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Starting process from UI - local variables vs rule inputs

ivanm0004
A Score Level 1

Hi,

I have the following situation:

- one interface that is embedded inside the other larger interface

- first interface has non submit button that starts process upon click

- first interface has 4 rule inputs that are used as parameters for starting the process

- these 4 rule inputs are calculated also on the button click, just before sending them to process as parameters

Behavior on test:

- if I test this interface "manually" from designer, process is successfully started and all the parameters are passed to the process

- if I test this interface through the process which contains its "parent" interface, parameters are not forwarded

So, this code for the first interface doesn't work:

a!localVariables(
...
    a!buttonLayout(
        primaryButtons: {
            a!buttonWidget(
                label: "Start process",
                saveInto: {
                  a!save(
                    ri!firstProc_cdt,
                    rule!DLS_mapFirstProcParam(
                      input: local!valuesOne
                    )
                  ),
                  a!save(
                    ri!secondProc_cdt,
                    rule!DLS_mapSecondProcParam(
                      input: local!valuesTwo
                    )
                  ),
                  a!save(
                    ri!thirdProc_cdt,
                    rule!DLS_mapThirdProcParam(
                      input: local!valuesThree
                    )
                  ),
                  a!save(
                    ri!fourthProc_cdt,
                    rule!DLS_mapFourthProcParam(
                      input: local!valuesFour
                    )
                  ),
                  a!startProcess(
                    processModel: cons!PROCESS,
                    processParameters: {
                      paramOne: ri!firstProc_cdt,
                      paramTwo: ri!secondProc_cdt,
                      paramThree: ri!thirdProc_cdt,
                      paramFour: ri!fourthProc_cdt
                    }
                  )
                }

and this one does work:

a!localVariables(
local!firstParam,
local!secondParam,
local!thirdParam,
local!fourthParam,
...
    a!buttonLayout(
        primaryButtons: {
            a!buttonWidget(
                label: "Start process",
                saveInto: {
                  a!save(
                    local!firstParam,
                    rule!DLS_mapFirstProcParam(
                      input: local!valuesOne
                    )
                  ),
                  a!save(
                    local!secondParam,
                    rule!DLS_mapSecondProcParam(
                      input: local!valuesTwo
                    )
                  ),
                  a!save(
                    local!thirdParam,
                    rule!DLS_mapThirdProcParam(
                      input: local!valuesThree
                    )
                  ),
                  a!save(
                    local!fourthParam,
                    rule!DLS_mapFourthProcParam(
                      input: local!valuesFour
                    )
                  ),
                  a!startProcess(
                    processModel: cons!PROCESS,
                    processParameters: {
                      paramOne: local!firstParam,
                      paramTwo: local!secondParam,
                      paramThree: local!thirdParam,
                      paramFour: local!fourthParam
                    }
                  )
                }

Basically, only difference is that in the first example rule inputs of the interface are used as input parameters for process model. In the second one there are no rule inputs, only local variables. They have the same content since expression rules for mapping create the same data type as the rule inputs.

Can someone explain to me why parameters were null in process instance monitoring in the case when rule inputs are used. Are rule inputs "evaluated" at some other point in time than local variables when interface is used as component of larger interface and inside the process model?

  Discussion posts and replies are publicly visible

Parents
  • 0

    Hi,

    I could recreate your issue, only when, in the parent interface when we send the rule input to explicitly defined as NULL keyword.

    child interface - retails

    a!localVariables(
  local!first,
  a!buttonLayout(
    primaryButtons: a!buttonWidget(
      label: "start process",
      saveInto: {
        a!save(ri!data, "vamsi"),
        a!startProcess(
          processModel: cons!PM_CONSTANT,
          processParameters: { input: ri!data }
        )
      }
    )
  )
)

    parent interface

    a!localVariables(
  local!data,
  {
    rule!retails(data: null),
    rule!retails(data: local!data)
  }
)

    Line 4 in parent interface, sent null values to input param in PM

    Line 5 sent input param value from children interface as "vamsi"

    Even though they are typically the same.

Reply
  • 0

    Hi,

    I could recreate your issue, only when, in the parent interface when we send the rule input to explicitly defined as NULL keyword.

    child interface - retails

    a!localVariables(
  local!first,
  a!buttonLayout(
    primaryButtons: a!buttonWidget(
      label: "start process",
      saveInto: {
        a!save(ri!data, "vamsi"),
        a!startProcess(
          processModel: cons!PM_CONSTANT,
          processParameters: { input: ri!data }
        )
      }
    )
  )
)

    parent interface

    a!localVariables(
  local!data,
  {
    rule!retails(data: null),
    rule!retails(data: local!data)
  }
)

    Line 4 in parent interface, sent null values to input param in PM

    Line 5 sent input param value from children interface as "vamsi"

    Even though they are typically the same.

Children
  • 0
    A Score Level 1
     in reply to vamsi krishna

    I think we have a little misunderstanding here Slight smile

    Parent interface doesn't send any values into those rule inputs (it does to other 2 rule inputs but it seems that everything works fine with that part and they are not important for this case). They are just "defined" in parent interface.

    I just had idea to return calculated values  from child interface back to the parent interface through these rule inputs since they may be necessary for further usage (my child interface should be reusable in many interfaces).

    These rule inputs are calculated and used only in child interface.

    So, basically they are sent into child interface as nulls (but not explicitly), but for some reason not refreshed after calculations and button clicking in that same child interface.  

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