CASE Tool for Modeling and Code Generation of Workflows
Hi everybody, I would like to know if there is any initiative towards using a CASE tool to model State Diagrams and then generate DCWorkflows automatically. I know Plone guys did something like this to Archetypes. It is not necessary to have a specific tool but a XMI file that can be used to code transformation (generation). So the necessary thing would be a script (or a set of scripts) to generate code from XMI. This solution expose a problem (using UML state diagrams): -How to represent not only states and transitions simply but also associate the specif DCWorkflow´s state objects´properties like "triggers", and "requires permitions" (subclassing? stereotyping?), "variables", "worklists" and "script names"? Would be the solution to use extentions of UML state diagrams´ "state" objects with additional properties (to accomodate DCWorkflow´s state objects properties)? Do you know any case tool that I can extend core concepts to this point (maybe through stereotypes)? Is there any initiative in this direction? regards, Rogerio Atem ------------------------------------------------- E-mail enviado pelo Webmail CensaNET http://www.censanet.com.br/webmail
--On Dienstag, 18. November 2003 15:27 Uhr -0200 ratem@censanet.com.br wrote:
Hi everybody,
I would like to know if there is any initiative towards using a CASE tool to model State Diagrams and then generate DCWorkflows automatically. I know Plone guys did something like this to Archetypes. It is not necessary to have a specific tool but a XMI file that can be used to code transformation (generation). So the necessary thing would be a script (or a set of scripts) to generate code from XMI.
This solution expose a problem (using UML state diagrams): -How to represent not only states and transitions simply but also associate the specif DCWorkflow´s state objects´properties like "triggers", and "requires permitions" (subclassing? stereotyping?), "variables", "worklists" and "script names"?
Would be the solution to use extentions of UML state diagrams´ "state" objects with additional properties (to accomodate DCWorkflow´s state objects properties)?
Do you know any case tool that I can extend core concepts to this point (maybe through stereotypes)?
Is there any initiative in this direction?
I had the same questions some months ago while working on a complex workflow for DCWorkflow. There is nothing available and there is no effort as much as I know. However I have seen a dedicated workflow editor which implements a standard for activity-based workflows (can't remember neither name of the editor nor the standard). -aj
(...)
I had the same questions some months ago while working on a complex workflow for DCWorkflow. There is nothing available and there is no effort as much as I know. However I have seen a dedicated workflow editor which implements a standard for activity-based workflows (can't remember neither name of the editor nor the standard).
Ok. The problem is that DCWorkflow is state based. So it can be represented as a UML State Diagram. Workflows are normally Activity Based...I know there were a long discussion on the list and on some Wikis on Zope.org about that, and also some work done by Open Flow guys towards integration. We need either a dedicated tool or a extensible State Diagram drawing tool and also XMI exportation of models...Another solution would be getting some Python scriptable drawing tool like Dia or KVio and make it generate code. Again, we would have a partial solution, since there would be no way of representing state objects´properties. Does anyone would like to enter this project? Is there interest from Zope Corp in this area? regards, Rogerio Atem ------------------------------------------------- E-mail enviado pelo Webmail CensaNET http://www.censanet.com.br/webmail
Hi, after talking to some coleagues, checking tools and tendencies, and going to the Zope list, I could drawn some conclusions about a project on creating a workflow modeling/code generation tool for DCWorkflow: 1)UML Statechart Diagrams are a standard, used by most people, and can model any state machine for code generation purposes. Also, the possibility of using "any" case tool that generates XMI helps really a lot on the work. 2)The problem with UML is the specific DCWorkflow state concept properties, meaning that we have to extend the notation of "state" (add propertis to it). Anyway, that would happen with any tool for modeling state machines. For the workflow object itself, we can model using class diagrams - a new workflow is a new class with its own properties (variables) and methods (scripts). 3)SMW, from Ivan Porres (http://www.abo.fi/~iporres/), is written in Python, released under GPL, exports XMI, scriptable in Python and mainly, was made for code transformation. And it is extensible. 4)A coleague of mine, which is finishing his PhD in Theory of Computing, gave another idea, which he is very eager to develop (starting next year): using TXL (or other model specification language), we can also have Model Checking as a side effect. What this means? That we can check things like states that are never rechead in complex workflows and others properties of the state machine that can be automatically checked in order to define if the model will work as expected. One can even "ask questions" to the model, without having to "run" it! So, I think we should go for SMW, extend it and make it generate code would be a nice idea. What do you guys think? Is anyone interested in helping on this project? Regards, Rogerio Atem ------------------------------------------------- E-mail enviado pelo Webmail CensaNET http://www.censanet.com.br/webmail
One more remark: the specific DCWorkflow properties can be attached to UML Statechart diagrams states by the use of tagged values: {tag1 = value, tag2 = value2 ...}, which are supported by SMW also. Regards, Rogerio Atem ------------------------------------------------- E-mail enviado pelo Webmail CensaNET http://www.censanet.com.br/webmail
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ratem＠censanet.com.br