On Thursday 21 Jun 2007, Peter Bell wrote:
> On 6/21/07 4:34 AM, "Tom Chiverton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > 'Cause, for more complex workflows, you really need some sort of
> > uber-configurable abstract state manager.
> > :glances around and whistles innocently
>
> Well, if you're looking to build one, I'd be on for playing with a port of
> either Spring Web Flow or maybe even Seaside (you gotta love continuations)
> if you're in the mood to publish something!
Seaside looks over the top, Spring Web Flow's XML looks very similar to our
internal prototype that uses state definiation XML like:
<actions>
<action class="com.halliwells.CFCs.stateManager.actions.logAction"
id="logAction">
<argument name="textString"/>
</action>
<action class="com.halliwells.CFCs.stateManager.actions.emailAction"
id="emailAction">
<argument name="to"/>
<argument name="subject"/>
<argument name="body"/>
</action>
</actions>
<state id="CreationRequest">
<transitions>
<transition name="creationRejected" requireRole="adminUser">
<nextState>RejectedCreation</nextState>
</transition>
<transition name="creationApproved" requireRole="adminUser">
<nextState>awaitingCoverSheet</nextState>
</transition>
</transitions>
</state>
<state id="RejectedCreation">
<transitions>
<transition name="updatedCreation" requireRole="feeUser,otherUser">
<nextState>CreationRequest</nextState>
</transition>
</transitions>
</state>
<state id="awaitingCoverSheet">
<transitions>
<transition name="coverSheetPrinted" requireRole="feeUser,otherUser">
<nextState>awaitingCollectionByArchiving</nextState>
<actions>
<action name="emailAction">
<argument name="subject" value="Newly Created File $(file.id)-
$(file.ShortDesc) needs collecting by archiving"/>
<argument name="to" value="[EMAIL PROTECTED]"/>
<argument name="body" value="Please collect file $(file.id) -
$(file.ShortDesc) from user $(creatingUser.email)"/>
</action>
</actions>
</transition>
</transitions>
</state>
Only SWF uses a lot more introspection and general bean-injection goodness.
However, SWF (confusing acronym that !) seems like it is targeted at managing
UI transitions, bot back-end object states ?
Our current State bean allows calls like getAllowedTransitions(objId):Array
and perform(objId,transitionName):bool - it makes no attempt to define the
GUI, though we sort of hacked that in with an 'updates' tag (child
of 'transition' that lists variables that the GUI needs to pass into the 3rd
optional arg of perform(). We really should have some sort of 'controller'
class (for each?) transition/action. I'm watching your current blog series
closely :-)
--
Tom Chiverton
Helping to confidentially exploit essential systems
on: http://thefalken.livejournal.com
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