Semantic process elements

'Event' elements

Normal 'Event' element

The graphic shows all four types of events.

Events

The following elements are generated in the BPMN file for these events:

Events

Subtypes of objects of the Event type are defined via a specific eventDefinition element. A messageEventDefinition element is generated for each object of the Message event type. In ARIS connected messages are not used and therefore an empty message is generated.

Event - Part 2

A timerEventDefinition element that contains one of the possible subordinate elements timeDate, timeDuration or timeCycle is generated for objects of the Timer event type.

Event - Part 3

You can specify a duration that should pass until the object of the Timer event type starts. This generates a subelement within the timerEventDefinition element. In the example, this is 20 days.

Event - Part 4

The third option defines a time cycle, a repetitive interval. In the example, this is 10 hours.

Event - Part 5

An element of the escalationEventDefinition type is generated for an object of the Escalation event type.

Event - Part 6

An element of the compensateEventDefinition type is generated for an object of the Compensation event type.

Event - Part 7

An element of the conditionalEventDefinition with a subordinate element containing the condition is generated for an object of the Conditional event type. This element is only generated if a condition is defined in ARIS.

Event - Part 8

A linkEventDefinition element is generated for objects of the Link event type. In ARIS occurrence copies of the same object defintion are used to represent the realtionship between two linked events. Therefore, source and target element cannot be created in the linkDefinition element.

Event - Part 9

A signalEventDefinition element is generated for an object of the Signal event type.

Event - Part 10

A terminateEventDefinition element is generated for objects of the Terminate event type.

Event - Part 11

In ARIS multiple event definitions can be added as symbols. However, because these events do not contain a description of all events to be included, they are ignored by the BPMN2 serialization.

Event - Part 12

A errorEventDefinition is generated for an object of the Error event type. Because ARIS does not consider the error reference, this reference does not exist in the BPMN file.

Event - Part 13

'Cancel event' element

Objects of the Cancel event type are used in transaction subprocesses and can be modeled as objects of the Intermediate boundary event or End event types that are embedded in a task.

Cancel event

If it is an object of the Boundary event type, a boundaryEvent element is generated that has a reference to the transaction. If it is an embedded end event, a subordinate endEvent element is generated within the transaction element.

Cancel event

'Boundary event' element

The graphic shows a combination of objects of the Boundary event type.

Boundary events

A boundaryEvent element is generated for all types of objects of the Boundary event type during the serialization. This element has a attachedToRef attribute that contains the reference to the object on whose border it was placed. The elements of the eventDefinition type are generated as described above.

Boundary event

'Subprocess event' element

Objects of the Event type that are positioned on an element of the Subprocess type control this object. The graphic shows all possible combinations of event types and objects of the Event subprocess type.

Subprocess events

The Event element is embedded in the associated subProcess element. The subProcess element contains a triggeredByEvent attribute with the true value. This attribute is only available if an event is embedded in a subprocess. If the event is of the Non-interrupting type, the Event element has an isInterrupting attribute with the value false.

Subprocess event

'Activity' elements

Simple 'Task' element

The graphic shows all simple tasks.

Simple tasks

Each of these objects of the Task type generates a Task element of the respective type in the BPMN file.

Task

'Subprocess' element

Subprocess

'Call activity' element

The graphic shows an object of the Call activity type that is assigned a global process.

Call activity

The following graphic shows the global, called process.

Invoked global process

An element of the Process type is generated on the same level for both processes during export to a BPMN file. The first element contains a Call activity element with reference to the global, called process. If the invoked process contains more than one pool, the first pool (upper left pool) is accepted as the invoked process.

Call activity

Global 'Task' element

A global object of the Task type can be invoked by an object of the Call activity type. The graphic shows the possible global objects of the Task type.

Global tasks

An element of the globalTask type is generated for the respective type when exporting to a BPMN file. The following elements are possible: globalUserTask, globalTask, globalBusinessTask, globalManualTask and globalScriptTask.

These elements are invoked by the associated object of type Call activity.

Global tasks

'Loop type' element

Loop type

For objects of the Loop type type, elements of the respective loop types (standardLoopCharacteristic or multiInstanceLoopCharacteristic) are generated during export to a BPMN file.

Loop type

'Compensation' element

If an object of the Task type is marked as Compensation, this is realized in an attribute in the BPMN file.

Compensation event

'Gateway' elements

The graphic shows all possible gateways.

Gateways

During export a corresponding element is generated for each object of the Gateway type in the BPMN file.

Gateways

'Sequence flow' element

The graphic shows a simple sequence flow that consists of a start event and a task.

Sequence flow

A subordinate element of the outgoing type is generated in the flow element with the outgoing connection. A subordinate element of the incoming type is generated in the target element. Both elements reference the same element of the sequenceFlow type that has a sourceRef attribute and a targetRef attribute in which the respective flow element is referenced. The ID of the element of the sequenceFlow type consists of the FLOW_ string followed by the GUID of the connection.

Sequence flow

An element of the sequenceFlow type can contain a condition or be marked as a standard flow element. Several elements of the outgoing type may exist. The sequence flow in the graphic has three outgoing connections. One of the flows is marked as the default flow.

