Hi Sam 2009/3/19 Sam Cox <[email protected]>
> > Hi Russ, > > Thanks for your comments and observations. > > Yes, "workflow" is a good description of what I aiming for. I can live > without data collection and with a single sequence of steps, but > enforcing a linear, non-branching sequence is important When you say "non-branching", do you mean exactly that? One of the purposes of a good workflow system - a key use of a state machine - is to help/decide which "branch" to follow. Without that, it's just a slideshow (which can be done with TW right now). Take a simple example (off the top of my head, so don't laugh). Consider a workflow for making a guest a drink... MakeDrinkForGuest TeaOrCoffee - If(Tea) GoTo MakeTea, if(Coffee) Goto MakeCoffee, Otherwise STOP. And of course, each "branch" has multiple steps and subbranches (MilkOrCreamOrBlack?). So, typically, a workflow is not linear in terms of its definition (even though it may seem so when running and viewed on screen since the decision making is happening behind the scenes). Thanks for suggesting "state machine." That's precisely what I will > need — eventually. For now, a hard coded sequence with Next and > Previous buttons and, ideally, checkbox permission to proceed would be > great. Checking a box to enable or display a Next button would do > nicely. > As I said, check out a slideshow plugin - that will do what you want almost out of the box. However, I suspect you are going to want to say to something somewhere, on a given Monday morning perhaps, "take this slideshow template and produce a slideshow". On Tuesday, you're going to want to say the same thing again. Repeat for Wednesday. Etc. And perhaps repeat 100 times each day. If you then want to collect data along the way (stored in the slideshow tiddlers), then you need to produce a new "replica" slideshow each time a workflow is performed so that one "run's data" isn't messed up by another. In the trade we call this "an instance" - you create an instance workflow from a template workflow and the data is stored (and archived) along with the instance. (Sorry if you know all this). Caveat emptor: You may not need any of this! But a "real world" production environment certainly would. And more. I'm intrigued by the checkbox. What is its purpose? Does the same person that fills the checkbox also click the next button? If so, what purpose does it serve? Does the person need to make a decision about something (perhaps off screen) first? How did he come to that decision? What information does he need to make the decision? A workflow system would capture all of that decision making process. Have to say, a TW system could certainly be built to do this. But I simply don't have the knowledge of TW internals required nor, sadly, the time. My purpose here is to to hopefully get one of TW wizards to "get it" and give it a go. <hint hint> Russ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TiddlyWiki" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/TiddlyWiki?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
