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External Task Forms

This quickstart demonstrates how to use Java Server Faces (JSF) forms as External Forms. External Forms can be loaded from your app and started via the camunda Tasklist:

External Forms Tasklist Screenshot

The JSF form is rendered in a new window.

External Forms Screenshot

Overview

Source code of a JSF taskform

The following is the source code of the JSF form used to start the process (the one in the screenshot displayed above):

<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
  xmlns:ui="http://java.sun.com/jsf/facelets"
  xmlns:h="http://java.sun.com/jsf/html"
  xmlns:f="http://java.sun.com/jsf/core">

<f:view>
  <f:metadata>
    <!-- Start a new process instance. Process Definition Key is read internally from
         request parameters and cached in the CDI conversation scope.
         NOTE: Syntax is different when working on user task forms, see file "approveLoanRequest.xhtml". -->
    <f:event type="preRenderView" listener="#{camundaTaskForm.startProcessInstanceByKeyForm()}" />
  </f:metadata>
  <h:head>
    <title>Submit Loan Request</title>
  </h:head>
  <h:body>
    <h2>Start Process Instance</h2>
    <h1>External Forms Quickstart</h1>
    <hr />
    <h1>Submit Loan Request</h1>
    <h:form id="submitForm">
      <h:panelGrid columns="2">
        <p>
          <label for="firstname">Firstname</label>
          <!-- create process variables using the processVariables map. -->
          <h:inputText id="firstname" value="#{processVariables['firstname']}" required="true" />
        </p>
        <p>
          <label for="lastname">Lastname</label>
          <h:inputText id="lastname" value="#{processVariables['lastname']}" required="true" />
        </p>
        <p>
          <label for="netIncome">Net Income</label>
          <h:inputText id="netIncome" value="#{processVariables['netIncome']}" converter="javax.faces.Integer" required="true" />
        </p>
        <p>
          <label for="amount">Loan Amount</label>
          <!-- use type converters to convert process variables to the correct type. -->
          <h:inputText id="amount" value="#{processVariables['amount']}" converter="javax.faces.Integer" required="true" />
        </p>
      </h:panelGrid>

      <!-- The button starts a new process instance. This ends the conversation and redirects us to the tasklist.
           NOTE: Syntax is different when working on user task forms, see file "approveLoanRequest.xhtml". -->
      <h:commandButton id="submit_button" value="Submit Request" action="#{camundaTaskForm.completeProcessInstanceForm()}" />

      <h:messages style="color:red;margin:8px;" />
    </h:form>
  </h:body>
</f:view>
</html>

This example also provides a Task Form associated with a user task. In that case, the usage of the 'taskForm' bean is slightly different:

<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
  xmlns:ui="http://java.sun.com/jsf/facelets"
  xmlns:h="http://java.sun.com/jsf/html"
  xmlns:f="http://java.sun.com/jsf/core">

<f:view>
  <f:metadata>
    <!-- Start working on a task. Task Id is read internally from
         request parameters and cached in the CDI conversation scope.
         NOTE: Syntax is different when starting a process instance, see file "submitLoanRequest.xhtml". -->
    <f:event type="preRenderView" listener="#{camundaTaskForm.startTaskForm()}" />
  </f:metadata>
  <h:head>
    <title>Approve Loan Request</title>
  </h:head>
  <h:body>
    <h:form id="approveForm">
      <!-- ... -->

      <!-- The button completes the current task. This ends the conversation and redirects us to the tasklist.
           NOTE: Syntax is different when starting a process instance, see file "submitLoanRequest.xhtml". -->
      <h:commandButton id="approve_button" value="Approve Request" action="#{camundaTaskForm.completeTask()}" />

    </h:form>
  </h:body>
</f:view>
</html>

Where are external JSF taskforms added?

External Forms can be added to the web resources of a web application. As we use maven, they are added to the src/main/webapp folder of your project.

How are external JSF taskforms referenced?

External Taskforms are referenced using the camunda:formKey property of a BPMN <startEvent> or a BPMN <userTask>:

<startEvent id="startEvent" camunda:formKey="app:submitLoanRequest.jsf" name="Loan Request Received">
  ...
</startEvent>

The attribute can also be set through the properties panel using the camunda Modeler:

External Forms Screenshot Modeler

For more detailed information about External Task Forms, see JSF Task Forms

How to use it?

  1. Checkout the project with Git
  2. Build the project with maven
  3. Deploy the war file to a camunda BPM platform distribution (Use JBoss or Glassfish distribution).
  4. Go to the Tasklist and start a process instance for the process named "External Forms Quickstart"