Type Declaration

WfMC assumes a number of standard data types (string, reference, integer, float, date/time, etc.); such data types are relevant to workflow relevant data, system or environmental data or participant data. Expressions may be formed using such data types to support conditional evaluations.

Sometimes set of data types that XPDL provides won't be enough, or you want to represent some data type with a special name to easily use it when defining Formal/Actual parameters. This XPDL feature allows you to declare new data type.

Attributes for TypeDeclaration are:

Table 6.9. Type Declaration

NameM/ODescription
IdMUsed to identify the declared data type.
NameOText used to identify the Declared Data Type.
DescriptionOShort textual description of the Declared Data Type.
Data TypesOStandard data types.

This property panel shows an example of a type declaration.

This panel can be get e.g. by selecting an existing TypeDeclaration in a Package tree, and asking for its properties. To create a new TypeDeclaration, you can press button which will bring you the property panel with all defined Type declarations for the package. There in, you can press a button for creating new Type declaration.

TWE maintains all of WfMC data types that are provided: BasicType, DeclaredType, ShemaType, ExternalReference, RecordType, UnionType, EnumerationType and ArrayType.

The following table describes the basic data type:

Table 6.10. Basic Data Type

NameM/ODescription
TypeM
STRING
FLOAT
INTEGER
REFERENCE
DATETIME
BOOLEAN
PERFORMER

External Reference data type has the following attributes:

Table 6.11. External Reference

NameM/ODescription
XrefOIt specifies the identity of the entity within the external document.
LocationMIt specifies the URI of the document that defines the type.
NamespaceOIt allows specification of the scope in which the entity is defined.

Using External Reference data type you may define e.g. some Java class as a new data type (for e.g. location = "com.abc.purchases.PO").