How Compileflow Accelerates Java Workflow Development with High Performance

What Is Compileflow

Compileflow is a lightweight, high‑performance, integrable, and extensible workflow engine.

The Compileflow Process engine is one of Alibaba's TBBPM workflow engines, focusing on pure in‑memory, stateless execution by converting workflow files into compiled Java code, offering simplicity and efficiency. It powers many core systems in Alibaba's middle‑platform, such as trading.

Compileflow enables developers to design business processes with a visual editor, bridging the gap between business designers and engineers.

Feature List

High performance: converts workflow files into compiled Java code for fast execution.

Rich application scenarios: widely used in Alibaba's middle‑platform, supporting shopping, trading, fulfillment, finance, and more.

Easy integration: lightweight design allows seamless integration into various solutions.

Comprehensive plugin support: IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse plugins provide real‑time Java code generation and preview.

Exportable workflow diagrams as SVG and unit‑test code.

Supports code triggers based on Java reflection and Spring container.

Quick Start

Add the Compileflow JAR dependency:

<code>&lt;dependency&gt;
    &lt;groupId&gt;com.alibaba.compileflow&lt;/groupId&gt;
    &lt;artifactId&gt;compileflow&lt;/artifactId&gt;
    &lt;version&gt;1.0.0&lt;/version&gt;
&lt;/dependency&gt;
</code>

Create a simple workflow diagram with Compileflow.

IDEA plugin allows you to view the generated Java code for the workflow:

<code>public class PigFlow implements ProcessInstance {
    private Integer price = null;

    public Map<String, Object> execute(Map<String, Object> _pContext) throws Exception {
        price = (Integer) DataType.transfer(_pContext.get("price"), Integer.class);
        Map<String, Object> _pResult = new HashMap<>();
        decision8();
        // AutoTaskNode: payment
        ((BizMock) ObjectFactory.getInstance("com.example.compileflow.bean.BizMock")).payMoney(price);
        _pResult.put("price", price);
        return _pResult;
    }

    private void decision8() {
        // DecisionNode: calculate fee
        bizMockCalMoney();
        if (price >= 100) {
            // price >= 100
            {
                // ScriptTaskNode: discount for high price
                IExpressContext<String, Object> nfScriptContext = new DefaultContext<>();
                nfScriptContext.put("price", price);
                price = (Integer) ScriptExecutorProvider.getInstance()
                    .getScriptExecutor("QL").execute("price*2", nfScriptContext);
            }
        } else {
            // price < 100
            {
                // ScriptTaskNode: discount for low price
                IExpressContext<String, Object> nfScriptContext = new DefaultContext<>();
                nfScriptContext.put("price", price);
                price = (Integer) ScriptExecutorProvider.getInstance()
                    .getScriptExecutor("QL").execute("(round(price*0.5,0)).intValue()", nfScriptContext);
            }
        }
    }

    private void bizMockCalMoney() {
        price = ((BizMock) ObjectFactory.getInstance("com.example.compileflow.bean.BizMock")).calMoney(price);
    }
}
</code>

Right‑click the BPM file to generate a unit test.

<code>@Test
public void testProcess() throws Exception {
    String code = "pig";
    ProcessEngine<TbbpmModel> engine = ProcessEngineFactory.getProcessEngine();
    System.out.println(engine.getJavaCode(code));
    Map<String, Object> context = new HashMap<>();
    context.put("price", 10);

    Map<String, Object> execute = engine.execute(code, context);

    System.out.println(execute);
}
</code>

Run the unit test to see the process output.

<code>假装在计算金额~~~~~~10
支付了~~~~~~5
</code>

Summary

Compileflow is extremely easy to get started with, lowering the learning curve of workflow development.

The Compileflow IDEA designer plugin (compatible with version 2021) has some compatibility issues.

The automatically generated unit‑test code depends on an older JUnit version and does not support JUnit 5.

References

Compileflow IDEA designer plugin: https://github.com/compileflow/compileflow-designer-upgrade