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Overview

Formflows are logical sequences for displaying forms to an end user and processing form input. Formflows are conceptually similar to process definitions in TIBCO BusinessWorks. A formflow is basically a TIBCO BusinessWorks process that can be accessed from FormBuilder Desktop.

In addition to form-specific processing, formflows can also call TIBCO BusinessWorks processes or other formflows. Any type of TIBCO BusinessWorks activity, except for process starters and activities that listen on a transport, can be added to a formflow.

When designing a formflow, you should be aware of the following differences between formflows and TIBCO BusinessWorks processes:

•	Formflows cannot take input or produce output. However, formflows can exchange data with other formflows and automated processes.

•	Strictly sequential processing is not required. Looping to a previously executed activity in the formflow is permitted.

•	Each transition from an activity must be unique. For example, an activity cannot have multiple error transitions or submit transitions (for a Show Form activity). The reason for this restriction is that a browser can display only one form at a time.

•	Formflows can call TIBCO BusinessWorks processes, but a TIBCO BusinessWorks process cannot call a formflow.

Before forms can be displayed in FormBuilder Desktop, formflows must be added to an archive, then deployed to the servlet engine. Any changes to a deployed formflow require rebuilding the archive, redeploying the web application.

For details on building archives and deploying applications, see Chapter 7, Deploying Formflow Applications.

For an example of how to build and deploy a formflow, see Appendix B, Formflow Tutorial.

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