IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Programming IBM BPM > Developing client applications for BPEL processes and tasks > Developing EJB client applications > Developing applications for human tasks

Processing to-do tasks or collaboration tasks

To-do tasks (also known as participating tasks in the API) or collaboration tasks (also known as human tasks in the API) are assigned to various people in your organization through work items. To-do tasks and their associated work items are created, for example, when a process navigates to a human task activity.

One of the potential owners claims the task associated with the work item. This person is responsible for providing the relevant information and completing the task.

Procedure

1. List the tasks belonging to a logged-on person that are ready to be worked on.

   FilterOptions fo = new FilterOptions();
   fo.setSelectedAttributes("TKIID");
   fo.setQueryCondition("STATE=STATE_READY AND (KIND=KIND_PARTICIPATING OR KIND=KIND_HUMAN)AND WI.REASON=REASON_POTENTIAL_OWNER");
   EntityResultSet result = task.queryEntities("TASK", fo, null, null);

   This action returns a query result set that contains the tasks that can be worked on by the logged-on person.

2. Claim the task to be worked on.

   if (result.getEntities().size() > 0)
   {
     Entity entity = (Entity) result.getEntities().get(0);
     TKIID tkiid = (TKIID) entity.getAttributeValue("TKIID");
     ClientObjectWrapper input = task.claim(tkiid);
     DataObject taskInput = null ;
     if ( input.getObject()!= null && input.getObject() instanceof DataObject )
     {
       taskInput = (DataObject)input.getObject();
       // read the values     ...
     }  }

   When the task is claimed, the input message of the task is returned.

3. When work on the task is finished, complete the task.

   The task can be completed either successfully or with a fault message. If the task is successful, an output message is passed. If the task is unsuccessful, a fault message is passed. You must create the appropriate messages for these actions.

   1. To complete the task successfully, create an output message.

      ClientObjectWrapper output = 
            task.createOutputMessage(tkiid);
      DataObject myMessage = null ;
      if ( output.getObject()!= null && output.getObject() instanceof DataObject )
      {
        myMessage = (DataObject)output.getObject();
        //set the parts in your message, for example, an order number   myMessage.setInt("OrderNo", 4711);} 
      //complete the task task.complete(tkiid, output); 

      This action sets an output message that contains the order number. The task is put into the finished state.

   2. To complete the task when a fault occurs, create a fault message.

      //retrieve the faults modeled for the task List faultNames = task.getFaultNames(tkiid);
      
      //create a message of the appropriate type ClientObjectWrapper myFault = 
            task.createFaultMessage(tkiid, (String)faultNames.get(0));
      
      // set the parts in your fault message, for example, an error number DataObject myMessage = null ;
      if ( myFault.getObject()!= null && input.getObject() instanceof DataObject )
      {
        myMessage = (DataObject)myFault.getObject();
        //set the parts in the message, for example, a customer name   myMessage.setInt("error",1304);} 
      task.complete(tkiid, (String)faultNames.get(0), myFault);

      This action sets a fault message that contains the error code. The task is put into the failed state.

Developing applications for human tasks

Related concepts:
To-do tasks
State transition diagrams for collaboration tasks