BPMN2-Modeler/DeveloperTutorials/ToolPalettes

Extending the Tool Palette

The BPMN2 Plugin provides extension points to customize the workbench UI. One of these extension points is called 'modelEnablement'. You can use this extension point to customize the collapsible Tool Palette on the right side of the workbench window.

The extension point defines so called 'Profiles' describing which elements are enabled or disabled. For example you can define a tool palette profile called 'Full' showing all elements provided by the BPMN2 Plugin:

<modelEnablement
   	        runtimeId="org.imixs.workflow.bpmn.runtime"
		id="org.imixs.workflow.bpmn.profile.Full"
		profile="Full"
		description="All BPMN2 elements and attributes">
	<enable object="all"/>
</modelEnablement>

With the tag '<enable object="all"/>' you activate all elements. In opposite you can also define a Profile which disables all elements per default. Than you can add explicit only those elements which should be shown when the user selects that profile:

<modelEnablement
	runtimeId="org.imixs.workflow.bpmn.runtime"
		id="org.imixs.workflow.bpmn.profile.workflow"
		profile="Simple"
		description="Imixs-Workflow Process Modeling">
	<disable object="all"/>
	<enable object="Collaboration"/>
	<enable object="Process"/>
	<enable object="Correlation"/>
	<enable object="CorrelationProperty"/>
	<enable object="CorrelationPropertyBinding"/>
	<enable object="CorrelationPropertyRetrievalExpression"/>
	<enable object="CorrelationSubsciption"/>
	<enable object="Process"/>
	<enable object="Participant" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="Participant" feature="processRef"/>
	<enable object="Lane" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="SequenceFlow" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="MessageFlow" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="ExclusiveGateway" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="ParallelGateway" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="Task" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="UserTask" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="ServiceTask" feature="name"/>
</modelEnablement>

This profile example disables all elements per default and adds explicit those elements which belong to the profile called 'simple'.

It is also possible to inherit form one profile. See the following example:

<modelEnablement
		runtimeId="org.imixs.workflow.bpmn.runtime"
		id="org.imixs.workflow.bpmn.profile.analytic"
		ref="org.imixs.workflow.bpmn.runtime:Simple"
		profile="Analytic"
		description="Analytic Process Modeling Conformance">
	<enable object="SubProcess" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="CallActivity" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="CallActivity" feature="calledElementRef"/>
	<enable object="CallableElement"/>
	<enable object="DataObject" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="CallActivity" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="DataStore" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="DataStoreReference" feature="name"/>
	<enable object="DataStoreReference" feature="dataStoreRef"/>
	<enable object="Category"/>
	<enable object="CategoryValue"/>
	<enable object="BoundaryEvent"/>
	<!-- disable some elements.... -->
	<disable object="ServiceTask" feature="name"/>
</modelEnablement>

The profile 'Analytic' defines a reference to the profile 'simple' and extends this profile with additional elements.

<modelEnablement
		runtimeId="org.imixs.workflow.bpmn.runtime"
		id="org.imixs.workflow.bpmn.profile.analytic"
		ref="org.imixs.workflow.bpmn.runtime:Simple"
		profile="Analytic"
		description="Analytic Process Modeling Conformance">
....

Be careful with the attribute "ref". This attribute defines the runtime extension by its ID and adds the name of the profile - not the id!

With the tag '<disable>' a profile can also hide specific elements. So you have the flexibility to customize the UI to your own requirements.

If you define profiles in your runtime extension, these profiles will be shown in the top of the Tool Palette and can be selected by the user. Activating a profile did not influence the bpmn model. It only reduces or extends the elements shown in the Tool Palette.

Notes

If you launch your plug-in during development for testing from the Eclipse IDE, please note that if you create a new empty workspace, it takes some seconds until all elements are initialized. During this setup phase you can still start testing you plugin/tool pallette, but it may miss some of the standard elements! So in case that you test in a new workspace, take a moment until the workspace setup is completed. The setup phase is indicated in the status bar: