Business processes cannot always proceed in a fully automated manner. They need human interaction as a means of decision making, error handling and exception cases. For example, canceling a flight due to a strike or bankruptcy, deciding whether to accept the claim based on the requested amount etc. Human tasks provide the specification to define tasks performed by human beings.
Sample scenario
When a user requests a claim to be approved by the system, the system automatically approves claims under an amount of 1000 .This is a simple BPEL process. If the claim exceeds 1000, it will be handed over to the regional clerk who checks the claim amount along with the user information, decides whether or not to approve it, and the final decision is sent to the user. So when the claim is higher than 1000, it will be processed as a human task. The sample process is shown below.
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| Element | Description |
|---|
<htd:humanInteractions> | Contains declarations of elements from the WS- HumanTask namespace, that is <htd:logicalPeopleGroups>, <htd:tasks> and <htd:notifications>. |
<htd:import> | This is used to import the appropriate WSDL files. You should correctly specify the name spaces. Example: | Code Block |
|---|
| <htd:import namespace="http://reminder.sample.humantask.wso2.org" location="OrderProcessReminder.wsdl" importType="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/"> |
|
<htd:logicalPeopleGroups> | This is used to specify logical people groups used in an inline human task or a people activity. The name attribute contains the name of the logical people group. The name must be unique among the names of all logical people groups defined within the <htd:human Interactions> element. For example: | Code Block |
|---|
| <htd:logicalPeopleGroups>
<htd:logicalPeopleGroup name="regionalClerks">
<htd:documentation xml:lang="en-US">
The group of clerks responsible for the region specified.
</htd:documentation>
<htd:parameter name="role" type="xsd:string"/>
</htd:logicalPeopleGroup>
<htd:logicalPeopleGroup name="regionalManager">
<htd:documentation xml:lang="en-US">
The manager responsible for the region specified.
</htd:documentation>
<htd:parameter name="role" type="xsd:string"/>
</htd:logicalPeopleGroup>
<htd:logicalPeopleGroup name="clerksManager">
<htd:documentation xml:lang="en-US">
The manager of the clerk whose user ID is passed as parameter.
</htd:documentation>
<htd:parameter name="role" type="xsd:string"/>
</htd:logicalPeopleGroup>
<htd:logicalPeopleGroup name="directorClaims">
<htd:documentation xml:lang="en-US">
The functional director responsible for claims processing.
</htd:documentation>
</htd:logicalPeopleGroup>
</htd:logicalPeopleGroups>
<htd:logicalPeopleGroups>
<htd:logicalPeopleGroup name="regionalClerks">
<htd:documentation xml:lang="en-US">
The group of clerks responsible for the region specified.
</htd:documentation>
<htd:parameter name="role" type="xsd:string"/>
</htd:logicalPeopleGroup>
<htd:logicalPeopleGroup>
.....
</htd:logicalPeopleGroup>
</htd:logicalPeopleGroups> |
|
<htd:tasks> | Specifies the human tasks used in the business process. | Code Block |
|---|
| <htd:tasks>
<htd:task1>
<htd:task2>
<htd:task3>
<htd:tasks> |
|
<htd:task> | This is used to provide the definition of an inline human task. The name attribute specifies the name of the task. The name must be unique among the names of all tasks defined within the <htd:tasks> element. It also consists of the <htd:interface>, <htd:peopleAssignments> and <htd:presentationElements> elements which are used to described the task. | Code Block |
|---|
| <htd:task name="OrderProcess">
<htd:interface />
<htd:peopleAssignments />
<htd:presentationElements />
</htd:task> |
|
<htd:interface> | Specifies the port types and operations of the human task. | Code Block |
|---|
| <htd:interface
portType="cl:ClaimsHandlingPT"
operation="approve"
responsePortType="cl:ClaimsHandlingCallbackPT"
responseOperation="approvalResponse"/> |
|
<htd:peopleAssignments> | Used to assign people to process-related generic human roles.
| Code Block |
|---|
| <htd:peopleAssignments>
<htd:potentialOwners>
<htd:from logicalPeopleGroup="regionalClerks">
<htd:argument name="role">
regionalClerksRole
</htd:argument>
</htd:from>
</htd:potentialOwners>
<htd:businessAdministrators>
<htd:from logicalPeopleGroup="regionalManager">
<htd:argument name="role">
regionalManagerRole
</htd:argument>
</htd:from>
</htd:businessAdministrators>
</htd:peopleAssignments> |
|
<htd:documentation> | Provides annotations for users. | Code Block |
|---|
| <htd:documentation>
Example for WS-HumanTask 1.1 - WS-HumanTask Task Definition
</htd:documentation> |
|
<htd:from>
<htd:argument> | From element used to assign people for roles which have been specified in the business process. Argument element will pass values used in the people query. | Code Block |
|---|
| <htd:from logicalPeopleGroup="regionalClerks">
<htd:argument name="role">
regionalClerksRole
</htd:argument>
</htd:from> |
|
<htd:presentationElements> | Specifies the user interface for human tasks or how the user interacts with the human task. | Code Block |
|---|
| <htd:presentationElements>
<htd:name xml:lang="en-US">Approve Claim
</htd:name>
<htd:name xml:lang="de-DE">Genehmigungder Schadensforderung
</htd:name>
<htd:presentationParameters>
<htd:presentationParametername="firstname"
type="xsd:string">
htd:getInput("ClaimApprovalRequest")/test10:cust/test10:firstname
</htd:presentationParameter>
</htd:presentationParameters> |
|
<htd:notifications> | Used to provide the definition of an inline notification.The name attribute specifies the name of the notification. The name must be unique among the names of all notifications defined within the <htd:notifications> element. | Code Block |
|---|
| <htd:notifications>
<htd:notificationname="ClaimApprovalReminder">
<htd:documentationxml:lang="en-US"> |
|
...