Starting a Process from Outside of Questetra BPM Suite (curl Chapter)

• Starting a Process from Outside of Questetra BPM Suite (Preparatory Chapter)
• Starting a Process from Outside of Questetra BPM Suite (curl Chapter)
• Starting a Process from Outside of Questetra BPM Suite (Python Chapter)
• Starting a Process from Outside of Questetra BPM Suite (Error Chapter)

Starting a Process by Curl Command

Let’s try accessing Questetra BPM Suite and starting a Process using curl, which is a command capable of data transmission. Curl command can be used on Mac and Linux terminals without installation. Although there are several ways to use the curl command on Windows, this article will proceed assuming that you are using curl command on Windows Subsystem for Linux.

First, let’s do the same thing as the previous article with curl command. Execute the following command.

$ curl https://example.questetra.net/System/Event/MessageStart/{processModelInfoId}/{nodeNumber}/start --data-urlencode "key={API key}" --data-urlencode "title=test"

Check the Message Start Event (HTTP) details and replace the endpoint URL and API key. If it has been entered correctly the process will be started as if accessing the endpoint from a browser.

Sending a variety of data

Now, how do you send data other than the Title? There are many types of Data Item, such as String or User and you can send most of them in the same way as the Title. Let’s see how it works by adding Data Items to the App.

App Setting

Add Data Items as follows; checking the “Required” box is not necessary for any of them. Regarding Data editing permissions, set all items as “Editable” on the Message Start Event (HTTP) and “Only display” on the Check Task.

Let’s save and release the App in this state and see how the parameters appear. When you open the Message Start Event (HTTP) detail the added Data Items should be listed as “Reception Parameters”. You can pass the data in the same way as the Title, but parameter names such as “data [1] .usdecimal” are a little hard to understand. Since it is possible to change the parameter name let’s change it to a more meaningful name before actually using it.

As each Data Item has a Field Name, if it has been set in advance that name will be applied to the parameter name for API. You can edit Field names on the Data Item tab in the Process Modeler. The rules concerning naming are as follows.

• Starting with “q_”
• Alphabets, numbers, underscores are available
• Within 64 characters

As there is a text box with the title “Field Name” in the settings screen of each Data Item, enter it there. In this tutorial, we will assume they are named as follows.

After editing the field name, save the App and release it. Check the Message Start Event (HTTP) detail. Are the Reception Parameter names as you set up?

Sending non-File-types by curl

Now, let’s try sending the added Data Items with curl as well. Since the method for File-type Data Items is somewhat different I will cover that in another section.

To send to multiple Data Items you can write the following:

$ curl https://example.questetra.net/System/Event/MessageStart/{processModelInfoId}/{nodeNumber}/start \
> --data-urlencode "key={API key}" \
> --data-urlencode "name1=content1" \
> --data-urlencode  "name2=content2" \
> ...

With the following command, for example, you can start a Process where “test” is the Title and “1.23” has been entered in the Numeric data (q_float).

$ curl https://example.questetra.net/System/Event/MessageStart/{processModelInfoId}/{nodeNumber}/start \
> --data-urlencode "key={API key}" \
> --data-urlencode "title=test" \
> --data-urlencode "q_float=1.23"

Please refer to the following table for concrete input examples for each Data type.

Sending Files

As noted above, if you do not send data to File-type Data Items, POST with the option –data-urlencode is recommended. However, the –data-urlencode option, which sends data in application/x-www-form-urlencoded format, is not capable of dealing with files. Therefore, when dealing with File-type Data Items you need to use the -F option to send data in the multipart/form-data format. And you cannot use the –data-urlencode option and the -F option at the same time.

$ curl https://example.questetra.net/System/Event/MessageStart/{processModelInfoId}/{nodeNumber}/start \
> -F "key={API key}" \
> -F "{PARAMETER of File type Data Item}=@{FILE PATH}" \
> -F "name1=content1" \
> ...

For example, if you use the following format you can start a Process while uploading ques-kun.png and setting the Title as “TEST”.

$ curl https://example.questetra.net/System/Event/MessageStart/{processModelInfoId}/{nodeNumber}/start \
> -F "key={API key}" \
> -F "title=TEST" \
> -F "q_file=@ques-kun.png"

To summarize the contents so far, you can also write the following commands.

$ curl https://example.questetra.net/System/Event/MessageStart/{processModelInfoId}/{nodeNumber}/start \
> -F "key={API key}" \
> -F "title=TEST" \
> -F "q_str=This is testing for Process Start." \
> -F "q_float=1.23" \
> -F "q_selects=false" \
> -F "q_date=2018-04-01" \
> -F "q_datetime=2018-04-01 12:34" \
> -F "q_file=@ques-kun-01.png" \
> -F "q_file=@ques-kun-02.png" \
> -F "q_email=jbrown.questetra@gmail.com" \
> -F "q_group=10 Management Department"

Before you execute the example command, please replace the values to be passed to the File-type/User-type Data Items respectively.

• For ques-kun-01.png/ques-kun-02.png, replace with an appropriate file name
• For questetra+Canarias@gmail.com, replace with an email address which has been registered to the Questetra system you are using, e.g. your email address.

When this command is executed a Process will be started that looks like the image below.

In this way you can use the curl command to start a Process. The use of “shell scripts” or “cron”, etc. will widen the range of automation. Please be creative and take advantage of the the Message Start Event (HTTP). Next time, I will show you code examples for sending HTTP requests from Python.

Next: Starting a Process from Outside of Questetra BPM Suite (Python Chapter)