It is possible to start several processes in Web Application based on one process model created in ELMA Designer. Each process started in Web Application is called a process instance. To differentiate the instances, each instance can be given a unique name.
To specify how the names are given to process instances, go to the process page and click Settings - Instance Names in the process toolbar (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. "Instance Name" button in the process toolbar.
In the provided window, select how the name is given to an instance. There are two options. If you select "Manually", the name will be given automatically only if a key variable is specified. Otherwise, users will have to enter the name manually in Web Application. The other way is to use a template. In this window, you can also enable or disable the Allow changing instance name option. It allows the instance initiator to change the instance name.
Fig. 2. Instance Naming Method selection window.
Manually - the name is set according to the key variable or is entered manually by the process initiator. This method provides the following variants of instance naming:
The key variable is not specified and the Allow changing instance name option is enabled - In this case, the name is entered manually at the process instance start.
The key variable is not specified and the Allow changing instance name option is disabled - In this case, a process instance will always be named as <No name>.
The key variable is specified - Regardless of the Allow changing instance name option, the name of a process instance will always correspond to the key variable.
Attention!
If you select the Manually method, with the key variable not specified and the Allow changing instance name option enabled, a process instance will always be named as <No name>.
Template - the name is generated by a template. The template can include process context variables. Click Insert Variable to see the list of available variables (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3. Example of the "Insert Variable" menu.
If you choose to name the instance by a Template, you need to disable the Allow changing instance name option. Regardless of this option, the process instance name will be generated by a template. However, if the Allow changing instance name option is enabled, users will still have to fill in the required Process Instance Name field when starting the process.
The Allow changing instance name option opens a window in Web Application, asking the user to enter an instance name (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4. Process start window with the Ask for instance name function enabled.
If this option is disabled, ELMA does not ask the user to enter an instance name (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5. Process start window with the Ask for instance name function disabled
Therefore, enable the Allow changing instance name option only if you are using the "Manually" naming method, and the key variable is not specified.