Sequence flow with condition

In the exclusiveGateway element, the default attribute has the reference to the default connection as a value. A subordinate conditionExpression element that contains the text of the condition is generated for conditional flows.

ARIS does not support formal conditions.

Sequence flow with condition

'Artifact' elements

'Text annotation' element

Text annotation

In ARIS objects of the Text annotation type must not be embedded in a pool or a subprocess. Because they must be embedded in a container element, during export to a BPMN file they are embedded in the same element of the flowContainerElement type that the associated element of the flowElement type is embedded in.

Text annotation

The ID of the textAnnotation element consists of the FLOWNODE_ string and the external GUID of the object of the Text annotation type. The ID of the associated flow element consists of the FLOW_ string and the GUID of the connection. The souceRef attribute references the textAnnotation element and the targetRef attribute references the flowElement element.

Groups

Groups are always embedded as subordinate elements in the element that the BPMN diagram references. If a group is contained in a separately modeled subprocess, the corresponding element is generated during export under the element that represents the subprocess.

The ID consists of the FLOW_ string and the GUID of the group. A highest element category is generated whose ID consists of the CAT string and the GUID of the BPMN diagram. Below this element a categoryValue element is generated whose ID consists of the CATV string and the GUID of the group.

The group element references this category element via the categoryValueRef attribute. Each flow element that is contained in this group references this category element via a subordinate categoryValueRef element.

Groups

'Data object' element

Connections from an object of the Data object type to an occurrence of a flow element, such as a task or event are only useful if you can access the flow element.

ARIS allows you to draw such connections outside pool boundaries, which is not allowed by the BPMN 2.0 specification. Thus, such data objects access unreachable flow elements.

In this case, the semantic check that is carried out before exporting a BPMN diagram to a BPMN file outputs an error. You can specifically validate a BPMN diagram to be exported before the export.

A dataObject element is generated in the BPMN file for each object of the Data object type.

Data object

The descriptions of the data structure are added under the itemDefinition element. All elements of the dataObject type that are generated for the same ARIS data object have the same structure. They all reference the same itemDefinition element. The ID of this element consists of the ITEM_ string and the GUID of the ARIS data object.

The container for the dataObject element and the associated dataObjectReference element can be located in different containers. In a process context, the dataObject element is generated in the top container. The ID of the dataobject element consists of the dataobject string, the GUID of the container object, and the GUID of the data object.

The dataObjectReference element represents a concrete object occurrence and is generated below the element that corresponds to the container in the BPMN diagram. The ID consists of the FLOWNODE_ string and the GUID of the occurrence of the data object. Each dataobjectReference element references the associated dataObject element in the same process or subprocess context.

'DataInput' and 'DataOutput' elements

DataInput and DataOutput

In the BPMN file, the dataInput and dataOutput elements are generated for each object of the Data object type independent of the connection direction. The input and output data is generated below the ioSpecification element. The ID of this element consists of the FLOWNODE_ string and the GUID of the ARIS object.

In addition, for objects of the dataInput type, a subordinate inputSet element is generated, which contains a dataInputRefs element that, in turn, references the dataInput element.

In addition, for objects of the dataOutput type, a subordinate inputSet element is generated, which contains a dataOutputRefs element that, in turn references the dataOutput element.DataInput and DataOutput

Connections to data objects

In the BPMN serialization, connections from data objects to events are dealt with differently than connections to objects of the Activity type.

Connections to events

If an object of the Data output type is connected to a start event, the dataOutput, dataOutputAssociation and dataOutputSet elements are generated under the startEvent element in the BPMN file.

The ID of the dataOutput element consists of the DATA_OUTPUT_ string and the GUID of the object of the Data Output type. If the Collection symbol is used for the object in the BPMN diagram, the value of the isCollection attribute is set to true, otherwise it is set to false.

The itemSubjectRef attribute references the highest element itemDefinition that is created for each data object. Its ID consists of the ITEM_ string and the GUID of the data object. The dataOutputSet element contains a dataoutputRefs element that references the dataOutput element.

In the dataOutputAssociation element the subordinate elements sourceRef and targetRef are generated. The first references the dataInput element and the second the dataOutput element of the process.

Because the end event is connected to an element of the Data input type, the subordinate elements dataInput, dataInputAssociation and dataInputSet are generated under the endEvent element. The attributes and IDs are generated similar to those for the start event.

Connections to events

Connections to objects of the 'Activity' type

If an object of the User task type has an incoming and an outgoing connection to two objects of the Data output type, an ioSpecification element is generated below the userTask element during export to a BPMN file.

A dataInput element is generated for the incoming connection and a dataOutput element is generated for the outgoing connection. The respective ID consists of either the DATA_INPUT_ or the DATA_OUTPUT_ string and the GUID of the associated data object. Behind this the string OF is attached followed by the GUID of the object of the User task type.

Similar to events, the inputSet and outputSet elements contain the dataInputRefs or dataOutputRefs elements that reference the data.

The dataInputAssociation and dataOutputAssociation elements connect the dataInput and dataOutput elements for the object of the User task type with the dataOutput element for the process.

Connections to objects of the 'Activity' type