Wednesday, 05 June 2013 11:05

Changing the Appearance of BPMN 2.0 Elements - A Tagged Value Summary

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Changing the Appearance of BPMN 2.0 Elements 

 

1       Introduction

 Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect provides a very rich modelling toolset for Business Process Model and Notation2.0 (BPMN 2.0), which is increasing in popularity particularly amongst Business Analysts.

 

The BPMN 2.0 notation uses a common set of symbols, which have an icon to show their meaning, for example, the type of event that triggers the start of a business process.

 

Each BPMN 2.0 element has a set of tagged values identified by the label BPMN 2.0 in the properties dialog.  The value in these tagged values affects the appearance of the associated element.

 

Enterprise Architect can generate Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) directly from BPMN 2.0 models. This code generation uses tagged values also identified by the label BPMN 2.0

 

This use of tagged values results in a large number of them to choose from and for modellers beginning with Enterprise Architect, this prospect can be rather daunting. Sparx Systems have tried to resolve this problem by grouping the tagged values into sections, but it can be challenging to know which tagged values to use.

 

Business Analysts will not be using the BPEL tagged values and this article presents a tabular summary of just the tagged values, which affect the appearance of BPMN 2.0 elements.

 

This information is in the on-line help and user guide, it is presented here for convenience.

 

2       BPMN 2.0 Elements

 

2.1      Activity

The Activity element used on Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.

 

Tagged Value Group

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

Activity

activityType

Task

Sub-Process

Task – displays no “plus-in-box” icon

Sub-Process – displays “plus-in-box” icon

isACalledActivity

false

true

false – displays normal Activity border

true - displays bold thick border

isATransaction

false

true

false – displays normal Activity border

true - displays double border

isForCompensation

false

true

false – displays no “rewind” icon

true - displays “rewind” icon

Task

taskType

BusinessRule

Manual

Receive

Service

Send

Script

User

Abstract

Displays the corresponding BPMN 2.0 Task icon

 

BusinessRule is equivalent to BPMN 2.0 Conditional

AdHoc

adHoc

false

true

false –displays no “tilde” icon

true - displays “tilde” icon

Loop

isSequential

false

true

Only takes effect if loopCharacteristics is set to MultiInstance

 

false – displays “three vertical lines” icon

true - displays “three horizontal lines” icon

loopCharacteristics

None

Standard

MultiInstance

None – displays no loop icon

Standard – displays “counter-clockwise arrow” icon

MultInstance – depends upon isSequential

Sub-Process

triggeredByEvent

false

true

false – displays normal Activity border

true - displays dashed border

 

2.2      Gateway

The Gateway element used on Choreography, Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.

 

Tagged Value Group

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

Gateway

gatewayType

Exclusive

Complex

Inclusive

Parallel

Event

Displays the corresponding BPMN 2.0 Gateway icon

 

Exclusive will display icon only if markerVisible is set to true

When Event  is used eventGatewayType must be set to Exclusive

Event Gateway

eventGatewayType

Exclusive

Parallel

Used with instantiate to indicate type of event, displays the BPMN 2.0 event-based (instantiate) gateway icon

Instantiate

false

true

false – “normal” gateway

true – event-based (instantiate) gateway

Exclusive Gateway

markerVisible

false

true

false – gatewayType set to Exclusive does not display icon

true – gatewayType set to Exclusive displays icon (recommended best practice)

 

2.3      Start Event

The Start Event element used on Choreography, Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.

 

Tagged Value Group

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

Start Event

eventDefintion

None

Compensation

Conditional

Error

Escalation

Message

Multiple

Timer

Signal

ParallelMultiple

Displays the corresponding BPMN 2.0 Start Event icon

 

NOTE

Some of these values only make sense when the Start Event is used within an Event Sub-process

isInterrupting

false

true

Only used when the Start Event is used within an Event Sub-process

 

false – displays solid border

true – displays dashed border

 

2.4      End Event

The End Event element used on Choreography, Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.

 

Tagged Value Group

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

End Event

eventDefintion

None

Cancel

Compensation

Error

Escalation

Message

Multiple

Terminate

Signal

Displays the corresponding BPMN 2.0 End Event icon

 

 

2.5      Intermediate Event

The Intermediate Event element used on Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.

 

Tagged Value Group

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

Intermediate Event

cancelActivity

true

false

Must only be used for Boundary Intermediate Events

 

true – displays solid double border

false – displays dashed double border

catchOrThrow

Catch

Throw

Displays white icon

Displays black icon (only for non-boundary intermediate events)

eventDefintion

None

Cancel

Compensation

Conditional

Escalation

Error

Link

Message

Multiple

Timer

Signal

ParallelMultiple

Displays the corresponding BPMN 2.0 Intermediate Event icon

 

NOTE

 

These settings depend upon the value of cancelActivity and if the event is a boundary intermediate event or a non-boundary intermediate event

 

2.6      Pools

The Pool element used on Collaboration diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance, for which there are no groups.

