Sub Process

Add, copy, delete, change the color, align, and configure Sub Process elements in your Process model.

Don't Know What a Sub Process Element Is?
See Process Modeling Element Descriptions for a description of the Sub Process element.

Add a Sub Process Element to the Process Model

Permissions

Your user account or group membership must have the following permissions to configure a Sub Process element in the Process model unless your user account has the Make this user a Super Admin setting selected:

Processes: Edit Processes
Processes: View Processes

See the Process permissions or ask your Administrator for assistance.

Add a Sub Process element from one of the following locations in Process Modeler:

Object Panel: Located to the left of the Process Modeler canvas, the Object Panel contains various process model objects.
Object Bar: Located at the bottom of the Process Modeler canvas, the Object Bar contains pinned Process model objects for quick access.

Follow these steps to add a Sub Process element from the Object panel to the Process model:

Ensure that the Object panel is visible. If not, click the Add icon from the Object bar at the bottom.
Click the Task object category from one of the following sections:
- Pinned Objects: The Task object appears in the Pinned Objects section when it is pinned.
- Object Category: The Task object appears in the Object Category section when it is not pinned.
Click the location in the Process model to place this element. Follow these guidelines when placing this element:
- Optionally place this element between two existing Process model objects already connected with a Sequence Flow element. See Place an object between two connected objects.
- If a Pool element is in your Process model, the Sub Process element cannot be placed outside of the Pool element.
Click the Elements drop-down menu, and then select the Script Task option.
The Sub Process element displays.

Follow these steps to add a Sub Process element from the Object bar to the Process model:

Ensure that the object is pinned to the Object bar. If not, pin it.
In the Object bar at the bottom center, click the object's icon. This object's icon displays adjacent to the mouse icon to indicate this Task may be placed into the Process model.
Click the location in the Process model to place this element. Follow these guidelines when placing this element:
- Optionally place this element between two existing Process model objects already connected with a Sequence Flow element. Process Modeler automatically places this element between the existing objects and adds a new Sequence Flow element following the new element. The existing Sequence Flow element precedes the new element. If necessary, configure the Sequence Flow element following the newly placed element.
- If a Pool element is in your Process model, the Form Task element cannot be placed outside of the Pool element.
Click the Elements drop-down menu, and then select the Script Task option.
The Sub Process element displays.

Add boundary events

After adding the Object Element, consider adding the following Boundary-type Process model elements to design business solutions when your best-case scenarios don't happen:

Connect Two Process Model Objects with a Sequence Flow Element.
Reconnect a Sequence Flow Element from One Process Model Object to Another.
Place a Task-Type Element Between Two Process Model Objects Already Connected with a Sequence Flow Element.
Move a Process Model Object.
Customize the Appearance of a Process Model Object.
Copy Process Model Objects into the Clipboard.
Clone Process Model Objects Without the Clipboard.
Delete Process Model Objects.

Replace a Sub Process Element with a Task Type Element

After a Sub Process element is added to a Process model, you may replace it with a Task type element:

Form Task element
Manual Task element
Script Task element

The selected Sub Process element is replaced by the default settings and color of the replacing element.

Follow these steps to replace a Sub Process element with a Task type element:

Select the Sub Process element to change to another element. Available options display above the selected element.
Click the Elements icon. The Elements drop-down menu displays the Task type elements and the Sub Process element.
Select the element to replace the Sub Process element. The Change Type screen displays to confirm replacing the currently selected element.
Click Confirm. The new element replaces the Sub Process element with its default settings and color.

Settings

The Sub Process element has the following panels that contain settings:

Configuration panel
- Edit the element name
- Select the "child" Sub Process this element calls
Loop Characteristics panel
- Specify characteristics to perform multiple instances of the Sub Process
Documentation panel
- Edit the element's description displayed in Process documentation
Assignment Rules panel
- Select who may start Requests for the "child" Sub Process
Vocabularies panel
- Assign Vocabularies that validate Request data from this element
Advanced panel
- Edit the node's identifier value

Configuration Panel Settings

Edit the Element Name

An element name is a human-readable reference for a Process element. Process Modeler automatically assigns the name of a Process element with its element type. However, an element's name can be changed.

