Author BPMN in Ed

Ed provides a BPMN editor with SpiffWorkflow-specific properties for building executable process models.

Authoring Checklist

When creating or editing a diagram:

  • Use clear business names for events, tasks, and gateways.

  • Keep the main flow readable from left to right.

  • Give every executable element the sequence flows it needs to run.

  • Keep gateway conditions simple and business-readable.

  • Use a default flow when a gateway has a natural fallback path.

  • Add documentation or instructions where future readers need context.

  • Run the diagram after meaningful changes.

Common SpiffWorkflow Properties

Depending on the BPMN element, Ed can expose properties for:

  • Script Task code.

  • User Task form files.

  • Manual Task instructions.

  • Pre-scripts and post-scripts.

  • Service Task operator settings.

  • Message, signal, error, and escalation settings.

  • Multi-instance loop settings.

  • Data objects and data stores.

User-Facing Instructions

Manual Tasks and User Tasks can display instructions to end users. Use instructions for short, task-specific guidance. Use BPMN documentation fields for author-facing notes about why the process is modeled a certain way.

Instructions can use task data, which lets a task display context from earlier steps in the workflow.

Keep Diagrams Reviewable

Ed makes it easy to add executable behavior quickly. Before sharing a process with other authors or running it in Spiff Arena, review it for:

  • orphaned tasks or disconnected branches;

  • unlabeled gateway outcomes that are hard to understand;

  • copied tasks that still point to old form files;

  • temporary script variables that do not need to persist;

  • missing task assignment or guest-task settings where people are expected to act.

For general modeling guidance, see Spiff Arena’s Create a BPMN Diagram.