Modeling client-side human services

When you model a client-side human service, you build the service flow that defines the activities, the dashboards, or the instance user interfaces that case workers or people who participate in processes use in IBM Process Portal.

About this task

To build the service flow, you use coaches, client-side scripts, services, intermediate events, and end events to model the process or case activities. For each activity that is used in the service flow, you can define data variables, build coaches, and create the user interface that users see. Depending on what type of user interface the client-side human service is used for, you can also map input and output data and set up the exposure type for the service.

For a suggested order of tasks to build a client-side human service, see Building a client-side human service. The following diagram illustrates the main tasks and activities that are associated with building a client-side human service at a high level.

High-level interactive flow diagram that illustrates
the tasks that are associated with building a client-side human service.
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Tools available from the palette for client-side human services
Learn about the tools that are available when you are building client-side human services.
Building a client-side human service
To create a user interface for a new case instance or process instance, create a client-side human service by using the options in the library. To build the client-side human service, use the Process Designer web editor to define the service flow for the client-side human service, which consists of a series of interconnected steps. You can then test and run the client-side human service in the web browser.
Implementing an interactive BPD task by using a client-side human service
To create an interactive task that participants can perform in a web-based user interface, you can implement an activity in your business process definition (BPD) by using a client-side human service. To create a client-side human service for the implementation of your activity, use the Activity wizard.
Declaring variables for client-side human services
For each client-side human service that you create, you must declare variables to capture the data that steps or activities in that service flow use.
Calling another service from a client-side human service
You can call a IBM BPM service from within your client-side human service by adding an activity to the service flow. This activity calls another service that you can specify. The called service cannot be another client-side human service or a heritage human service.
Implementing exclusive gateways in client-side human services
An exclusive gateway controls the divergence of a sequence flow by determining the branching of the paths that the flow can take at run time. When you add an exclusive gateway to your client-side human service, you model a point in the execution of the service flow where only one of several paths can be followed, depending on a condition.
Saving the state of a client-side human service during execution
To allow runtime users to save the state of a partially completed task, you can enable the execution context to be saved. By enabling the execution context to be saved, you enable a user who starts working on a task that includes multiple steps to close the browser and resume work later without losing work.
Validating client-side coaches using client-side validation
To ensure that a coach that is in your client-side human service passes valid data in the flow, use the coach validation pattern to check its data.
Validating client-side coaches using server-side validation
You can validate coaches in client-side human services using server-side validation.
Handling errors in client-side human services
To catch errors in client-side human services, you can use intermediate events that can be attached to service nodes.
Exposing client-side human services
In addition to implementing activities in a business process definition (BPD) or a case type, other people can use the client-side human services that you create in IBM Process Designer to create custom dashboards for IBM Process Portal or instance user interfaces for case instances. Or they can be exposed as URLs.
Adding HTML meta tags to client-side human services
To optimize your HTML pages for being viewed on a mobile device, you can define HTML meta tags in the underlying client-side human service. The HTML meta tags are added to the HTML header when the client-side human service is run.
Enabling work to be postponed and resumed at run time
If you want to enable Process Portal users to postpone and resume work at run time, you can add a postpone event to the client-side human service flow. The postpone event can be used only with client-side human services that implement tasks within a BPD or case type.
Navigation options for after service completion
To help the user go to a specific page after the client-side human service completes, you can configure the end event of the service to provide an alternative destination.
Running and debugging client-side human services
When you author a client-side human service, you use the Inspector in IBM Process Designer to iteratively test and observe how the client-side human service behaves at a detailed level. The Inspector can also be used for problem determination and to identify the source of errors.
Keyboard accessibility for client-side human services
In the Process Designer web editor, you can perform many actions by using built-in keyboard accessibility features. The keyboard accessibility features help you go to and edit client-side human service diagrams in the web editor without using the mouse.