Getting Started: Creating Custom Conversion Extensions

In order to contribute additional conversions to the Import/Convert iProcess to BPM XPDL(s) feature you will need to perform a number of tasks using an Eclipse (Indigo or later) installation and a clean workspace (separate from TIBCO Business Studio and TIBCO Business Studio workspace).

Note: Custom Conversion extensions can also be used to contribute LifeCycleListener, which enables the user to perform tasks at specific stages of the conversion by providing an extension with a lifecyclelistener contribution and implementing what is to be done as a subclass of AbstractIProcessToBPMLifeCycleListener under appropriate methods like importAndTransformComplete(), packageSeparationComplete(), conversionComplete().

Procedure

  1. Setup a JRE /JDK definition (Window > Preferences > Installed JRE's) that is appropriate for your installed TIBCO Business Studio.
    • For example: A JDK 1.7 64-bit installation.
    • Note: Set the Default VM Arguments to: -XX:MaxPermSize=256m -XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions -XX:+UnsyncloadClass -XX:+UseParNewGC -Xms512m -Xmx600m
  2. Create a target platform (Window > Preferences > Target Platform > Add) to reference the TIBCO Business Studio installation.
    1. Target Definition: Select Empty Target Definition.
    2. (Next): Select Target Content: [Add...] Installation.
    3. (Next): Select Add Installation: Select the following folder in your TIBCO Business Studio installation: STUDIO_HOME\studio\3.6\eclipse
    4. Click Finish.
    5. Back in Target Platform select your new target platform.
  3. Create your own Eclipse Plug-in Project.
  4. In the project's MANIFEST.MF editor, add a dependency on the TIBCO Business Studio Customer API plug-in.
  5. In the project's plugin.xml editor contribute an extension to the iProcess to BPM Conversion extension point.
    1. Editor's Extensions tab: Click Add... and select com.tibco.xpd.customer.api. iProcessBpmConversion
      Note: From the selection dialog (or after you have added contribution) you can access the TIBCO Business Studio - BPM Edition,TIBCO iProcess to TIBCO ActiveMatrix BPM conversion feature extension point description (this contains a full description of the extension point and its use).
    2. After adding the main contribution, add either Converter or LifeCycleListener element(s) as required (right-click contribution > New > Converter | LifeCycleListener) .
    3. Set the properties of contribution elements (on the right-hand side) including creating a contributed class of the appropriate type for the element.
      Note: For complete description of Converter and LifeCycleListener contribution class API's see Business Studio > User Help > Business Studio Customer API Feature Documentation > AbstractIProcessToBPMContribution | AbstractIProcessToBPMLifeCycle Listener.
  6. Develop your conversion code.
  7. Create a Run | Debug Configuration.
    1. Create an Eclipse Application configuration.
    2. Set Program to Run to com.tibco.xpd.branding.prod.
    3. Run.