What is BPMN-TXT?

BPMN-TXT is a text-based Domain Specific Language (DSL) for defining BPMN 2.0 business processes. It provides a human-readable alternative to editing XML directly, making process definitions easier to write, review, and version control.

Why BPMN-TXT?

The Problem with BPMN XML

BPMN 2.0 XML is verbose and hard to read:

<bpmn:process id="Process_1" isExecutable="true">
  <bpmn:startEvent id="StartEvent_1" name="Start">
    <bpmn:outgoing>Flow_1</bpmn:outgoing>
  </bpmn:startEvent>
  <bpmn:task id="Task_1" name="Do Something">
    <bpmn:incoming>Flow_1</bpmn:incoming>
    <bpmn:outgoing>Flow_2</bpmn:outgoing>
  </bpmn:task>
  <bpmn:endEvent id="EndEvent_1" name="End">
    <bpmn:incoming>Flow_2</bpmn:incoming>
  </bpmn:endEvent>
  <bpmn:sequenceFlow id="Flow_1" sourceRef="StartEvent_1" targetRef="Task_1"/>
  <bpmn:sequenceFlow id="Flow_2" sourceRef="Task_1" targetRef="EndEvent_1"/>
</bpmn:process>

The BPMN-TXT Solution

The same process in BPMN-TXT:

process: Process_1
  start: StartEvent_1
    name: "Start"
  task: Task_1
    name: "Do Something"
  end: EndEvent_1
    name: "End"
  flow: Flow_1
    from: StartEvent_1
    to: Task_1
  flow: Flow_2
    from: Task_1
    to: EndEvent_1

Key Features

YAML-like Syntax - Familiar, indentation-based structure
BPMN 2.0 Parity - Supports all standard BPMN elements
Automatic Layout - Generates diagram coordinates automatically
Multiple Outputs - Export to BPMN XML or JSON
CLI Tool - Compile, watch, and validate from command line
TypeScript API - Use programmatically in Node.js

Supported Elements

Category	Elements
Events	Start, End, Intermediate (Catch/Throw), Boundary
Tasks	User, Service, Script, Send, Receive, Manual, Business Rule
Gateways	Exclusive, Parallel, Inclusive, Event-Based, Complex
Containers	Process, Pool, Lane, Subprocess
Flows	Sequence Flow, Message Flow
Data	Data Object, Data Store
Artifacts	Text Annotation, Group

Next Steps

Getting Started - Install and create your first process
CLI Usage - Learn the command-line interface
Syntax Reference - Complete syntax documentation