Activities performed within the context of a business process may require data as their input or deliver data as output. This way an activity manipulates workflow relevant data and transfers this data among them. The properties of these workflow data have to be defined in the model. The data value must be set before the activity is started at runtime. For more details on data, refer to the chapter Workflow Data Workflow Data of the Concepts handbook. Concepts Handbook in the Stardust Documentation.
Figure: Representations of Data in the My Process Models panel and Process Diagram Canvas
You can perform the following operations on data:
Each model created under the My Process Models panel contains the following pre-defined primitive data under the Data node:
Date and Time Plus Time ZoneDate and Time Plus Time ZoneText, e.g. DENumberNumber, the priority assigned to the current processNumber, the OID of the root process instance used in a
subprocessThe following pre-defined non-primitive data is available, which can be referenced or be displayed in Portal tables:
Figure: Predefined Data
You can create following types of data in the Modeling perspective.
icon represents primitive data in the My Process Models panel.
icon represents document data in the My Process Models panel.
icon represents structured data in the My Process Models panel.To create any of these three listed data, perform the following steps:
Figure: Create Primitive Data
Perform the following steps, to rename the data.
Figure: Rename Data
Rename can be performed in the My Process Models panel, property panel of the element, and by double-clicking element in the Process Diagram canvas.
Under the Data node, right-click the data you want to delete and select Delete. The data gets deleted.
Figure: Delete Data
The data flyout menu is displayed when you hover the mouse in the proximity of the data.
Figure: Data - Flyout Menu
Following menu options are available in the data flyout menu.
| Menu Icon | Menu Option | Description |
|---|---|---|
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Delete | Deletes the data from the swim lanes. |
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Connect | Starts a data flow with the data as the first anchor point. |
Once you create a new data, the Data View opens.
Figure: Data View
The following properties are available in the General Properties section:
Note that the UUID and ID options are displayed only when you switch to Integrator profile.
By default the created data type is selected. You can change the type by selecting it in the Data Type drop-down list.
Figure: Select the Data Type
You can define one the following data types:
If you select the Primitive data type, then the following fields are displayed:


In case you choose the Structured Data data type, you need to select the structured type in the Structured Type field.

Figure: Structured Data
A link to open the corresponding structured data type details view is provided next to the Structured Type. Click the blue arrow on the right side of the Structured Type field to open the structured data types detail view.
Figure: Opening the Structured Data Type details view
For more information on structured types, please refer to chapter Working with Structured Types.
If you select the Document data type, then a Document Type field is displayed.
Figure: Document
Select the document type from the drop-down list. It also lists structured types from other models.

Figure: Selecting the Document Data Type
In case an unsupported data is imported from the Eclipse-based modeler, Other is displayed as data type.
Figure: Other Type
A checkbox is provided to mark process data of type primitive, serializable, structured data and XML as volatile. If you select this checkbox, the data values of the process data are removed from the Audit Trail on process completion. Please refer to section Volatile Process Data of chapter Workflow Data in the Concepts Volatile Process Data of chapter Workflow Data in the Documentation - Concepts handbook for details on volatile data.
Figure: Marking the Data as volatile
Stardust provides support for Business Objects. Each structured data has a Business Object Management properties tab to support configuring the data as a Business Object. Refer to chapter Specifying Structured Data as Business Object for configuration details.
In the Authorization tab you can manage permissions for the data. You can assign or remove participants from specific data permissions.
Please refer to chapter Setting Authorization in Model Element Properties for details on how to change authorization for model elements.

Figure: Authorization
To add a comment to the data, enter a text in the text box and click Submit. The newest comment gets displayed at the top of the table below the text area.
Figure: Data - Comment
To delete a comment, select the comment and click the Delete icon. Only the user, who has submitted the comment, has the authorization to delete it. If another user selects the comment or no comment is selected, the Delete icon remains in disabled state.
Figure: Deleting a Comment
To view or edit data properties, select it in the process diagram swim lane. The properties window is displayed at the top-right corner of the swim lane.
Figure: Data - Flyout Menu
General properties and data type settings are similar as in the Data View, as described in section Viewing and Editing Data Properties in the Data View.
To open the corresponding Data View, an Open Data View link is provided beside the Data Name.
Figure: Open the Data View
The Data Property view opens.
Figure: Data Property View
In the Authorization property page you can manage permissions for the data. You can assign or remove participants from specific data permissions.
Please refer to chapter Setting Authorization in Model Element Properties for details on how to use the Authorization pane.

Figure: Authorization
To add comments, click the Comments icon at the left side of the property pane.
Figure: Open Data Comment
Section Adding Comments in the Data View, describes details on how to add and delete comments.
If the Public Visibility check box is selected in the data property panel, then it can be referenced in the Consumer model. To reference the data, drag and drop the data from the Provider model to the Consumer model. The data gets referenced and it is editable in the Consumer model.
The following message is displayed in the Process Diagram message area when a referenced data is clicked, and external referenced data is not found due to rename operation on it in the Provider model.
Figure: Referenced Data - Rename
If the referenced data is deleted from the Provider model, it is displayed as Undefined element wherever it is referenced in the Consumer model. In that case, the following message is displayed in the Process Diagram message area when a referenced data is clicked. You should delete that Undefined element since no reference to that data exist.
Figure: Referenced Data - Delete
For more information, please refer to the section Dragging and Dropping of Elements of the chapter Swim Lanes Usage.