Add process applications feature

[philippfromme]

Proposed Changes

Backend

• adds file-context feature
  • all open files are added to file context
  • metadata is extracted from every supported file type (.bpmn, .dmn, .form, .process-application)
  • process application is opened/closed automatically if opened/closed file is part of process application
  • opening process application watches process application directory

Frontend

• ProcessApplications feature to open and close process applications automatically
• new application menu entry to create process application
  • choose directory, empty .process-application file will be created

• new (➕) entry to create process application
• works the same as new application menu entry

• new button in status bar that is shown when open file is part of process application

• new overlay that shows all files that are part of same process application as open file

• different tab header for files that are part of process application

Try it out

I've added an example process application: a354d21

Open any file in this directory to see the process application.

To run the Camunda Modeler try npm install && npm start

Follow-ups

• References feature to get reference from and to resources
• AutoCompletions feature to get autocompletions
• Branch: https://github.com/camunda/camunda-modeler/tree/references-autocompletions

Closes #4666
Closes #4675
Closes #4687
Related to #4676
Related to #4664

Checklist

To ensure you provided everything we need to look at your PR:

• Brief textual description of the changes present
• Visual demo attached
• Steps to try out present, i.e. using the @bpmn-io/sr tool
• Related issue linked via Closes {LINK_TO_ISSUE} or Related to {LINK_TO_ISSUE}

[nikku]

This will be used (again) once we support "endpoints" for deployment.

Why would we remove it here?

[nikku]

(Of course fine, if we consider to store the endpoints in a different place, once supported).

[philippfromme]

I removed it because it's not used at all at the moment and was probably meant to be removed. I would rather reintroduce it again in the context of adding a feature that requires it.

[nikku]

We just have to be aware that this is "the data model" that was previously used. We can remove it, but then we'll not remember the data model once we re-introduce an endpoints feature.

[nikku]

@philippfromme Please add "steps to try out" to this PR, so @lmbateman and others can give it a run (to understand the UX we propose).

[jarekdanielak]

Overall works fine on macOS! 👏

Perhaps if we can now create and open an application process, we could use an option to close it? Similar to close active/all/other tabs:

[philippfromme]

Perhaps if we can now create and open an application process, we could use an option to close it? Similar to close active/all/other tabs:

You mean Close process application would close all files belonging to the open process application? Interesting idea I haven't thought about. 🤔

[jarekdanielak]

You mean Close process application would close all files belonging to the open process application?

Exactly. 😊

[jarekdanielak]

When I try to deploy a file from a process application, the modeler just reloads.

Same thing happens when I save a file. Both only happens to files in a process application, the rest works normally.

Screen.Recording.2025-01-15.at.11.56.30.mov

[philippfromme]

When I try to deploy a file from a process application, the modeler just reloads.

Same thing happens when I save a file. Both only happens to files in a process application, the rest works normally.

Screen.Recording.2025-01-15.at.11.56.30.mov

This happens becasue the modeler reloads when something in resources changes. 🙈 Opening a process application outside will prevent this.

[barmac]

I've added the bpmn/dmn-moddle libraries to the app so that a built application can run: 70f0555

[barmac]

I'll try to help with this one.

[barmac]

@philippfromme were you able to run a local build of this? So the one from npm run build.

On my machine, the build job results in the source code of dmn-moddle being included in the asar. This is not coming from node_modules where the package is installed correctly.

To verify the build, besides running the app, you can execute this command for MacOS:
npx asar list dist/mac-arm64/Camunda\ Modeler.app/Contents/Resources/app.asar | grep dmn-moddle
This should show dist in the list. Not sure how to do it on Windows.

[jarekdanielak]

Creating a variable on any task in BPMN model with Variables panel open (or opening it after) crashes.

Screen.Recording.2025-01-15.at.17.36.50.mov

[jarekdanielak]

@barmac I was able to successfully build locally and run the app. Hit me up if you want to test stuff.

[barmac]

OK so it seems to be my local configuration problem. It's not a blocker in that case.

[philippfromme]

Converted back to draft. Based on the discussion with @barmac I will make some changes to the implementation:

• try to make process applications (or at least its UI) a plugin
• add the ability for plugins to register actions instead of having to hard-code them in App.js
• try not to pollute the global state in App.js with state only relevant for process applications

Miro: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVPmTBc04=/?share_link_id=716131412171

[barmac]

@philippfromme Let's look into this today so that we can merge for the current release.

I checked out the UI today, and I think having "New process application" on top of Cmd+N menu is suboptimal, because this is the action that I'd rather not expect to happen that often. We create a process application once, and then add multiple diagrams.

[lmbateman]

I haven't had time to do a full review, but here are some initial thoughts/findings:

• When I select File > New Process Application and then select a folder, there’s no confirmation that my process application has been created. I wasn’t sure if it had been, so I tried File > New Process Application again and tried to select a file inside the folder, but they were all grayed out. I wasn’t sure if my process application had been created until I opened one of the files and saw the process application icon in the bottom left corner. I found this process a little confusing.
• Would it be helpful to have an Open All command in the popup that lists the process application files? (But I see it stays open even after I click on a filename, so maybe we don’t need Open All.)
• It might be helpful to have the folder name as the header in the popup, instead of “Process Application”.
• I made my Downloads folder a process application, and apparently the popup doesn’t scroll. :D

[philippfromme]

@lmbateman Good feedback. I agree, creating a new process application leaves you with no indication whether it worked or not. We could show a success notification. When creating a new process application only directories can be selected, not files. We could make this more forgiving, allow files as well and then use the parent directory of the file (select foo/bar/baz.bpmn - foo/bar/.process-application will be created). Showing the directory name in the popup is something I'll try.

[lmbateman]

@philippfromme I think a success notification would work, maybe with the process application name (e.g., "Successfully created process application [PA Name] with N files." I like the idea of being able to open a PA by selecting a file (if one exists) -- I think it will be rare for users to open a process application and not open a file to work on -- but would be interested to hear feedback from the rest of the team.

I'm hoping to do a more thorough review this week.

[philippfromme]

Unfortunately offering both file and directory selection doesn't seem to work (cf. electron/electron#26885). At least on Windows it doesn't. 😞

[philippfromme]

I've fixed the scrolling issue and added the process application path to the overlay. Will update the pull request shortly.

[philippfromme]

I tried out grouping by bottom border color and using a darker background for the selected tab.