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[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] Re: Here's what I've learned over the last several months abou
 On Wed, Apr 29, 2009 at 11:07 AM, nico <ndebeiss@g...> wrote: > Hello > I do not think it is possible to XMLize everything as it means that all > possibly needed data treatments and data sources have been identified and > standardized in order to be triggered in a declarative way. > What about somebody who wants to use another data language like JSON in > order to interact with its Ajax GUI ? > I think XProc should let the door open to a java written step, providing a > class we could extend in order to write a special transformation step. > the door is wide open in the form of an extension step ... suggest over at www.exprog.org. cheers, Jim Fuller > Regards > Nico > > 2009/4/28 Frank Manola <fmanola@a...> >> >> Roger-- >> >> "Separating management from applications" has an important advantage that >> you didn't mention, namely that management frequently doesn't have a clue as >> to what the applications are doing, so the more separation there is between >> management and the applications, the more likely it is that management won't >> muck around with them, and the overall system will continue to >> function........Oh you mean *workflow* management :-) >> >> More seriously, how do you draw the line between "application" and >> "workflow" (or process)? The Kay article you cited seems to talk about >> applications with workflow as a part of their implementation ("workflow >> applications"), not about a complete separation of the two. Also, your >> description that >> >>> Applications no longer require any management >>> functionality, and hence are simpler and >>> completely independent of their context or >>> place in the business process. This makes it >>> possible to rearrange the business process >>> at a later stage >> >> makes it sound like, in your definition, an application is what we used to >> call a "subroutine". Alternatively, if you thought of an old-fashioned >> flowchart, your "applications" seem to be everything that is in square (and >> possibly some other funny-shaped) boxes, and the lines and the >> diamond-shaped boxes are "workflow". If these are reasonable analogies, >> could you describe again what's new? That we're passing documents between >> the boxes rather than relying only on shared memory / parameter passing? >> Remember that in the older style coding the "subroutines" had their own >> (internal) control flow, and so would the "applications" in this >> workflow-oriented approach. >> >> --Frank >> >> >> On Apr 28, 2009, at 9:43 AM, Costello, Roger L. wrote: >> >>> >>> Hi Folks, >>> >>> Over the last several months I've pored over these extraordinary >>> articles, technology, and book: >>> >>> [Article] Building Workflow Applications by Michael Kay >>> >>> [Article] Business artifacts: An approach to operational specification >>> by A. Nigam and N.S. Caswell >>> >>> [Technology] XProc (XML Pipeline Language) >>> >>> [Book] Workflow Management by Wil van der Aalst and Kees van Hee >>> >>> >>> Here's what I've learned: >>> >>> 1. For years I've heard "Separate the data from the application" and >>> "Separate the User Interface (UI) from the application." I've now learned of >>> the importance of separating process management from applications. Check out >>> this graphic: >>> >>> http://www.xfront.com/separate-process-management-from-applications.gif >>> >>> Here's what a workflow management system does: >>> >>> The management system ... ensures that no >>> steps [in a process] are skipped, that they >>> are carried out in the correct order, that >>> tasks can be performed in parallel where >>> possible, that the correct applications are >>> called in to support a task, and so on. >>> >>> Separating management from applications has a number of important >>> advantages, including: >>> >>> Applications no longer require any management >>> functionality, and hence are simpler and >>> completely independent of their context or >>> place in the business process. This makes it >>> possible to rearrange the business process >>> at a later stage. >>> >>> (See p. 147-148 of van der Aalst's book for a complete list of >>> advantages) >>> >>> >>> 2. Process is important. It can make or break a system. >>> >>> >>> 3. Recently it dawned on me that NVDL is a micro workflow management >>> system. How so? Here's