Follow these steps to edit the name for a Sub Process element:

Select the Sub Process element from the Process model in which to edit its name.
Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. The Name setting displays. This is a required setting.
In the Name setting, edit the selected element's name and then press Enter.

Select the "Child" Sub Process This Element Calls

The Sub Process element calls a Sub Process when it triggers. The Sub Process is referred to as a "child" Process, while the calling Process is referred to as the "parent" Process. The child Sub Process must in the same ProcessMaker instance as the parent Process and not archived.

The child Sub Process has its own Request. The Request for the parent Process waits until the child Sub Process's Request completes before its workflow continues. When the child Sub Process's Request completes, the parent Process's Request continues from the Sub Process element.

The child Process must have at least one Start Event element from which to start its Request. Other Start-type BPMN elements result in an invalid parent Process error when this Sub Process element calls the child Process to start its Request.
As a best practice, verify that the child Process contains a Start Event element prior to completing design for the Process using this Sub Process element.

To prevent routing for the parent Process's Request from waiting until the child Sub Process's Request completes, use a Parallel Gateway element preceding the Sub Process element. Use a parallel outgoing Sequence Flow element from the Parallel Gateway element to continue routing the parent Process while the Sub Process element waits for the child Sub Process's Request to complete.

Follow these steps to select the child Sub Process the Sub Process element calls when it triggers:

Select the Sub Process element from the Process model in which to select the child Sub Process that element calls.
Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.
Expand the Configuration panel if it is not presently expanded, and then locate the Process setting.
From the Process drop-down menu, select which child Sub Process the Sub Process element calls when it triggers. This is a required setting. After selecting a Process from the Process drop-down menu, the Start Event setting displays. A Start Event element from the selected Process displays in the Start Event drop-down menu.
From the Start Event drop-down menu, select another Start Event element from the child Process that this Sub Process element calls to start a Request if the default Start Event element is not to be called. Optionally click the Open Process option below the Start Event drop-down menu to review the selected Process model in a new Web browser window.

Loop Characteristics Panel Settings

‌Specify Characteristics to Perform Multiple Instances of the Task

Use the Loop Characteristics panel settings to specify how to perform multiple instances of this element. The following loop modes are available for this element:

No Loop Mode: Select the No Loop Mode option to perform this element's Task only once.
Loop: Select the Loop option to sequentially repeat this element's Task multiple times until an exit condition is True. This is useful when a Task should be performed multiple times with the same set of data, such as, processing a credit card payment. This loop mode has the following characteristics:
- The element's Task is repeated until the exit condition is True or the maximum iterations limit is reached.
- At any given time, only one instance of the Task is active. The subsequent instance does not begin until the current instance completes.
- The same exit condition evaluates at the end of each instance; however, value(s) of the Request variable(s) used in the exit condition can change during an instance resulting in the exit condition to eventually evaluate as True.
- If any one instance of that Task does not complete, workflow pauses.
- All active instances are terminated if an interrupting boundary-type event element triggers.
- An element configured in this mode shows the Loop icon in Process Modeler.
Multi-instance (Parallel): Select the Multi-instance (Parallel) option to perform this element's Task multiple times in parallel a fixed number of times. This is useful when performing any action in bulk, such as sending an email to several people. This loop mode has the following characteristics:
- Instances of the Task are governed by the size of an array-type Request variable where a new instance is created for each item in this variable. For example, an array with 10 items will create 10 parallel instances of this Task that each contains data from its respective array index.
- All instances begin simultaneously when this element triggers; however, they perform their Task independently of each other.
- The Task as a whole completes when all instances are complete.
- The output from each instance can either be saved in the source Request variable or a new array-type Request variable.
- All active instances terminate if an interrupting boundary-type event element triggers.
- An element configured in this mode shows the Multi-instance (Parallel) icon in Process Modeler.
Multi-instance (Sequential): Select the Multi-instance (Sequential) option to perform this element's Task multiple times sequentially a fixed number of times or until an exit condition is True. This is useful when sequentially repeating a Task multiple times but with a different set of data each time. This loop mode has the following characteristics:
- Instances of the Task are governed by the size an array-type Request variable where a new instance is created for each item in this variable. For example, an array with 10 items will create 10 parallel instances of this Task that each contains data from its respect array index.
- At any given time, only one instance of the Task is active. The subsequent instance does not begin until the current instance completes.
- At the end of each instance an exit condition evaluates and the loop activity halts if the exit condition is True.
- The Task as a whole completes when all instances are complete.
- The output from each instance can either be saved in the source Request variable or a new array-type Request variable.
- All active instances terminate if an interrupting boundary-type event element triggers.
- An element configured in this mode shows the Multi-instance (Sequential) iconin Process Modeler.

