Both are BPD activities that create a task for a person; the difference is where the implementation lives:
- User Task - the activity is implemented by a separate client-side human service (or heritage human service) from the library; reusable in several BPDs, versioned and testable on its own, with its own variables and data mapping.
- Inline User Task (BPM 8.6 / BAW) - the human service is embedded inside the activity: you open the activity and design the coaches right there, the BPD variables are visible without mapping, and the service exists only in that BPD. Faster to build simple screens, no mapping mistakes, but not reusable and not startable on its own.
Other differences: an inline task cannot be exposed as a startable service or dashboard; it cannot be called from another BPD; toolkits cannot hold inline tasks for reuse (they belong to the BPD); external implementations and heritage human services are only available on the regular User Task. Converting: the inline task's menu offers Convert to a client-side human service when you need reuse later.
BPD "Order" -> activity "Approve order"
Implementation = Inline User Task : coaches designed inside the activity, variables = tw.local.* of the BPD
Implementation = User Task : select CSHS "Approve Order UI" from the library, map order -> tw.local.order (in/out)
Recommendation: inline tasks for one-off, simple screens tightly bound to one process; regular user tasks with a CSHS for anything reused, complex, or built by a UI developer separately from the process.
References