Types of Business Objects Benefits of Modeling Using Business Objects

13-8 Modeling and Implementation Guide for Oracle Business Process Management The SOA Resource Browser appears. 4. Browse your file system and select a schema file.

5. Select Copy to Project.

6. Click OK.

If the XML schema contains references to other types a dialog to confirm their import appears. The Browse Resources dialog closes and the Type Chooser dialog appears. 7. Select an element to use as the base of your business object.

13.4.4 What Happens When You Add a Schema File to Your Project

The Schema Browser copies the selected XML schema to the xsl directory in your project. You can use it to create new business objects without having to re-add it.

13.5 Introduction to Business Object Attributes

Attributes store data that defines and describes the business object. The attributes in a business object are equivalent to instance variables in Object Orientation. In the Sales Quote example you can identify the following attributes in the Quote object: ■ Summary ■ Product Items ■ Quote Request Status ■ License Terms ■ Recommended Discount These attributes describe the product and are relevant to the process. The ID or SKU serves to identify the chosen product. The description is probably used to show the user what the product does. And the price is used to show the customer how much the product costs and later in the process to calculate the total amount due. When you define an attribute you must specify: ■ Name: used to identify the attribute. ■ Type: that defines the type of data you can store in the attribute. Attributes support simple types or other defined business objects. Additionally you can define the following: ■ Description: provides details about the attribute that help other process developers to understand its use. ■ Documentation. See Section 13.6.3, How to Document a Business Object Attribute . ■ Custom default value ■ Not null constraint. Modeling Business Objects 13-9

13.5.1 Supported Data Types for Business Object Attributes

The following table describes the supported data types for an attribute in a business object:

13.5.2 Naming Conventions for Business Object Attributes

When you name a attribute of a business object you should respect the following rules: ■ Use one or more nouns, or nouns modified by adjectives ■ Use capital letters only to distinguish internal words ■ Keep names simple and descriptive ■ Use whole words, avoid using acronyms unless they are widely known ■ Do not start the name with symbols ■ Use short but meaningful names ■ Avoid using one-character names

13.6 Working with Business Object Attributes

To model a business object you must add it attributes. These attributes store the data related to your process. You can add, modify and delete attributes as necessary. You can also add them documentation that describes the data they store and provides any necessary information to the user of the business object.

13.6.1 How to Add a Business Object Attribute

To model a business object that you created from the start, you must add attributes. To add an attribute to an existing business object: 1. In the BPM Project Navigator Right-click the business object where you want to add the attribute. Data Type Description Bool True or false values Int Integer numbers Decimal Decimal numbers with defined precision Real Real numbers String Alphanumeric values Time Units of time Interval Intervals of time Binary Binary values For example: images, files Array A collection of elements of a specified data type Complex Types Other business objects Note: Studio forces the first letter of the name of an attribute to lowercase.