................................................................................................ A-17
Data-Party ........................................................................................................................... A-17
Data-Por tal .......................................................................................................................... A-17
ECorp -Data-LineItemDetail s .............................................................................................. A-17
ECorp -Data-Order ............................................................................................................... A-17
Reports ....................................................................................................................................... A-19
List Views ............................................................................................................................ A-19
Summary Views .................................................................................................................. A-19
Correspondence ........................................................................................................................ A-20
Acknowledgement Email ................................................................................................... A-20
Integration .................................................................................................................................. A-21
Services ............................................................................................................................... A-21
Connectors ......................................................................................................................... A-21
Decis ions .................................................................................................................................... A-22
Tables .................................................................................................................................. A-22
Trees .................................................................................................................................... A-22
Map Values .......................................................................................................................... A-22
Whens .................................................................................................................................. A-23
Securi ty ...................................................................................................................................... A-24
SLAs ........................................................................................................................................... A-25
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Developer Fast Start A-5
Activi ties ..................................................................................................................................... A-26
Properties ................................................................................................................................... A-27
Declarat ives ............................................................................................................................... A-28
Expressions ........................................................................................................................ A-28
Triggers ............................................................................................................................... A-28
OnChange ........................................................................................................................... A-28
Requirements Matr ix ................................................................................................................. A-29
Use Case Matr ix ......................................................................................................................... A-30
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A-6 Developer Fast Start
Overview of ESupply 01.01.01
DescriptionInitial implementation of a system that will centralize