XPDL BPMN Example 1

The world's simplest process; just a start node, an activity node, and an end node. All XPDL implementation should be able to support this. Even this simple process, most of the basic aspects of XPDL must be present: a package, inside that a process, inside that two events, and an activity. You need two transitions linking them, as well as X&Y coordinates to position everything.

Description: process example 1 must include a start node, an activity node, and an exit node. There must be one connection between them.

Tutorial: How XPDL Represents This

There are three nodes in the diagram: a start node, an activity node, and an exit node. In XPDL, all nodes are represented with an < Marching Band Activities > tag. Each activity has a name and an ID which must be unique. The detail of a single activity is omitted so that you can see the overall structural relationship.

<Activities>
  <Activity Id="153189" Name="Start Event">
     ...
  </Activity>
  <Activity Id="153190" Name="Activity">
     ...
  </Activity>
  <Activity Id="153191" Name="End Event">
     ...
  </Activity>
</Activities>

The two arrows are stored in <Transition> tags. Again, the detail on a given transition is omitted. Note the from and to refer to activity ids above.

<Transitions>
  <Transition Id="153203" Name="Arrow1?
         From="153189"  To="153190">
    ...
  </Transition>
  <Transition Id="153204" Name="Arrow2?
         From="153190" To="153191">
    ...
  </Transition>
</Transitions>

This is fundamentally the most important parts of an XPDL file, but the XPDL can also carry a lot of metadata about the activities and transitions. For example, below is the detail from a single activity.

<Activity Id="153190" Name="Activity">
  <Implementation><No/></Implementation>
  <Performer>Manager</Performer>
  <Priority/>
  <Documentation/>
  <TransitionRestrictions>
    <TransitionRestriction>
      <Join Type="XOR"/>
      <Split Type="XOR">
        <TransitionRefs><TransitionRef Id="153204"/></TransitionRefs>
      </Split>
    </TransitionRestriction>
  </TransitionRestrictions>
  <NodeGraphicsInfos>
    <NodeGraphicsInfo LaneId="1" ToolId="Interstage BPM" 
        IsVisible="true" Page="1">
      <Coordinates XCoordinate="317.0" YCoordinate="83.0"/>
    </NodeGraphicsInfo>
  </NodeGraphicsInfos>
</Activity>

The transition also will have detail:

<Transition Id="153203" Name="Arrow1?
            From="153189" To="153190">
  <ConnectorGraphicsInfos>
    <ConnectorGraphicsInfo FillColor="light blue" 
        ToolId="Interstage Business Process Manager" 
        IsVisible="true" Page="1">
      <Coordinates XCoordinate="116.0" YCoordinate="83.0"/>
      <Coordinates XCoordinate="264.0" YCoordinate="83.0"/>
    </ConnectorGraphicsInfo>
  </ConnectorGraphicsInfos>
</Transition>

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