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'multi-instance' does not work

othmann

Hi,

I'm trying to have a mail task repeated several times, in order to send many mails in a loop.

Here is the BPMN task description :

    <serviceTask id="mailtask1" name="Mail" activiti:type="mail">
      <extensionElements>
        <activiti:field name="to" expression="${invites[loopCounter]}"></activiti:field>
        <activiti:field name="from" expression="xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"></activiti:field>
        <activiti:field name="subject" expression="XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"></activiti:field>
        <activiti:field name="html">
          <activiti:expression><![CDATA[
                    XXXXXXX 
           !]]></activiti:expression>
        </activiti:field>
      </extensionElements>
      <multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics isSequential="false">
        <loopCardinality>5</loopCardinality>
    </multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics>
    </serviceTask>‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

In this case, the "loopCounter" variable seems not to be known :

Caused by: org.activiti.engine.impl.javax.el.PropertyNotFoundException: Cannot resolve identifier 'loopCounter'

I've tried the "collection" and "elementVariable" way of doing (which is in fact what I really need), but the variable I chose as "elementVariable" is not known either as a local variable in the process.

Any help about this would be really appreciated.

Othman

PS : It is also very annoying that the Eclipse Designer removes the "multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics" node when we update the process diagram visually. This, however, seems normal.

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ronald_van_kuij

PS : It is also very annoying that the Eclipse Designer removes the "multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics" node when we update the process diagram visually. This, however, seems normal.

No it is not… please file a jira issue for this

regarding the loopcounter, I have no idea, not experimented with it yet. Someone else needs to respond to this.

othmann

Done for the designer : http://jira.codehaus.org/browse/ACT-758

othmann

Okay, I might get it : it is also due to the eclipse designer. When we build the deployment artifacts, it seems that the generated "process.bpmn20.xml" file does not contain the "multiInstanceLoopCharacteristis" either, as if it was re-processed. Then it is normal that the "loopCounter" variable is unknown.

I added a comment in the issue about that.

othmann

No, it doesn't solve the original issue : the "loopCounter" is still unknown in the task. We have then a double issue about this :

- The Eclipse Designer removes the "multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics" when saving graphically the process or when building the deployment artifacts.
- The engine seems not take into account the node, with the "loopCounter" variable unrecognized.

jbarrez

Mmm, this is tested in our testsuite. Could you create a simple test case that shows the error (eg changing the mail with something that prints out instead)?

othmann

Well, I don't know if this is what you expect from such a test, but :

- I wrote a simple process :

&nbsp; <process id="testProcess" name="Processus de test"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <startEvent id="startevent1" name="Start"></startEvent><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <serviceTask id="servicetask1" name="Service Task" activiti:class="xxxxxxxx.EchoTask"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics isSequential="false"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <loopCardinality>5</loopCardinality><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </serviceTask><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <sequenceFlow id="flow2" name="" sourceRef="startevent1" targetRef="servicetask1"></sequenceFlow><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <endEvent id="endevent1" name="End"></endEvent><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <sequenceFlow id="flow3" name="" sourceRef="servicetask1" targetRef="endevent1"></sequenceFlow><br>&nbsp; </process><br>

- The "EchoTask" does nothing but write "Hello !" in the standard output (System.out.println).
- I wrote a simple test case that deploys and starts this process.
- "Hello !" is written only once :

INFO: ProcessEngine default created<br>5 avr. 2011 12:42:03 org.activiti.engine.ProcessEngines initProcessEnginFromResource<br>INFO: initialised process engine default<br>5 avr. 2011 12:42:03 org.activiti.engine.impl.jobexecutor.JobAcquisitionThread run<br>INFO: JobAcquisitionThread starting to acquire jobs<br>5 avr. 2011 12:42:03 org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.deployer.BpmnDeployer deploy<br>INFO: Processing resource TestProcess.bpmn20.xml<br>5 avr. 2011 12:42:03 org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.BpmnParse parseDefinitionsAttributes<br>INFO: XMLSchema currently not supported as typeLanguage<br>5 avr. 2011 12:42:03 org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.parser.BpmnParse parseDefinitionsAttributes<br>INFO: XPath currently not supported as expressionLanguage<br>Hello !<br>

Am I using the "multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics" in the right way ? Shoud I try with a userTask ? Any help would be appreciated.

jbarrez

I'll be damned … you are correct.
Really odd - as I'm sure we test automatics in the testsuite…

I've created http://jira.codehaus.org/browse/ACT-764, and start investigating immediately.

othmann

Thanks a lot, let me know if I can help in any way.

jbarrez

I've fixed it on trunk. there was indeed a bug that made it impossible to use multi instance on a service task that delegates to a class.
i've enhanced our test suit to cover this case - thank you very much!

othmann

Yes, The previous test works now with the trunk code. Thanks !

However, the mail task still ignores any "multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics" node. For example, if we try this process as a test :

 <process id="testMultiMailProcess" name="Processus de test"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <startEvent id="startevent1" name="Start"></startEvent><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <serviceTask id="servicetask1" name="Service Task" activiti:type="mail"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <extensionElements><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <activiti:field name="to" expression="xxxxxx@xxxx.com"></activiti:field><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <activiti:field name="from" expression="xxxxxx@xxxx.com"></activiti:field><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <activiti:field name="subject" expression="Subject"></activiti:field><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <activiti:field name="html"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <activiti:expression><![CDATA[Hello !]]></activiti:expression><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </activiti:field><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </extensionElements><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics isSequential="false"><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <loopCardinality>5</loopCardinality><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </serviceTask><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <sequenceFlow id="flow2" name="" sourceRef="startevent1" targetRef="servicetask1"></sequenceFlow><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <endEvent id="endevent1" name="End"></endEvent><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <sequenceFlow id="flow3" name="" sourceRef="servicetask1" targetRef="endevent1"></sequenceFlow><br>&nbsp; </process>

We only receive one mail. Why ? Isn't it in fact a delegate serviceTask ?

othmann

Ok, I tried anything to make it work with no success. I added a comment on the JIRA issue about this : http://jira.codehaus.org/browse/ACT-764

jbarrez

I had it fixed a while ago, but forgot to commit it. I've done that yesterday evening.

Could you recheck? Oh yeah, thanks fot the ping 😉

bozon

Does the issue http://jira.codehaus.org/browse/ACT-764 fix any kind of loops for service task including loop over collection elements with 'loopDataInputRef' and 'inputDataItem'?

jbarrez

It sure fixes the looping, which didnt work at all before the bugfix 🙂

What problem are you referring to ?

bozon

It sure fixes the looping, which didnt work at all before the bugfix 🙂

What problem are you referring to ?

I'd like to iterate over collection of elements for java class attached to service task would be called for each element of the collection. There are 3 types of loops: by loops count, by condition and by list iteration. Does that issue fix all them and iteration over collection will work in 5.5 release?

jbarrez

Yes - it should. I added some tests to verify and they all succeed.