IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Authoring services in Integration Designer > Developing business processes > Building human tasks > Create human tasks

Replacement variables and context variables

While working with templates, you might want to refer to a variable that will not be resolved until the instance has been started in the runtime environment. This variable is known as a context variable, because its value is dependent upon the task context in which it is exists (or the process context for inline tasks). If you want to refer to such a context variable in a template, use a replacement variable.

Context variables can come from many sources.

For example, they can originate from previous staff resolutions, input/output messages, custom properties and, in the case of inline tasks, from the surrounding BPEL process. They can be used in many places, including the following:


Use of replacement variables

Context variables might only be available during specific periods of an instance's lifecycle (a task owner is only defined once the task has been claimed) and can resolve either to single or multiple values. Multiple values are returned in a string array (which is represented as a comma separated list when used in an email) .

In cases when you can use a replacement variable, you will simply be able to click the associated Insert Variable button and choose something appropriate from the Replacement Variable Selection window. However, you can also enter a replacement variable into a template directly by encapsulating it in "%" signs, for example, %htm:task.originator%.

The categories shown below contain specific details on which expressions can be used and when.

Adding an activity to a BPEL process

Human Task editor

Create human tasks


Related concepts:
Use Java methods in process snippets
Use custom properties for human tasks
Use event handlers


Related tasks:
Modify the properties of an activity
Modify the type of an activity
Work with basic activities
Work with structured activities
Modeling human workflows
Refactoring and business state machines


Related reference:
Description tab: business state machine editor
Assign people tab: Human Task editor