deyili / flowable-bpmn-intellij-plugin

Flowable, Activiti (6.x), Camunda BPMN engines process editor plugin for IntelliJ. Pure Kotlin (and some Java)

What is this

This project provides BPMN modeler plugin for these BPMN-engines:

• Flowable BPMN engine
• Activiti BPMN engine
• Camunda BPMN engine

Key goals are: process editing integration into IntelliJ, code navigation support between BPMN diagram and your classes including Spring beans.

Currently, it is work-in-progress.

Questions and propositions

Don't hesitate - ask or tell your opinion in gitter:

Key features

1. BPMN process editing (BPMN modeler) - adding/removing elements, changing their properties, undo/redo, bulk drag-n-drop, bulk removal of elements
2. Code navigation - jump from Delegate Expression or Class property directly to bean/function/class in code
3. IntelliJ refactorings propagation to backing XML file of the process (i.e. rename bean)
4. Jump from an element to the underlying XML
5. BPMN process 'debugging' by allowing to see steps (and their order) done for latest process execution directly in plugin

Installation

You can install the plugin from JetBrains plugin repository (just search for Flowable BPMN visualizer or Activiti BPMN visualizer or Camunda BPMN visualizer depending on engine you need ) like any other plugin.

Bleeding edge: You can install the latest build of the plugin from ZIP file provided at releases page of this repository or from alpha-channel of JetBrains plugin repository.

From GitHub releases

Install the latest plugin version plugin from the releases page: Releases page

NOTE: The plugin requires 'Ultimate Edition' of IntelliJ for code navigation

Installation guideline video:

From IntelliJ plugins alpha-channel repository

1. Open File -> Settings -> Plugins
2. In opened window, click on Gear button (Manage plugins, repositories) -> Manage Plugin Repositories
3. Add Alpha releases channel - https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugins/alpha/list to repositories list
4. Now you are able to list and install Flowable bpmn visualizer plugin directly from plugin search window

IntelliJ docs on this topic:

How to configure and use alpha channel

Building from sources

If you want to build plugin directly from sources (i.e. from master branch HEAD for bugfixes), simply execute in project root this command:

./gradlew clean buildPlugin

It will create flowable-intellij-plugin/build/distributions/bpmn-intellij-plugin.zip file that contains plugin distributive. You can install it by following steps here.

If you want just to run the plugin in the sandbox you can execute

Flowable:

./gradlew clean :flowable-intellij-plugin:runIde

Activiti:

./gradlew clean :activiti-intellij-plugin:runIde

Camunda:

./gradlew clean :camunda-intellij-plugin:runIde

Workflow

Plugin usage:

Basic usage

Adding new elements

BPMN-Java-XML 'gluing' usage

Debugging BPMN process with the plugin

Navigation/editing guideline

1. To open BPMN diagram in the plugin - left mouse button on XML file and select View BPMN Diagram
2. To move diagram up/down/left/right - click mouse wheel and start moving your mouse - diagram will follow (like dragging with mouse wheel) or Shift + Left Mouse Button
3. Zoom in/out - mouse wheel rotation
4. To add a new element - click with right mouse button and popup menu with new element selection will appear
5. To Copy or cut element(s) - select elements you want to copy/paste and click with right mouse button on them to see popup menu, there select cut or copy menu item
6. To Paste element(s) - (copy/cut before) click with right mouse button on the desired location and select 'Paste' popup menu item
7. To select element click on it with mouse

FAQ

Q: My files for Activiti/Flowable engine have .bpmn extension and not bpmn20.xml, how can I open them.

A: Navigate to File > Settings > Tools > Activiti BPMN Plugin config (or Flowable BPMN Plugin config). In the field Supported extensions add bpmn, so that field value is bpmn20.xml,bpmn. Now you should be able to open it. Animation to configure plugin for opening files with custom extension

Q: Some feature/bug was closed, but I can't find new release.

A: Check this link for the status of your feature. If it is in 'Done' (or Closed) column this doesn't mean it is released - it must proceed to next columns to appear in any kind of release-artifact. After a feature is 'Closed' it will wait for GitHub release at Releases page and after that it will be published to JetBrains marketplace. It can take up to two days for plugin to be available on JetBrains marketplace.

Technical details

Architectural diagrams

Plugin modules

Flowable XML subset support

View summary table

XML element	Supported
adHocSubProcess	Y
association
boundaryEvent	P
bpmndi:BPMNDiagram	Y
bpmndi:BPMNEdge	Y
bpmndi:BPMNPlane	Y
bpmndi:BPMNShape	Y
businessRuleTask	Y
callActivity	Y
cancelEventDefinition	P
compensateEventDefinition	P
completionCondition	P
condition	P
conditionalEventDefinition	P
conditionExpression	Y
dataObject
definitions
documentation	Y
endEvent	Y
errorEventDefinition	P
escalationEventDefinition	P
eventBasedGateway	P
exclusiveGateway	Y
extensionElements
flowable:eventListener
flowable:executionListener
flowable:field	Y
flowable:in
flowable:out
flowable:string	Y
flowable:value	Y
inclusiveGateway	Y
intermediateCatchEvent	P
intermediateThrowEvent	P
loopCardinality
message
messageEventDefinition
multiInstanceLoopCharacteristics
omgdc:Bounds	Y
omgdi:waypoint	Y
parallelGateway	P
process	P
receiveTask	P
script	Y
scriptTask	Y
sequenceFlow	Y
serviceTask	Y
signalEventDefinition	P
startEvent	Y
subProcess	Y
terminateEventDefinition	P
text	P
textAnnotation	P
timeDate	P
timerEventDefinition	P
transaction	Y
userTask	Y

Legend:

Y - Mostly or fully supported

P - Partially supported

Blank - Mostly unsupported