Simulation

A simulation can be started directly on the Start or on the Designer Workflow UI Overview page displayed either in the browser view of the Process Development Perspective or in a separate browser window, depending on the setting in the corresponding preference. This Process Start Overview web page shows all processes that can be started by clicking on the link.

Also the Web Services are displayed on the Process Start Overview page. By clicking a Web Service Process link, the corresponding WSDL is displayed.

Start process on the Request Start element

Designer Workflow UI Overview Page

Tip

You can switch off the simulation of Process Start Events and Intermediate Process Events when you want to simulate or test other parts of a projects. Just set the corresponding options in the preferences.

Engine Actions

You are able to control the simulation and to influence the animation using the actions in the toolbar or the Axon.ivy menu.

Engine Sub-Menu

Starting the engine and show overview page

Select the entry in the menu or as button in the toolbar toolbar to start the Simulation Engine, open the Process Development Perspective and refresh the Process Start Overview page.

Starting the engine

Select the entry in the menu or as button in the toolbar to start the Simulation Engine and refresh the Process Start Overview page but without opening the Process Development Perspective.

Stopping the engine

Select the entry in the menu or as button in the toolbar to stop the Simulation Engine.

Adjust the engine animation speed

Select the entry in the menu or as button in the toolbar to show the slider to adjust the speed of the animation. This overwrites the corresponding setting in the preferences.

Suppressing the engine animation

Select the entry in the menu or as button in the toolbar to switch the engine animation on and off. This overwrites the corresponding setting in the preferences.

Content and Formatting Language Settings

This dialog allows to edit the content language and the formatting language. The language settings are used at design time for displaying the User Dialogs. If option Use settings while simulating is checked the settings are also used while simulating.

Accessibility

Press in the toolbar.

Settings

The following language settings can be configured:

Content Language

The content language is used to select the values of content objects.

Formatting Language

The formatting language is used when objects are formatted using the format() method.

Use settings while simulating

If checked then the content and the formatting language settings will be used while simulating. If not checked then the settings of the browser will be used.

How to use in IvyScript

To get or set the content or formatting language in IvyScript use ivy.session.contentLocale respectively ivy.session.formattingLocale.

Find out more about Axon.ivy’s scripting language IvyScript.

Breakpoints

A breakpoint is a marker that tells the simulation engine to pause the execution. It is then possible to inspect the execution history, to view the values of internal variables and evaluate user defined expressions without being interfered by the running execution. The execution must be resumed by the user explicitly over the functionality of the Debug View. You can see a list of your breakpoints and edit them in the Breakpoint View.

Process Element Breakpoints

A process element breakpoint is a breakpoint that can be set on a process element. The execution of the process will be interrupted before the process element is executed.

Add / Remove a breakpoint

You can add process element breakpoints in a Process editor or User Dialog Logic editor window by using the popup menu. Right-click on the process step on which you intend to set the breakpoint and go to the Breakpoint sub-menu.

Adding a conditional breakpoint allows you to define an expression in a input box which must evaluate to true in order to suspend the execution. In the expression you have access to the in variable and all other variables in the context of the process step. As you can see in the figure above, process element breakpoints are visualized in the Process editor as a small filled dot at the border of the process step .

Data Class Attribute Value Change Breakpoints

A data class attribute value change breakpoint is a breakpoint that can be set on a data class attribute. The execution of the process will be interrupted before the value of the process data attribute is changed. Data class attribute value change breakpoints can be added or removed in the Data Class Editor or the Entity Class Editor. The current available variables and the current debug context is available in the Variables View. The old and new value of the debugging field is displayed in the variable debug.

Note

The breakpoint only breaks if the value of an attribute is changed by an IvyScript write attribute operation (e.g. in.data.myField="Hello"). If the attribute is changed by a setter method then the breakpoint will not break (e.g. in.data.setMyField("Hello")).