What are all of the different shapes in Envision diagrams?

What are the different activities that can be used in AgilePoint Envision process templates/diagrams?

Below is a list of the standard Envision shapes/activities.

Generic BPM shapes:

• Start - Represents the starting point of a process. This AgileShape is activated when a process instance is initiated, and can never be re-entered. A process template must contain exactly one Start AgileShape.
• Procedure - An activity that is tied to a system task and performed on the server side. In general, an automated activity is for performing a task between two or more systems such as application integration. Examples of automated activities include generating a report at the end of a process, updating database when a request is approved, etc. AgilePoint provides various ways to integrate with, synchronously or asynchronously, through C#, VB.NET, managed C++, COM, XML Web Service, Messaging queue, etc.
  

  IMPORTANT NOTE: This AgileShape should only be used within process templates that are (or will be) associated with an AgileStub (created using AgilePoint Developer).

  NOTE: The AgilePart and WebService AgileShapes do not require the creation of an AgileStub, and can often be used instead of this AgileShape.

• Procedure with Timeout - This AgileShape is identical to the Procedure AgileShape, except that it has one additional design-time property, and one additional Output connection. These two differences allow the process modeler to model the portion of the process that should occur should the activity become overdue (i.e. is not completed within the specified TimeSpan). This AgileShape is typically used to represent a procedure activity that requires a time-based escalation process.
• Manual - An activity that is associated with a user interface (such as Web Form, Win Form) to perform human task. A manual activity requires set up of task type, participant, and schedule to generate task at runtime and prompt for human intervention. For instance, a manual activity may be to prompt a user interface at run time for placing an order, approving a request, submitting or reviewing a document, etc.
• Manual with Timeout - This AgileShape is identical to the Manual AgileShape, except that it has one additional design-time property, and one additional Output connection.

  These two differences allow the process modeler to model the portion of the process that should occur should the activity become overdue (i.e. is not completed within the specified TimeSpan). This AgileShape is typically used to represent a manual activity that requires a time-based escalation process.

• SingleCondition - A conditional logic activity that branches into two routines determined by a Boolean value. For example, the approval status of a request.
• MultipleCondition - A condition activity that can branch into more than two routines determined by a primitive data type such as: integer, number, date, and string. Various operators such as Equals, Greater Than, contains, etc., are supported to enable the most sophisticated process dynamics. You can use the Multiple Condition AgileShape to determine whether a String value is null by using the operator "Equals" and entering the value as "<NULL>" (without the quotes).
• SubProcess - When entered, this AgileShape will initiate another process instance as a subprocess.
• Email - An activity that specifies an email notification.
• Or - An activity that associates multiple activities with the Or condition. Successful completion of one or more of the associated activities will result the start of the exit activity of the Or condition activity.
• And - An activity that associates multiple activites with the And condition. All associated activities must be completed successfully before the start of the exit activity of the And condition activity.
• AgilePart - This is a generic AgileShape that can be associated with any AgilePart that is registered in AgilePoint Envision. The user will be prompted to select a specific AgilePart when this AgileShape is added to a process template.

  NOTE: Custom AgilePart components must be registered in AgilePoint Envision before they can be used in a process template. See the AgilePoint Envision section for additional information about registering an AgilePart.

• AgileWork - This is a generic AgileShape that can be associated with any AgileWork that is registered in AgilePoint Envision. The user will be prompted to select a specific AgileWork when this AgileShape is added to a process template.

  NOTE: Custom AgileWork components must be registered in AgilePoint Envision before they can be used in a process template. See the AgilePoint Envision section for additional information about registering an AgileWork.

• Stop - Represents the ending point of a process. A process template must contain exactly one Stop activity.

Premier Extension shapes:

• Web Service - An AgilePart activity that accesses a Web Service and its methods which are registered in AgilePoint Envision. User can select the appropriate Web Service and its specific method using the Web Service shape.
• BRE - An activity that accesses BizTalk Rules Engine and its policies which are registered in the AgilePoint Envision. User can select the appropriate BizTalk Rules Engine and its specific policies using the BRE shape.
• Delay - This AgileShape can be used to force the process to pause (for a specified length of time, or until a specified date) before allow the process to continue to the next AgileShape.
• Insert Database - This AgileShape can be used to insert a new database record into a database table.
• Batch Insert - This AgileShape can be used to insert multiple new database records into a database table. It can also be configured to delete certain records before the new records are inserted.
• Update Database - This AgileShape can be used to update multiple existing database records in a database table.
• Delete Records - This AgileShape can be used to delete multiple existing database records in a database table.
• Stored Procedure - This AgileShape can be used to execute dynamic query statements and/or call database stored procedures.