my (short) explanation: >>> >>> http://lists.dsdl.org/dsdl-comment/2009-04/0005.html >>> >>> >>> 4. XProc is very cool: you create a .xpl file which defines a process >>> (pipeline), hand it off to an XProc processor (such as Norm Walsh's >>> Calabash) and the processor takes care of managing the pipeline. XProc can >>> be used to manage interactions with Web services. Here's an example of an >>> XProc pipeline interacting with multiple RSS feeds: >>> >>> http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/xproc-dev/2009Apr/0104.html >>> >>> >>> 5. A workflow management system invokes a task, providing it with the >>> appropriate information and resources. The task may be activated either by: >>> >>> - invoking an API, or >>> - sending it a document >>> >>> "By API" means that you focus on creating a standard interface, i.e. >>> specify a subroutine's name, parameters, and return value. Thus, you create >>> an Interface Control Document (ICD). >>> >>> "By document" means that you focus on creating a standard XML vocabulary. >>> Thus, you create a Data Specification. >>> >>> >>> 6. There are benefits to having a workflow management system manage the >>> flow of documents rather than managing API calls. The benefits particularly >>> accrue when the documents are based on key business documents, i.e. the >>> documents used in the actual running of a business. One benefit is that you >>> have an operationally centered view of the business: the process definition >>> mirrors the business process and the documents mirror the key business >>> documents. This produces a model that is a rich representation for analyzing >>> and managing the business. >>> >>> (See the Nigam/Caswell and Kay articles for further elaboration on the >>> benefits) >>> >>> >>> Based on what I've learned, here's my brief sketch of how to create >>> systems: >>> >>> Step 1: Identify the process >>> >>> Step 2: Identify the key business documents needed by the process >>> >>> Step 3: Identify the data used by the workflow >>> management system to route the business >>> documents through the process (van der Aalst >>> calls this "case attributes") >>> >>> Step 4: Create a data specification for the business >>> documents, i.e. write prose that describes the >>> data at an operational level >>> >>> Step 5: Derive implementations from the data specification, >>> i.e. create an XML Schema, Schematron schema, and >>> so forth >>> >>> Step 6: Create a process definition, e.g. create an >>> XProc file and/or a BPEL file >>> >>> Step 7: Create your User Interfaces and databases >>> >>> Step 8: Deploy your workflow management system >>> >>> >>> That's a snapshot of what I've learned. I hope that you've found it >>> useful. I welcome your additional insights. >>> >>> /Roger >>> >>> [1] Michael Kay: http://www.stylusstudio.com/whitepapers/xml_workflow.pdf >>> >>> [2] Business Artifacts: >>> http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISJ/is_3_42/ai_108049865/ >>> >>> [3] XProc Tutorial: http://www.xfront.com/xproc/ >>> >>> [4] Workflow Management: >>> http://www.amazon.com/Workflow-Management-Methods-Cooperative-Information/dp/0262720469/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239573871&sr=8-1 >>> >>> [5] NVDL tutorial: http://www.xfront.com/nvdl/ >>> _______________________________________________________________________ >>> >>> XML-DEV is a publicly archived, unmoderated list hosted by OASIS >>> to support XML implementation and development. To minimize >>> spam in the archives, you must subscribe before posting. >>> >>> [Un]Subscribe/change address: http://www.oasis-open.org/mlmanage/ >>> Or unsubscribe: xml-dev-unsubscribe@l... >>> subscribe: xml-dev-subscribe@l... >>> List archive: http://lists.xml.org/archives/xml-dev/ >>> List Guidelines: http://www.oasis-open.org/maillists/guidelines.php >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________________________________ >> >> XML-DEV is a publicly archived, unmoderated list hosted by OASIS >> to support XML implementation and development. To minimize >> spam in the archives, you must subscribe before posting. >> >> [Un]Subscribe/change address: http://www.oasis-open.org/mlmanage/ >> Or unsubscribe: xml-dev-unsubscribe@l... >> subscribe: xml-dev-subscribe@l... >> List archive: http://lists.xml.org/archives/xml-dev/ >> List Guidelines: http://www.oasis-open.org/maillists/guidelines.php >> > > 
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