Index: src/main/java/org/jbpm/jpdl/internal/xml/JpdlParser.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/jbpm/jpdl/internal/xml/JpdlParser.java	(revision 5711)
+++ src/main/java/org/jbpm/jpdl/internal/xml/JpdlParser.java	(working copy)
@@ -529,6 +529,20 @@
 
     String form = XmlUtil.attribute(element, "form");
     taskDefinition.setFormResourceName(form);
+
+    String duedate = XmlUtil.attribute(element, "duedate");
+    taskDefinition.setDueDateDuration(duedate);
+    
+    Integer priority = XmlUtil.attributeInteger(element, "priority", false, parse);
+    if (priority != null) {
+      taskDefinition.setPriority(priority);
+    }
+    
+    Element descriptionElement = XmlUtil.element(element, "description");
+    if (descriptionElement!=null) {
+      String description = XmlUtil.getContentText(descriptionElement);
+      taskDefinition.setDescription(description);
+    }
     
     ProcessDefinitionImpl processDefinition = parse.contextStackFind(ProcessDefinitionImpl.class);
     if (processDefinition.getTaskDefinition(taskName)!=null) {
Index: src/main/java/org/jbpm/jpdl/internal/activity/TaskActivity.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/jbpm/jpdl/internal/activity/TaskActivity.java	(revision 5711)
+++ src/main/java/org/jbpm/jpdl/internal/activity/TaskActivity.java	(working copy)
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import org.jbpm.api.activity.ActivityExecution;
 import org.jbpm.api.task.Task;
 import org.jbpm.internal.log.Log;
+import org.jbpm.pvm.internal.cal.BusinessCalendar;
 import org.jbpm.pvm.internal.env.EnvironmentImpl;
 import org.jbpm.pvm.internal.history.HistoryEvent;
 import org.jbpm.pvm.internal.history.events.TaskActivityStart;
@@ -76,6 +77,12 @@
     task.setPriority(taskDefinition.getPriority());
     task.setFormResourceName(taskDefinition.getFormResourceName());
     
+    // calculate the due date of the task based on the due date duration
+    if (taskDefinition.getDueDateDuration() != null) {
+      BusinessCalendar businessCalendar = EnvironmentImpl.getFromCurrent(BusinessCalendar.class);
+      task.setDuedate(businessCalendar.add(task.getCreateTime(), taskDefinition.getDueDateDuration()));
+    }
+    
     // save task so that TaskDbSession.findTaskByExecution works for assign event listeners
     dbSession.save(task);
 
Index: src/test/java/org/jbpm/jpdl/parsing/TaskParsingTestCase.java
===================================================================
--- src/test/java/org/jbpm/jpdl/parsing/TaskParsingTestCase.java	(revision 0)
+++ src/test/java/org/jbpm/jpdl/parsing/TaskParsingTestCase.java	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package org.jbpm.jpdl.parsing;
+
+import org.jbpm.api.activity.ActivityBehaviour;
+import org.jbpm.jpdl.internal.activity.TaskActivity;
+import org.jbpm.pvm.internal.client.ClientProcessDefinition;
+import org.jbpm.pvm.internal.model.Activity;
+import org.jbpm.pvm.internal.model.ActivityImpl;
+import org.jbpm.pvm.internal.task.TaskDefinitionImpl;
+
+public class TaskParsingTestCase extends JpdlParseTestCase {
+
+  public static final String PROCESS =  "<process key='TestTaskParse' version='1' name='Test Task Parsing'>" + 
+                                        "  <start>" +
+                                        "    <transition to='t1' />" +
+                                        "  </start>" +
+                                        "  <task name='t1' duedate='1 day' priority='3' form='aForm'>" + 
+                                        "    <description>This is a test description</description>" +
+                                        "    <transition to='end'  />" +
+                                        "  </task>" +
+                                        "  <end name='end' />" +
+                                        "</process>";
+  
+  public void testTaskParse() {
+   
+    ClientProcessDefinition definition = parse(PROCESS);
+    
+    Activity activity = definition.findActivity("t1");
+    assertTrue(activity instanceof ActivityImpl);
+    ActivityImpl activityImpl = (ActivityImpl) activity;
+    
+    ActivityBehaviour behaviour = activityImpl.getActivityBehaviour();
+    assertTrue(behaviour instanceof TaskActivity);
+    
+    TaskActivity taskActivity = (TaskActivity) behaviour;
+    
+    TaskDefinitionImpl taskDefinition = taskActivity.getTaskDefinition();
+   
+    // test definition is correct
+    // priority, duedate, form, description
+    assertEquals(3, taskDefinition.getPriority());
+    assertEquals("aForm", taskDefinition.getFormResourceName());
+    assertEquals("1 day", taskDefinition.getDueDateDuration());
+    assertEquals("This is a test description", taskDefinition.getDescription());
+    
+    
+    
+  }
+  
+}