Error while using API with multipart request

Flowable Engine
1

Hi Team,

I’m not able to execute a process containing API with multi-part request. Getting the following error:
org.flowable.engine.common.api.FlowableException: Couldn’t serialize value ‘[org.springframework.web.multipart.support.StandardMultipartHttpServletRequest$StandardMultipartFile@7e5624eb, org.springframework.web.multipart.support.StandardMultipartHttpServletRequest$StandardMultipartFile@acd39f9, org.springframework.web.multipart.support.StandardMultipartHttpServletRequest$StandardMultipartFile@38df1d91, org.springframework.web.multipart.support.StandardMultipartHttpServletRequest$StandardMultipartFile@448f33e5, org.springframework.web.multipart.support.StandardMultipartHttpServletRequest$StandardMultipartFile@2b66281b]’ in variable 'request_files’
at org.flowable.engine.impl.variable.SerializableType.serialize(SerializableType.java:98) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.variable.SerializableType.setValue(SerializableType.java:76) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableInstanceEntityImpl.setValue(VariableInstanceEntityImpl.java:127) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableInstanceEntityManagerImpl.create(VariableInstanceEntityManagerImpl.java:57) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableScopeImpl.createVariableInstance(VariableScopeImpl.java:862) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntityImpl.createVariableInstance(ExecutionEntityImpl.java:537) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableScopeImpl.createVariableLocal(VariableScopeImpl.java:783) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableScopeImpl.setVariable(VariableScopeImpl.java:661) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableScopeImpl.setVariable(VariableScopeImpl.java:612) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.util.ProcessInstanceHelper.createAndStartProcessInstanceWithInitialFlowElement(ProcessInstanceHelper.java:172) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.util.ProcessInstanceHelper.createAndStartProcessInstance(ProcessInstanceHelper.java:96) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.util.ProcessInstanceHelper.createAndStartProcessInstance(ProcessInstanceHelper.java:66) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.cmd.StartProcessInstanceCmd.createAndStartProcessInstance(StartProcessInstanceCmd.java:110) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.cmd.StartProcessInstanceCmd.execute(StartProcessInstanceCmd.java:103) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.cmd.StartProcessInstanceCmd.execute(StartProcessInstanceCmd.java:38) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandInvoker$1.run(CommandInvoker.java:49) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandInvoker.executeOperation(CommandInvoker.java:91) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandInvoker.executeOperations(CommandInvoker.java:70) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandInvoker.execute(CommandInvoker.java:54) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.interceptor.BpmnOverrideContextInterceptor.execute(BpmnOverrideContextInterceptor.java:25) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.common.impl.interceptor.TransactionContextInterceptor.execute(TransactionContextInterceptor.java:50) ~[flowable-engine-common-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.common.impl.interceptor.CommandContextInterceptor.execute(CommandContextInterceptor.java:68) ~[flowable-engine-common-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.spring.SpringTransactionInterceptor$1.doInTransaction(SpringTransactionInterceptor.java:47) ~[flowable-spring-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.springframework.transaction.support.TransactionTemplate.execute(TransactionTemplate.java:133) ~[spring-tx-4.3.13.RELEASE.jar:4.3.13.RELEASE]
at org.flowable.spring.SpringTransactionInterceptor.execute(SpringTransactionInterceptor.java:45) ~[flowable-spring-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.common.impl.interceptor.LogInterceptor.execute(LogInterceptor.java:29) ~[flowable-engine-common-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.common.impl.cfg.CommandExecutorImpl.execute(CommandExecutorImpl.java:56) ~[flowable-engine-common-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.common.impl.cfg.CommandExecutorImpl.execute(CommandExecutorImpl.java:51) ~[flowable-engine-common-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at org.flowable.engine.impl.RuntimeServiceImpl.startProcessInstanceByKey(RuntimeServiceImpl.java:98) ~[flowable-engine-6.1.2.jar:6.1.2]
at com.wipro.service.Impl.process.execute.StandardExecutionService.execute(StandardExecutionService.java:159) ~[classes/:na]
at com.wipro.service.Impl.process.execute.StandardExecutionService$$FastClassBySpringCGLIB$$efb81be7.invoke() [classes/:na]
at org.springframework.cglib.proxy.MethodProxy.invoke(MethodProxy.java:204) [spring-core-4.3.13.RELEASE.jar:4.3.13.RELEASE]
at org.springframework.aop.framework.CglibAopProxy$CglibMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(CglibAopProxy.java:738) [spring-aop-4.3.13.RELEASE.jar:4.3.13.RELEASE]
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:157) [spring-aop-4.3.13.RELEASE.jar:4.3.13.RELEASE]
at org.springframework.aop.aspectj.MethodInvocationProceedingJoinPoint.proceed(MethodInvocationProceedingJoinPoint.java:85) [spring-aop-4.3.13.RELEASE.jar:4.3.13.RELEASE]
at com.wipro.aspects.LicenseAspect.aroundAdvice(LicenseAspect.java:76) [classes/:na]
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[na:1.8.0_144]
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62) ~[na:1.8.0_144]
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) ~[na:1.8.0_144]
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498) ~[na:1.8.0_144]

