Hi, I think what you are saying (The scenarios you have described )is not possible with the current workflow implementation.
Because when a user leaves a workflow(Like you said, he is bored and clicks on a menu link.), then there is a workflow violation and the workFLow for whicch this violation occured is cleared or flushed.SO there si no chance that the user can come back to this workflow again. COrrect me if i got this wrong.But as you said, I will also be interested in getting a few more features to this extension(Like the ability to rollback workflo state in case of exception in actions execution).Right now I am trying to get some features(with some help from Matthias :-))) working for our project.Hope that the current implementation solves our needs. regards, Shirish -----Original Message----- From: Adam L [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 3:49 AM To: Struts Users Mailing List Subject: workflow extension question Matthias: Now to take you up on your offer. "is something missing?" What thoughts do you have on a "end all previous workflows" property? The thought is this: - my user is working through a process, and gets bored or distracted - rather than using the provided "cancel" button, they use a nav link to go elsewhere (ie, a terms and conditions or "what's new page") - my thought is to let them do this, perhaps they'll jump back (browser back) to the step they were on and continue their path - but, if they don't ever come back, and end up starting another workflow process, they'll be dumped right back to their first workflow. - being thrown back to a place you wanted to leave would be confusing So, the answer to this is an "initialization" page for each process that basically says "cancel out all existing workflows and states, and start this workflow instead". Yes, ideally, the user should use the opt-out mechanism provided to them, but you can't expect that to happen. And, I'm not keen on designing for a modal experience unless absolutely necessary. One could go through every possible action and add a "noWorkflowChecks" everywhere, but that still doesn't resolve the issue of them starting a new process w/o explicitly terminating an existing one. To illustrate what I'm seeing: <!-- the landing page for initializing this process --> <action path="/content/startNewTask" forward="/content/displayTaskStartScreen.do"> <set-property property="authClass" value="com.foo.workflow.authentication.LoggedInAuthentication" /> <set-property property="endAllExistingWorkflows" value="true"> <------------ new property <set-property property="primaryWorkflow" value="wkfAddNewTraitStart"/> <set-property property="newState" value="initialized"/> <!-- not logged in authentication exception --> <forward name="authenticationException" path="/login.jsp" /> </action> Any thoughts? -- adam > >>----- Original Message ----- > >>From: "Matthias Bauer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>To: "Struts Users Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>Sent: Monday, September 15, 2003 1:59 AM > >>Subject: Re: workflow - Re: integration with other app > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>>Fortunately I am far enough away to avoid your kiss ;-) > >>> > >>>Please let me know, if you believe something is missing. I am sure I can > >>>give you some more hints on how to solve a specific task. The Struts > >>>Workflow Extension is a very powerful, yet low-level framework. Thus, it > >>>offers very much flexibility but sometimes the right way to achieve a > >>>solution is not as apparent as desired. > >>> > >>>Just in case you are interested: We are also offering commercial support > >>>for this extension and Struts itself. > >>> > >>>--- Matthias > >>> > >>> > >>>Adam Levine wrote: > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>>Matthias: > >>>> I could kiss you! I've been struggling with this issue and have > >>>>been going bald over the last week doing a lot of my own engine > >>>>work. I can't wait to try this out and see if it doesn't work for me > >>>>as cleanly as it looks. > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>From: Matthias Bauer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>>>Reply-To: Struts Users Mailing List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>>>To: Struts Users Mailing List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>>>Subject: Re: workflow - Re: integration with other app > >>>>Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 08:35:36 +0200 > >>>> > >>>>Martin, > >>>> > >>>>the Struts Workflow Extension http://www.livinglogic.de/Struts/ > >>>>addresses some of the issues you raise. Especially the thing about a > >>>>workflow scope. But it is also easily possible to build reusable > >>>>action sequences: Consider for instance a confirmation dialog that > >>>>demands the user to press a "Yes" and "No" button. You will need this > >>>>multiple times within an application, but you normally want to code > >>>>the necessary actions only once and reuse them in different contexts > >>>>(i. e. with a customized question and return action). > >>>> > >>>>Please let me know, when you have any questions related to the Struts > >>>>Workflow Extension. > >>>> > >>>>--- Matthias > >>>> > >>>>Martin Naskovski wrote: > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>One thing I find particularly cumbersome in Struts is web page > >>>>>workflow. Currently, if I want to push "Cancel" for instance, or > >>>>>"Submit" on a certain page, in the Action itself, I have to hard code > >>>>>where to go next and/or pass any dynamically generated parameters > >>>>>through the request scope or the query string (if doing a > >>>>>sendRedirect). I also have to use hidden form fields to tell each > >>>>>submission button on a form, where to go next, depending on where I > >>>>>came from (a certain action mapping, e.g.). > >>>>> > >>>>>Is there a better way to do this, where the flow of the screens can > >>>>> > >>>>> > >be > > > > > >>>>>specified statically, or maybe if not statically at least within a > >>>>>screen workflow module that each action will tell that module where > >>>>>to go next, depending on what button was pushed on that form? > >>>>> > >>>>>Does JSF address this perhaps? Or has someone independently made a > >>>>>Struts pluggable module that can control screen flow? It seems there > >>>>>almost is a need for some sort of a 'workflow' scope, where when I > >>>>>start a certain use-case from one of the menus in the application, > >>>>> > >>>>> > >the > > > > > >>>>>'workflow scope' is preserved throughout the use-case lifetime, and > >>>>> > >>>>> > >if > > > > > >>>>>for some reason this flow is broken by the user, the workflow scope > >>>>>should be destroyed. > >>>>> > >>>>>I've been able to immitate a workflow scope with the session scope, > >>>>>but it isn't as elegant as I want it to be, or rather, as delimited > >>>>>from the application logic as I'd like it to be... Plus stuff in the > >>>>>session scope hangs around much longer than as if I had a workflow > >>>>>scope. > >>>>> > >>>>>I've been wondering if there's any solutions already to this - it > >>>>>seems that is the _only_ thing Struts is lacking in. > >>>>> > >>>>>Thanks. > >>>>> > >>>>>Martin > >>>>>-- > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>>Thursday, September 11, 2003, 4:31:29 PM, you wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>>TH> This seems more in scope for some of the ServerSide forums than > >>>>>Struts. > >>>>> > >>>>>TH> http://www.theserverside.com/home/index.jsp > >>>>> > >>>>>TH> Our framework ends where the database begins -:0) > >>>>> > >>>>>TH> Tiles is sufficient for customizating layout and such. > >>>>> > >>>>>TH> -Ted. > >>>>> > >>>>>TH> Gregory Seidman wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>>TH> <snip/> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>>>>My purpose in posting this to the list is to get the benefit of the > >>>>>>>membership's collective experience. Is Torque a good choice? Is > >>>>>>>creating a > >>>>>>>separate database for each user unacceptable from the point of view > >>>>>>>of a > >>>>>>>website which provides services on a per-user basis? Is Tiles > >>>>>>>sufficient > >>>>>>>for customizing layout and such? Any suggestions, tales of woe, or > >>>>>>>design > >>>>>>>critiques are appreciated. > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>>Please do not CC me; I am subscribed to the list. > >>>>>>>--Greg > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>>>>To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>>>>>For additional commands, e-mail: > >>>>>>>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>>>To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>>>For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>> > >>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>>To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>>For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>> > >>>>_________________________________________________________________ > >>>>Get a FREE computer virus scan online from McAfee. > >>>>http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>>To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>>For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> > >>>--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
