Content objects

Edit online
Draft comment:
This topic is shared by BAW, CP4BA. Last updated on 2025-03-13 12:15
A content object is a specialization of a complex business object that wraps a list of properties. Content objects are automatically created in Process Designer when you define corresponding case artifacts and save the solution in Case Builder. You cannot create or edit a content object directly in Process Designer, and a content object cannot reference any regular business object that is created there.

There are three types of content objects:

  • Business object
  • Activity (which wraps activity properties)
  • Case (which wraps case properties)

Content objects are created in one of the following ways:

  • When a new business object is defined in Case Builder, a corresponding content object is automatically created in Process Designer. These business objects can define inheritance and the resulting content objects can convey the content.
  • When case types and activities are defined in Case Builder, corresponding content objects are automatically created in Case Builder to wrap the properties of each case type and activity.

If you have an existing case solution and content object support is enabled, content objects are automatically created for the solution artifacts when you open the solution for editing in Case Builder. For information about content object support, see the topic Content object support.

Content objects are primarily used in processes, coaches, and client-side human services, as described in the following sections.

Content objects in Process Designer

In the Process Designer library, business object, activity, and case content objects are displayed in the Content Objects section of the Data category. Activity and case content objects are also used in the Variables tab of the process and client-side human service.

Use the Content Object editor to view the read-only content objects and their structure. The editor includes the following panes:

  • The Common pane, which includes a Unique Identifier field that displays a unique identifier used in the JavaScript API.
  • The Behavior pane, which includes a Parent field that displays a link to the content object parent.
  • The Properties pane, which includes inherited properties and flags to indicate that they are inherited.
  • The Details pane, which is displayed when a property is selected in the Properties pane.

    The Details pane includes the Required and Hidden check boxes. If the Required check box is selected, the property is required. A required property must have an assigned value. If the Hidden check box is selected, the property is hidden in client user interfaces.

To open the Content Object editor, select the name of a content object from the Content Objects section of the Data category in the library.

Content objects in coaches and client-side human services

In coaches, content objects are visualized in the same way as other business objects. The content objects can be dragged onto a coach to enable the data to be viewed or edited by the task recipient. The fields of the content object are Property objects that define display names.

Complex business objects, including content objects, can be specified as input to a client-side human service. At run time, the process engine passes only an instance of the business object with the selected fields populated. This filters the data that is exposed to the client without requiring a new wrapper type that contains only the fields of interest. The selected fields are flagged accordingly in the Variables pane. See Working with content object variables.