IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Create processes in IBM Process Designer > Modeling processes > Use external implementations

Building a custom application to implement an activity

Build a custom application using the IBM BPM Web API to implement an activity in a BPD.

If you want to build a custom application to implement an activity within a process, use the IBM BPM Web API to enable your custom application to interact with IBM BPM.

For example, the IBM BPM Web API provides operations that enable you to pass variables from an IBM BPM BPD to a custom application and then back to the BPD for continued processing.


Use the IBM BPM Web API sample external implementation

IBM BPM includes a sample external implementation that illustrates how to use IBM BPM Web API operations when developing a custom application to enable process participants to complete a particular step within a process. The IBM Process Designer enables you to include these custom applications in your Business Process Definitions (BPDs) and model them as external implementations.

The sample external implementation is a custom Eclipse application that enables managers to either approve or reject expense reports from their employees. It represents one step in a process and can be modeled as an external implementation in IBM Process Designer.

You can find the source files for a sample external implementation in [BPM_install_directory]\BPM\Lombardi\web-api\samples\eclipse.

You can also import the sample BPD External Implementation Library, and other associated components in the ExpenseApproval.twx file from [BPM_install_directory]\BPM\Lombardi\web-api\samples\imports. The sample Eclipse application combined with the corresponding library items provide a complete working example of external implementations.

Use external implementations


Next topic: Create an external implementation


Related information:
Developing using the web service API