 

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

blackBoxPool

false

true

false – displays Pool as a “white box” ready to contain Activities and other process flow elements

true – displays as a “black box” resembling a UML Class element

participantMultiplicity

false

true

false – no icon displayed

true – displays “three vertical bars” icon

 

2.7      Data Object

The Data Object element used on Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.

 

Tagged Value Group

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

DataObject

dataInOut

None

Input

Output

None – displays no icon

Input – displays a hollow arrow icon

Output displays a black arrow icon

isCollection

false

true

false – displays no icon

true – displays “three vertical bars” icon to show data object represents a collection

 

2.8      Sequence Flow

The Sequence Flow connector drawn within Pools and Lanes on a Collaboration diagram uses the following tagged value to change its appearance, for which there are no groups.

 

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

conditionExpression

 

Text entered here will display if the conditionType is set to Expression

conditionType

None

Expression

Default

None – usual form of Sequence Flow connector

Expression – adds a “hollow diamond” icon on the non-arrow end of the Sequence Flow connector

Default – adds a “slash” icon on the non-arrow end of the Sequence Flow connector

 

2.9      Message Flow

The Message Flow connector drawn between Pools or elements in different Pools to model B2B communication on Collaboration diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance, for which there are no groups.

 

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

messageVisible

None

Initiating

Non-Initiating

None – usual form of Message Flow

Initiating – adds a “hollow envelope” icon on the Message Flow connector

Non-Initiating – adds a “grey envelope” icon on the Message Flow connector

 

 

2.10    Participant

The Participant element drawn on Conversation diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance, for which there are no groups.

 

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

participantMultiplicity

false

true

false – displays no icon

true – displays “three vertical bars” icon

 

2.11    Conversation

The Conversation element drawn on Conversation diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance, for which there are no groups.

 

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

isACallConversation

false

true

false – displays standard Conversation element border

true – displays  thick bold Conversation element border

isComposite

false

true

false – displays no “plus-in-box” icon

true – displays “plus-in-box” icon

 

2.12    Choreography

The Choreography element drawn on Choreography diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.

 

Tagged Value Group

Tagged Value Name

Values

Effect

Choreography

choreographyType

Task

Sub-Process

Task – No “plus-in-box” icon

Sub-Process – “plus-in-box” icon

isACalledChoreography

false

true

false – displays standard Choreography element border

true – displays thick bold Choreography border

loopType

None

Standard

MultiInstanceParallel

MultiInstanceSequential

None – displays no icon

Standard – displays “counter-clockwise arrow” icon

MultiInstanceParallel – displays “three vertical bars” icon

MultiInstanceSequential – displays “three horizontal bars” icon

Participants

initiatingParticipant

participantA

participantB

participantC

participantD

Clears the grey background colour from the corresponding participant section in the Choreography element

numberOfParticipants

2, 3 or 4

Creates the corresponding number of participant sections in the Choreography element

Participant A

participantA

Text

The name of the first participant

participantAMultiplicity

false

true

false – displays no icon

true – displays “three vertical bars” icon in the participantA section of the Choreography element

participantARef

Selected Pool element

Navigate to a Pool within the Project Browser and the name of the Pool (prefixed by <<Pool>>) is displayed in the participantA section of the Choreography element

Participant B

participantB

Text

The name of the second participant

participantBMultiplicity

false

true

false – displays no icon

true – displays “three vertical bars” icon in the participantB section of the Choreography element

participantBRef

Selected Pool element

Navigate to a Pool within the Project Browser and the name of the Pool (prefixed by <<Pool>>) is displayed in the participantB section of the Choreography element

Participant C

participantC

Text

The name of the third participant

participantCMultiplicity

false

true

false – displays no icon

true – displays “three vertical bars” icon in the participantC section of the Choreography element

participantCRef

Selected Pool element

Navigate to a Pool within the Project Browser and the name of the Pool (prefixed by <<Pool>>) is displayed in the participantC section of the Choreography element

Participant D

participantD

Text

The name of the fourth participant

participantDMultiplicity

false

true

false – displays no icon

true – displays “three vertical bars” icon in the participantD section of the Choreography element

participantDRef

Selected Pool element

Navigate to a Pool within the Project Browser and the name of the Pool (prefixed by <<Pool>>) is displayed in the participantD section of the Choreography element

 

3       Conclusion

This document aims to highlight those BPMN 2.0 Tagged Values used to change the appearance of BPMN 2.0 elements. It presents them grouped into tables according to BPMN 2.0 element type.

I hope you find this to be a useful and valuable resource when using Enterprise Architect for modelling business processes in BPMN2.0

 

Read 23243 times Last modified on Wednesday, 05 June 2013 23:18

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