How can I fix it.

Regards,
Keshav

2

Hi,

could you show the request / payload?

Regards,

Yvo

3 
            MultipartEntityBuilder builder = MultipartEntityBuilder.create();
    	builder.setMode(HttpMultipartMode.BROWSER_COMPATIBLE);
    	builder.addTextBody("json", execution.getVariable({RequestObjectName}).toString(), ContentType.TEXT_PLAIN);
    	MultiValueMap<String, Object> map = (MultiValueMap<String, Object>) execution.getVariable({FileKeyName});
    	List<Object> files = map.get("files");
    	for (Object obj : files) {
    		File file = (File) obj;
    		builder.addBinaryBody("files", file, ContentType.DEFAULT_BINARY, file.getName());
    	}
            execution.setVariable(AppConstants.EXECUTION_VARIABLE_REQUEST, builder.build().getContent());

Now I’m getting these two types of error:
org.flowable.engine.common.api.FlowableException: couldn’t find a variable type that is able to serialize java.io.ByteArrayInputStream@4e9c2532
at org.flowable.engine.impl.variable.DefaultVariableTypes.findVariableType(DefaultVariableTypes.java:62)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableScopeImpl.updateVariableInstance(VariableScopeImpl.java:841)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ExecutionEntityImpl.updateVariableInstance(ExecutionEntityImpl.java:553)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableScopeImpl.setVariableLocal(VariableScopeImpl.java:741)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableScopeImpl.setVariable(VariableScopeImpl.java:644)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableScopeImpl.setVariable(VariableScopeImpl.java:654)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableScopeImpl.setVariable(VariableScopeImpl.java:654)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.persistence.entity.VariableScopeImpl.setVariable(VariableScopeImpl.java:612)

AND–
org.apache.http.ContentTooLongException: Content length is too long: 1947201
at org.apache.http.entity.mime.MultipartFormEntity.getContent(MultipartFormEntity.java:103)
at com.wipro.controllers.delegates.PreProcessDelegate.execute(PreProcessDelegate.java:109)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.delegate.invocation.JavaDelegateInvocation.invoke(JavaDelegateInvocation.java:34)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.delegate.invocation.DelegateInvocation.proceed(DelegateInvocation.java:35)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.delegate.invocation.DefaultDelegateInterceptor.handleInvocation(DefaultDelegateInterceptor.java:25)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.bpmn.behavior.ServiceTaskJavaDelegateActivityBehavior.execute(ServiceTaskJavaDelegateActivityBehavior.java:47)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.bpmn.helper.ClassDelegate.execute(ClassDelegate.java:199)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.agenda.ContinueProcessOperation.executeActivityBehavior(ContinueProcessOperation.java:233)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.agenda.ContinueProcessOperation.executeSynchronous(ContinueProcessOperation.java:153)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.agenda.ContinueProcessOperation.continueThroughFlowNode(ContinueProcessOperation.java:110)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.agenda.ContinueProcessOperation.continueThroughSequenceFlow(ContinueProcessOperation.java:280)
at org.flowable.engine.impl.agenda.ContinueProcessOperation.run(ContinueProcessOperation.java:76)

4

I tried many different combinations for this but still facing the same exceptions. Can you suggest any variable type for HttpEntity in flowable?

5

You’re trying to serialze a MultipartEntityBuilder as a process variable? That’s no a good idea, better to store the primitive values and build entityBuilder when needed (Content length is too long is probably related) .
What’s the use case you’re trying to solve?

6

Thanks for the response Joram. My usecase was to make the application capable to handle file uploads for the API(Http Tasks) to use them (as the API were of request type multipart/form-data). I was able to salvage a crude solution for my usecase.