Custom types (P)

For every process activity you can specify its executor(s) and necessary documents. This is done by specifying the value of the Roles/Documents property that can contain references to one or more Role/Document. However, there are more features that you may want to specify for an activity, for example, the location where it is performed, the computer programs or systems that are involved, the norms that have to be fulfilled, etc. Since it is not known what other features are relevant for processes in a particular project only Roles and Documents are predefined. The other types have to be created by you.

In order to create a new custom type you must add a new project element of type Item type. This element will be added to the standard Tables folder (Location in the example below). In the same way, you can add items to this type.

When you try to create a new custom type the Type property editor will appear where you can specify all properties of the new type at once. You can enter there the custom type name, define its scope and create a list of extra item properties.

If Processes belong to the scope of the custom type then its name will appear in the properties of all process diagrams in the project.

If Steps (All types or Activities) belong to the scope then the name of  the type will appear in the properties and in the Mini property editor for all steps types or for all activities only, respectively.

If Item properties belong to the scope then you can use this type to define extra item properties in other custom types.

You can assign the value of the custom property in the same way as you assign a value of the Roles property.

Moreover, if the custom type scope contains Steps then a new item will be added to the Swimlanes list menu in the Layout tab because you can also create a swim lane view based on the values of the new custom type.

The selection list in the cross reference and multiple cross reference report dialogs for a project will be automatically extended with the new custom type name. The selection list in the cross reference and multiple cross reference report dialogs for a process will be extended with the new type name but only if its scope contains Steps. In this way, you can create similar reports for the new custom type as for Roles and Documents.

The value of a custom type can be also shown on process diagrams in the place where Roles are shown. So, if the custom type scope contains Steps then when you press the All options button in the Layout tab you will see an additional check box with the new custom type name in the dialog that appears. Notice that you cannot check both Roles and Location in the example below because only one of them can be shown on the diagram at a time.