  NOTE: This AgileShape does not support capturing return values or output parameters. Refer to the Query Database AgileShape for retrieving data from the database.

• Query Database - This AgileShape can be used to execute dynamic query statements and/or call database stored procedures in order to retrieve data from the database.
• Cancel Tasks - This AgileShape can be used to cancel all Assigned and Overdue tasks.
• Update Parent Process - This AgileShape can be used to update the values of one or more custom process attributes in a separate process instance.
• WebForm - This AgileShape can be used to represent a manual (i.e. human input required) activity that uses a web page as the user interface for the activity.

  NOTE: This AgileShape may only be used when working with a Generic process template.

• Dynamic Sequential Approval - This AgileShape can be used to represent a Manual (i.e. human input required) activity that must be completed sequentially by 1 or more participants. It is designed to be used as part of a “loop” in a process, so that the process flow will keep returning to this AgileShape until a sufficient number of participants have completed the activity (or until some other condition exits the loop). The UI associated with the Task determines where the value(s) associated with the UI are stored (e.g. an Approval value).
• Dynamic Parallel Approval - This AgileShape can be used to represent multiple manual (i.e. human input required) activities that must be completed simultaneously (or in parallel).
• Vote - This AgileShape can be used when a group of approvers is involved at an activity step, you can configure the AgileWork to require mandatory approvals from certain participants and to move forward based on a certain percentage of approves that have approved.

• Workload Balance - This AgileShape can be used when a work group defined in AgilePoint Server is responsible to complete a particular Manual Activity. Assume only one participant is needed to complete the task each time. This WorkLoad Balance AgileWork assigns the work item to the participant with the least amount of work items in the work group. The selection criteria is based on the least amount of work which is the sum of assigneded and overdue tasks. If all the participants in the group have the same work load, then the WorkLoad Balance AgileWork will pick a participant at random.

• Update Custom Attributes - This AgileShape can be used to update the runtime value(s) of one or more custom process attributes. When using this shape, you specify the name(s) of one or more custom process attributes, and associate a snippet/fragment of C# code with each attribute name. At runtime, each snippet will be executed/evaluated to determine the value that will be assigned to the associated custom process attribute. This AgileShape essentially allows you to create and embed a simple “custom AgilePart” in your process, without actually having to create, name, compile, deploy, or register the AgilePart.
  

  
  NOTE: In developer terminology, each “snippet” must be a valid C# expression that will return a value that can be stored in a custom process attribute.

Advanced Extension shapes:

• External Command - Used to define environment variables and run a command prompt.
• Java - Used to execute Java components.
• Sequential Workflow - This AgileShape can be used to expose your Microsoft Windows Workflow Foundation assets at the AgilePoint process layer.

• CSharp - This AgileShape can be used to add managed custom code using the C# coding language.

• VB - This AgileShape can be used to add managed custom code using the Visual Basic coding language.

Microsoft SPS shapes:

• New Site - Used to create a new site by specifying site title, site url as well as the site template such as STSAP for AgilePoint Team Site template.
• New Form Library - Used to create a new form library.
• New Library - Used to create a new document library
• New Folder - Used to create a new folder using an absolute URL.
• Download Files - Used to download files from a SharePoint library to a local file system.
• Upload Files - Used to upload file from local file system to SharePoint library.
• Copy Files - Used to copy files from a folder/library to another folder/library.
• Move Files - Used to move a file from a folder/library to another folder/library.
• InfoPath Sub Process - This AgileShape is used to provide the flexibility to associate different InfoPath forms for each Sub Process in a particular process.

• Submit - A manual activity with the Work To Perform property set to Submit.
• Approve - A manual activity with the Work To Perform property set to Approve.
• Publish - A manual activity with the Work To Perform property set to Publish.
• Approved - A single condition activity used to check the custom attribute of Approved.
• Portal Listing - Used to create a portal listing for a document.
• Update InfoPath - Used to update an InfoPath Form with XML data.
• InfoPath View - This AgileShape can be used to represent a manual (i.e. human input required) activity that uses a view of a Microsoft InfoPath form as the user interface for the activity.

  NOTE: This AgileShape may only be used when working with a Microsoft InfoPath process template.

  NOTE: This AgileShape may only be used with a Microsoft InfoPath form based on managed code (i.e. not JScript).