‌Follow these steps to specify characteristics to perform multiple instances of the Task:‌

Select the element from the Process model in which to specify multiple instance characteristics.
Panels to configure this element display.Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.
Expand the Loop Characteristics panel. The Loop Characteristics setting displays. By default, Loop Activity is set to No Loop Mode and the Task is performed only once.
From the Loop Mode setting, select one of the following options to perform this element's Task more than once.
- Loop: Select the Loop option. The settings for this loop mode display:
  Follow these steps:
  1. In the Maximum Iterations setting, enter an integer value representing the maximum number of times this Task should be performed.
  2. In the Exit Condition setting, enter a condition in FEEL syntax. When this condition is True the loop activity is halted.
- Multi-instance (Parallel): Select the Multi-instance (Parallel) option. The settings for this loop mode display:
  Follow these steps:
  1. In the Request Variable Array setting, enter the name of an array-type Request Variable. The size of this array will determine how many times this loop iterates.
  2. In the Output Data Variable setting, enter the name of an array-type Request variable in which to store the results of all instances. Each instance of the loop saves to a separate JSON object within the array of the specified Request variable. If the Output Data Variable setting is not configured, then the output data replaces the source data in the Request Variable Array.
- Multi-instance (Sequential): Select the Multi-instance (Sequential) option. The settings for this loop mode display:
  Follow these steps:
  1. In the Request Variable Array setting, enter the name of an array-type Request Variable. The size of this array will determine how many times this loop iterates.
  2. In the Exit Condition setting, enter a condition in FEEL syntax. When this condition is True the loop activity is halted.
  3. In the Output Data Variable setting, enter the name of an array-type Request variable in which to store the results of all instances. Each instance of the loop saves to a separate JSON object within the array of the specified Request variable. If the Output Data Variable setting is not configured, then the output data replaces the source data in the Request Variable Array.

Documentation Panel Settings

Edit the Element's Description Displayed in Process Documentation

Describe the element's purpose and how it functions in the Process. This description does not affect Requests for the Process, but may be useful for Process model maintenance such as how the element is configured. Edit information by using the What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) rich text editor.

A Process's entered documentation displays by selecting the View Documentation icon for that Process.

Follow these steps to edit the description for an element:

Select the element from the Process model in which to edit its description.
Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.
Expand the Documentation panel if it is not presently expanded. The Description setting displays.
In the Description setting, edit the information to display when viewing documentation for this element and then press Enter. Alternatively, use the What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) rich text editor to stylize your text by clicking the More icon .

