Starting processes using start points

Start points represent the invocation of a process and appear as the first item on a process diagram.

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Start points enable the use of the following tools to invoke processes:

Workspace:

Users open a form or Guide from the Start Page to create a task. The process is invoked when users submit the task. Typically, Workspace start points are used to invoke human-centric processes.

Mobile device:

Users open a Guide from the Adobe LiveCycle Mobile applications to create a task. The process is invoked when users submit the task. Typically, Adobe LiveCycle Mobile start points are used to invoke human-centric processes.

Email:

Users send an email to the LiveCycle Server to invoke the process. When processes require document values as input, the values can be provided as file attachments. String, number, and Boolean values can also be specified upon invocation. Other complex, list, or map values cannot be provided using email.

Watched folders:

Users copy a file or folder to a watched folder to invoke the process:

• Each file that is copied to the watched folder invokes a process. The file is used as the input for a document variable.

• Each folder that is copied to the watched folder invokes a process. Each file in the folder is mapped to a document value that is required as input.

  Note: String, number, and Boolean values can also be specified upon invocation. Other complex, list, or map values cannot be provided using watched folders.

Custom LiveCycle client software:

Java and web service applications, as well as applications built with Flex, can invoke processes. Custom client software can provide the value of any data type as input to the processes they invoke. Programmatic start points enable client software to invoke processes.

When a process does not include a start point, only other processes can invoke it.

Start points on a process diagram are equivalent to the endpoints of a service that is part of LiveCycle. When a process is deployed, the LiveCycle Server creates a service for the process. The server also creates endpoints for the service for the start points that the process contains. The endpoints enable the service to be invoked.

Endpoints can also be created using Administration Console:

• Endpoints that are created using Administration Console do not appear as start points on process diagrams.

• Changes to start points in the process do not affect endpoints that are created using Administration Console.

• Endpoints that are created from process start points can be modified using Administration Console. However, if the process is redeployed, the start point configuration overwrites the configuration that was applied using Administration Console.

You can use the New Process wizard to add a start point when you first create the process. Use the following procedure to add start points to the process diagram. You can add as many start points as needed. After you add the start point, configure it.

Note: Events can also be configured as start points, which listen for events that can cause a process to start.

• Workspace start point properties
• Adobe LiveCycle - Mobile start point properties
• Email start point properties
• Watched folder start point properties
• Programmatic start point properties

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