Can you describe what you mean by graph. Do you mean a HashMap or List?
How do you "jump"? How do you go follow decisions and results?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Speed" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 2:24 AM
Subject: Re: Opening up a thread on ALTERNATE SCOPES
> Just one small point...
>
> In all my (admittedly brief compared to some) travels through workflow
> land, I've never had a workflow that was specifically tree. They all
> end up forming a graph at some point.
>
> One could argue that you can just have jump points from one branch to
> another, but in my experience, after many iterations the tree becomes
> more of a hinderance than a boon as jump points become more frequent.
>
> It might be better to design it to be a graph structure from the
> beginning.
>
> -Paul Speed
>
> Jonathan Asbell wrote:
> >
> > Since my needs are for web container persistence, let me make a
suggestion
> > in that area.
> > An object called WorkflowPath could be created with configurable values
> > sucked up from a file. The values could be some kind of tree, like a
> > decision/process tree. The WorkflowPath object would be stored in
> > application scope, or a custom scope as mentioned below in the original
> > post, such as Sub-Application scope. When you begin a process you grab
the
> > WorkflowPath from the scope stored under a name like "loginWorkflow",
and
> > you would query it for the next step in the decision/process tree. It
would
> > be nice maybe to have a pointer as to where you are in the sequence of
> > things. Anyone want to add to this? Anyone want to dis this? Are you
all
> > asleep on this warm New York Summer night? =)
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Geir Magnusson Jr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 11:25 PM
> > Subject: Re: Opening up a thread on ALTERNATE SCOPES
> >
> > > Jonathan Asbell wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Persistent storage is an option too. I was hoping, however to limit
> > calls
> > > > through the enterprise parts and database.
> > >
> > > Why?
> > >
> > > > You could argue that it belongs
> > > > there because the database is the central location holding all data
and
> > > > information and therefore should hold workflow info, especially in
the
> > face
> > > > of changing services/activities. However, must I consult the
database
> > or a
> > > > db developer each time I want to add, change, or see anything? That
is
> > a
> > > > time waster.
> > >
> > > Not really. I mean, I guess it's your design requirements. I would
> > > want it to be that a user in a process (or a process itself) has no
> > > requirement of 'immediate completion' - i.e. some part of the flow can
> > > take a while.
> > >
> > > So then if the servlet container goes down, I don't care. No state
> > > lost.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > If you were not going to use persistent storage, how would you do
it?
> > >
> > > For what I want to do, i can't really escape it. Somewhere, something
> > > has to remember the state - assume the servlet container is going down
> > > at some point...
> > >
> > > geir
> > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Geir Magnusson Jr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > > Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 10:17 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: Opening up a thread on ALTERNATE SCOPES
> > > >
> > > > > Can I ask why you don't go with persistant storage, like a rdbms?
I
> > > > > have been thinking about workflow recently as well, although not
> > > > > specifically w/in struts, and I believe that for the general
solution,
> > > > > where someone can come back a long time later and resume, or be it
an
> > > > > automated process, persistant storage would be required.
> > > > >
> > > > > geir
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > Jonathan Asbell wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Hello all. We were talking about workflow a few weeks ago and
the
> > > > > > conversation dissipated. I am trying to open it up again
because I
> > > > > > have found a need for more scopes, and a need to implement these
new
> > > > > > scopes in the next few months. I am interested specifically in
how
> > it
> > > > > > can be implemented in Struts. Let me begin with the new scopes.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 1) Workflow scope within an application
> > > > > > Store values from the first step until the final step and then
get
> > rid
> > > > > > of the values
> > > > > > You could probably use an adaptor, hide implementation from the
> > > > > > developer, and store this scope inside the "session" scope
> > > > > > Example - within an application store a value Do Activity 1,
then do
> > > > > > Activity 2, then do Activity 3, then throw out the value
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 2) Workflow between applications (mentioned by Dan Connelly
earlier)
> > > > > > Store values from the first step until the final step and then
get
> > rid
> > > > > > of the values
> > > > > > You could probably use an adaptor, hide implementation from the
> > > > > > developer, and store this scope inside the "application" scope
> > > > > > Example - store a value and do Activity 1 in Application 1, then
do
> > > > > > Activity 2 in Application 2, then do Activity 3 in Application
3,
> > then
> > > > > > throw out the value
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 3) Sub-Application scope
> > > > > > Store values that pertain to a sub-directory within an
application
> > > > > > You could probably use an adaptor, hide implementation from the
> > > > > > developer, and store this scope inside the "session" or
> > "application"
> > > > > > scope though I'm not sure which would be more appropriate.
> > > > > > Example - Your applcation is a magazine which has 4 different
> > > > > > sections, and you want to store values only pertaining to each
> > > > > > section. When you leave the section the value is not visible,
and
> > may
> > > > > > or may not disappear (depending on what you want to do).
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Geir Magnusson Jr. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > > > System and Software Consulting
> > > > > Developing for the web? See http://jakarta.apache.org/velocity/
> > > > > You have a genius for suggesting things I've come a cropper with!
> > > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Geir Magnusson Jr. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > System and Software Consulting
> > > Developing for the web? See http://jakarta.apache.org/velocity/
> > > You have a genius for suggesting things I've come a cropper with!
> > >
>