Follow these guidelines to use the WYSIWYG rich text editor to stylize your text:
- Undo changes: Click on theicon to undo the last action.
- Redo changes: Click on theicon to redo the last undone action.
- Insert/Edit Link: Click on theicon to convert the selected text into a hyperlink. Follow these steps to create a hyperlink:
  1. Select the required text from the Rich Text control.
  2. Click on theicon. The Insert/Edit Link screen displays.
  3. In the URL setting, enter the destination URL.
  4. In the Text to display setting, edit or enter the text displayed in the Rich Text control.
  5. In the Title setting, enter the text to display when a user hovers over the displayed text.
  6. From Open link in… drop-down menu, select one of these options:
    - New window: Select this option to open the destination page in a new browser window.
    - Current window: Select this option to open the destination page in the current browser window.
- Insert/Edit Image: Click on the Insert/Edit Image iconto insert an image. Follow these guidelines:
  1. Click on the Insert/Edit Image icon.
  2. The Insert/Edit Image screen displays:
  3. In the Source setting, enter a URL for the image.
  4. In the Alternative Description setting, enter the text to display if the source URL of the image is not accessible.
  5. In the Width setting, enter the maximum width for the image.
  6. In the Height setting, enter the maximum height for the image.
  7. Toggle the Constrain Proportions iconto maintain the width-height ratio of the image to its original proportion.
  8. Click Save.
- Insert Page Break for PDF: Click on the Insert Page Break for PDF iconto insert a page break when a PDF document is created for this documentation if your browser supports this feature.
- Format text: Follow these guidelines to format text:
  - Headings: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Headings and then select a heading size.
  - Bold: Do one of the following:
    - From the editor toolbar, select theicon.
    - From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Bold.
  - Italics: Do one of the following:
    - From the editor toolbar, select theicon.
    - From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Italic.
  - Underline: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Underline.
  - Strikethrough: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Strikethrough.
  - Superscript: From the Paragraph/ Formats menu, select Inline and then Superscript.
  - Subscript: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Subscript.
  - Code: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Code.
  - Paragraph: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Paragraph.
  - Blockquote: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Blockquote.
  - Division: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Div.
  - Preformatted: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Pre.
  - Change text color: Use the Text Color drop-down to change text color. Click on theicon. The color palette displays. Do one of the following:
    - Select one of the color swatches from the color palette. The selected text changes to that color.
      - Click theicon to select a custom color from the Color Picker.
      - Click theicon to reset the text to its default color.
  - Align text: Follow these guidelines to align text:
    - Left align: Do one of the following:
      - From the editor toolbar, use theicon to left-align text.
      - From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Left.
    - Center align: Do one of the following:
      - From the editor toolbar, use theicon to center-align text.
      - From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Center.
    - Right align: Do one of the following:
      - From the editor toolbar, use theicon to right-align text.
      - From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Right.
    - Justify: Do one of the following:
      - From the editor toolbar, use theicon to justify text.
      - From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Justify.
  - Insert a bullet list: Use theicon to format text as a bulleted list.
  - Insert a numbered list: Use theicon to format text as a numbered list.
  - Indent text: Click on theicon to increase text indenting.
  - Outdent text: Click on theicon to decrease text indenting.

Assignment Rules Panel Settings

Select Who May Start Requests for the "Child" Sub Process

Select who may start Requests for the "child" Sub Process selected from the Process setting:

Anonymous: Any person may start Requests for the child Sub Process. Ensure that the child Sub Process contains a Start Event element configured to allow anonymous Web Entry; otherwise, that Start Event element only allows authenticated users to start Requests for the child Sub Process.
Requester: Only the person who started that Request for the "parent" Process may start Requests for the child Sub Process. This user is known as the Request starter.
Users and/or groups: Selected users and/or all members of selected groups may start Requests for the child Sub Process.
Previous Task assignee: Only the previous Task assignee in that Request may start Requests for the child Sub Process.
By User ID: A user based on a Variable Name value as entered into a Screen during a previous Task in that Request may start Requests for the child Sub Process. For example, if a Line Input control in a Screen has the Variable Name value of Name, to contain a user's name, then use that value to thereby select that user to start Sub child Process Requests.

Follow these steps to select who may start Requests for the child Sub Process:

Select the Sub Process element from the Process model in which to select who may start Requests for the child Sub Process.
Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.
Expand the Assignment Rules panel if it is not presently expanded. The Start Sub Process As setting displays.
From the Start Sub Process As drop-down menu, select one of the following options:
- Anonymous: Select Anonymous to allow any person to start Requests for the child Sub Process. Ensure that the child Process contains a Start Event element configured to allow anonymous Web Entry; otherwise, that Start Event element only allows authenticated users to start Requests of the child Sub Process.
- Requester: Select Requester to only allow the Request starter to start Requests for the child Sub Process.
- Users and/or Groups: Select Users/Groups to choose specific users and/or all members of specific groups may start Requests for the child Sub Process. When this option is selected, the Assigned Users/Groups drop-down menu displays below the Start Sub Process As drop-down menu.
  From the Assigned Users/Groups drop-down menu, select as all users and/or groups that may start Requests for the child Process. Multiple ProcessMaker users and/or groups may be added, one at a time, to this setting. You may click the Remove icon to remove a selection from the Assigned Users/Groups drop-down menu.
- Previous Task Assignee: Select Previous Task Assignee to only allow the previous Task assignee in that Request to start Requests for the child Sub Process.
- By User ID: Select By User ID to select a user based on a Variable Name value as entered into a Screen during a previous Task in that Request may start Requests for the child Sub Process.
  For example, if a Line Input control in a Screen has the Variable Name value of Name, to contain a user's name, then use that value to thereby select that user to start child Sub Process Requests. When this option is selected, the Variable Name of User ID Value setting displays.
  In the Variable Name of User ID Value setting, enter the Variable Name value from which to reference the user who may start child Sub Process Requests.

Vocabularies Panel Settings

Assign Vocabularies That Validate Request Data from This Element

Assign Vocabularies that validate that Request data complies with a specific JSON schema. This is often mandatory for many types of business sectors including banking and healthcare. Ensure the quality and compliance of Request data. For example, during a Loan Application process, ensure that personal information has been included in the Request to that moment in that in-progress Request. The Vocabularies package must be installed to make this configuration.

Use a Vocabulary on a Sub Process element to validate that Request data complies with the Vocabulary's JSON schema after routing returns from the child Sub Process's Request to the parent Process's Request, but prior to when the Request continues routing for the parent Request. See What is a Vocabulary? for more information.

Each moment ProcessMaker Platform evaluates workflow routing for an in-progress Request, ProcessMaker Platform also evaluates the Request data's conformity to the Vocabularies applied to the Process and/or a specific BPMN 2.0 element in the Process model. The Request's JSON data model must conform to the Vocabulary's JSON schema.

During an in-progress Request, if ProcessMaker Platform evaluates that the Request data no longer complies with all Vocabularies to that moment, the Request status changes from In Progress to Error. The error displays in the Request summary. Vocabularies are cumulative in an in-progress Request: as the Request progresses, if Request data does not conform with any Vocabulary's JSON schema to that moment in the Request, the Request errors.

If no Vocabularies are assigned, ProcessMaker Platform does not validate that Request data complies with a specific JSON schema prior to continuing workflow for that Request.

One or more Vocabularies must be created before assigning a Vocabulary. See Create a New Vocabulary. Multiple Vocabularies can be assigned to a Sub Process element.

Follow these steps to assign Vocabularies that validate Request data from a Sub Process element:

Select the Sub Process element from the Process model in which to assign Vocabularies that validate Request data prior to when this element completes.
Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.
Expand the Vocabularies panel if it is not presently expanded. The Assigned setting displays.
Click theicon to add a Vocabulary. The Assign Vocabulary setting displays.
From the Select Vocabulary drop-down menu, select a Vocabulary from which to validate Request data complies with its JSON schema.
If no Vocabularies are configured , then the following message displays: List is empty. Create at least one Vocabulary. See Create a New Vocabulary.
Click Save.
Repeat Steps 3 through 6 as necessary for each Vocabulary required to validate Request data complies with its JSON schema.

Click the Remove iconfrom the Vocabularies setting to remove a Vocabulary from assignment to this element.

After one or more Vocabularies are assigned to a Sub Process element, the Vocabulary icon displays in that element.

Sub Process element with an assigned Vocabulary

Advanced Panel Settings

Edit the Node's Identifier Value

Process Modeler automatically assigns a unique value to each Process node added to a Process model. However, a node's identifier value can be changed if it is unique to all other nodes in the Process model, including the Process model's identifier value.

All identifier values for all nodes in the Process model must be unique.

Follow these steps to edit the identifier value for a Sub Process element:

Select the Sub Process element from the Process model in which to edit its identifier value.
Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.
Expand the Advanced panel if it is not presently expanded. The Node Identifier setting displays. This is a required setting.
In the Node Identifier setting, edit the Sub Process element's identifier to a unique value from all nodes in the Process model and then press Enter.