XPath Editor Guidelines

Use the XPath Editor to define single rules or expressions for an assign or complex activity.

Table 1. Text-based editor
Goal	Action
Add source or target XPath values	Right-click the edit box and select an input function from the context menu.
Add variables to the source or target XPath syntax	Expand the tree view in the Business Process Variables section, then drag a variable onto the XPath syntax in the edit box.
Copy XPath	Press Ctrl+C.
Cut XPath	Press Ctrl+X.
Edit source or target XPath values	Right-click the edit box and select Edit Variable.
Paste XPath	Press Ctrl+V.
Resize Source or Target XPath edit boxes	Grab the gray horizontal bar under the Source and Target XPath edit boxes and pull down to enlarge the area for editing.
Save the XPath expression as a snippet for reuse in another context	Select the expression to save, then right-click and select Add to Snippets from the context menu.
Set the XPath editor to automatically populate argument information	Open the XPath Editor Preferences page and select the Fill argument names on completion option.
Undo an entry	Select Edit > Undo from the main menu bar.
Use context-sensitive help when entering an XPath expression	Enable Content Assist. Press Ctrl+Space to display a list of supported functions and operations. Double-click an option to place it in the expression. Select Edit > Undo Change to XPath from the main menu bar to remove the option from the expression.
Use literals with special characters	Do not use special characters in string constants: Single quotation marks ' Braces { } Brackets [ ] Asterisk * Note: To use a string constant that contains special characters: Create a local variable in the Business Process Variables section. Assign a literal (special character) to the local variable. Drag the local variable onto the XPath syntax in the edit box of the Properties view.
Validate the XPath expression	WorkSpace automatically validates the expression for proper syntax and supported functions when you make an entry or edit. If an expression is invalid, an error marker displays.
View source or target XPath syntax	Position your cursor over a function label or operation symbol to view its syntax.
View source or target XPath values for an assign, complex activity, or single rule	Select the assign, complex activity, or single rule in the business process to display its properties in the Properties view, then: Select the Assign tab for an assign. Select the Iterations tab for a complex activity.