Re: Work flow RFC

[Craig Tataryn]

Ahhh, thanks Dan.  I didn't realize it spat out a workflow file....

Thanks,

Craig.

Dan - Blue Lotus Software wrote:

> I think you misunderstood me.  I'm not suggesting any SOAP interfaces or
> anything.  I'm simply suggesting using Visio's workflow editor to create
> workflows that can be imported for Struts workflows.  This should be able to
> be done by simply creating 2 XSL files: one to convert Visio's workflows
> into Strut's, and one to convert Strut's into Visio's.
>
> My primary point was to say that the next release of Visio has a workflow
> editor, it outputs an XML file, and the XML format will likely be public.
>
> -dan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED].
> org]On Behalf Of Craig Tataryn
> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 6:52 PM
> To: Dan - Blue Lotus Software
> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: Work flow RFC
>
> I don't want to be platform specific though w.r.t. any tools generated from
> this TODO.  However, if someone wanted to create a Visio addin for the
> front-end and some SOAP interfaces to the support objects I wouldn't oppose
> it.
>
> Craig.
>
> Dan - Blue Lotus Software wrote:
>
> > It would be nice if we could integrate directly with Visio.  Microsoft is
> > pushing Visio as their workflow editor for BizTalk.  Basically, it allows
> > Visio models to be connected to real code through the use of XML files,
> > pretty much as you have suggested (except without the XSL stage--the file
> > format Visio writes is read directly).
> >
> > At the XML One conference in London a few months back, I asked the two
> > Microsoft guys that were demoing a beta of the Visio workflow stuff (from
> > the upcoming .NET version) if they planned to publish the DTD.  They
> didn't
> > really know.  However, given their commitment to open standards with XML
> > (yes, I said that with a straight face), the DTD will likely be released
> to
> > a standards body.
> >
> > If this is the case, building XSL documents to handle the conversion each
> > way should be straightforward.
> >
> > -dan
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED].
> > org]On Behalf Of Craig Tataryn
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 5:29 PM
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: Work flow RFC
> >
> > Hi, I would like your comments for the workflow item on our TODO list.
> > Currently this is how I've envisioned the workflow project:
> >
> > 1) A nice GUI type Applet or Application that has visual constructs
> > which can be connected in a Visio type manner to create an Activity
> > diagram or some other type of flow diagram.
> >
> > 2) This diagram will be persisted in an XML file which holds meta data
> > for the elements in diagram (position, type of construct (controller,
> > flat html page, cgi script, flow arrow, etc..)).
> >
> > 3) The diagram can be exported to a struts config file via XSLT (i.e.
> > workflow.xml -> workflow2struts.xsl -> struts-config.xml)
> >
> > 4) A diagram can also be imported from a struts-config.xml file via XSLT
> > (i.e. struts-config.xml -> struts2workflow.xsl -> workflow.xml).  Of
> > course some sort of "pretty layout" code would have to be used to
> > un-jumble the mess of constructs that are sucked out of the
> > struts-config.xml file (i.e. take a guess at proper positioning
> > information).
> >
> > The GUI should employ some sort of extensibility mechanism like BSF
> > (http://oss.software.ibm.com/developerworks/projects/bsf) or Bean Shell
> > (http://www.beanshell.org/) to allow users to plug-in their own
> > functionality (i.e. validation code) without jeopardizing the core code
> > (what I call the Emeril Lagasse technique -- BAM!).
> >
> > I realize this is a very high level look at the TODO but I think as we
> > get more comments we will get more granular and can start dishing out
> > segments.
> >
> > Let me know what you think.
> >
> > <tataryn:craig/>

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