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AW: AW: [jwt-dev] Extending JWT Plugin

Hi Ralph,
 
yes, I can see that your modeller contains much more information (concerning the Server, the properties, etc.) than those that are currently possible to describe in our JWT modeller. In one of the last posts I spoke of a generic property we are integrating into the metamodel, but I guess you would need much more. Hence, I guess if we would have some extension points on our multipage-editor which allows you to add your specific pages and give you also the possibility to extend the properties in a plugin the way you would like, that might help not only you but also other users of the JWT Workflow Editor.
Then I guess it would be easy for you to use those extension points, add those pages and properties that you need in an own plugin and make usage of the things that are already integrated in JWT. Of course, if you need additional things, just let us know!
 
Best regards,
 
Florian


Von: jwt-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jwt-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx] Im Auftrag von Ralph.Soika@xxxxxxxxx
Gesendet: 01 April 2008 11:27
An: Java Workflow Toolbox
Cc: 'Java Workflow Toolbox'; jwt-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx
Betreff: Re: AW: [jwt-dev] Extending JWT Plugin


Hi Florian,

thanks for your response.
Ok lets think about the way to use the JWT Plugin for graphical representation of the IX Workflow Model:
As we all talk about workflow models I think we are both in a complete agreement that the IX Model should be represented by the JWT Model.
When you take a look at the Screen Shoots of our modelling tool
http://www.imixs.org/websites/imixs-org.nsf/chapter/3000.0030.0020.?OpenDocument
you can see that the graphical part is only one aspect of our Eclipse Plugin.
So a large part of work don't focus on GEF programming.
Beside the graphical aspect there are tree parts which I think are important for the IX Workflow Model.
1.) the IX Model file (.ixm) is containing all technical information for the workflow engine. Including the Webservice Endpoint configuration and also environment settings which are not part of a graphical representation.
2.) the ServerConnector: responsible to upload the model information to the IX Workflow Engine. This part is implemented as a web service client
3.) the Property Pages. The Workflow Model file itself has different Property Pages (realized as a MultiPageEditor). And also each Activity and Entity is configured by  special PropertyPages.

So we include the graphical Editor as a kind of AdOn. It is not the main part of the tool. Form the conceptual view it is also possible to change the graphical part with another implementation. In fact if you remove the EditorExtension Point from our plugin every thing would work properly.

So the first question for me is: Is it possible to transform a "Imixs ProcessTree" into a JWT compatible object and open/view a graphical representation.
And the second question is: Is it possible to use the PropertyView Pages implemented by the IX Modeller by the JWT Plugin. For that behaviour - form my point of view - it is necessary that the JWT Plugin loads the IX Domain Object Classes.

best regards
ralph




From: "Florian Lautenbacher" <florian.lautenbacher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "'Java Workflow Toolbox'" <jwt-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 31.03.2008 18:18
Subject: AW: [jwt-dev] Extending JWT Plugin





Hi Ralph,
 
 >> I am not sure but I believe that I and my college Gaby Heinle meet some of you on Systems 2006 in munich?
 
Yes we did meet at the Systems 2006 where we presented you an early version of the AgilPro modeling suite which is now further developed in JWT.

>>
Also the project supports an Eclipse based modelling tool (IX Modeler) (http://www.imixs.org/websites/imixs-org.nsf/chapter/3000.0030.?OpenDocument).

I had a look at it on your web site and it's quite cool. Probably a lot of the things already integrated in the IX Modeler (such as the J2EE server settings) would be helpful for JWT as well. Yes, we are aiming to have a generic framework for supporting and integrating workflow engines, so if we are able to integrate the JX JEE Workflow Server that would be good for JWT, too.
And I also agree with you that open source projects should work hand in hand and collaborate wherever possible.
 
The monitoring part of JWT is something we are envisioning, but haven't implemented or integrated yet. Some process engines (such as JBoss's jBPM) support this monitoring using web sites, but we would like to have this included into Eclipse as well.
 
 >> From the modelling view I think you follow a generic way. Is XPDL the current modelling fundament?  
 
Right now we are working on several model transformations and code generations: one model transformation from BPMN to JWT, from JWT to STP-IM and code generation of XPDL code as well as BPEL code. The current fundament is XPDL, that's right.
 
>> The Imixs Modeller is more specific and focusing on the behavior of teh IX Workflow Engine. So the Imixs Modeller is also working with ProcessEntities and ActivityEntites an Transitions. But the main goal is to configure what should happen during a transition inside the workflow engine. So we model technical things like who should receive an email or who will be granted read or write access (granting access is one of the most important features in our implementation)  
 
That's quite similar to our approach: we got activity entities (called Actions in JWT), too and you can bind an Application to an Action and this Application stores all the data about what shall be executed, etc.
 
>> So on one Workflow Activity we model a lot of attributes (normally more then 50). So this can not be mapped through the datatype package from your model as I understood?    
 
You got more than 50 attributes on an activity? No, that can not the mapped through the datatypes, but we are currently thinking of integrating a generic property which can then be used however one would like to (for the Hooks in Bonita, the JEE attributes in IX, etc.).
 
>> So it would be interesting to combine this two modellers. The general approach of modelling is important to get an understanding what happens during the flow. but also the technical details should be modelled.  
 
I agree again: it is not only necessary to describe the control flow of a process, but also the technical details in order to execute it on a process engine, simulate it, preview it, etc.
 
>> As our modeller extend the ProtperyView form Eclipse which an extendable dialog it is possible to combine the two modellers if you support an extension point to handle an Object from the class org.imixs.eclipse.workflowmodeler.model.ModelObject
This object implements the org.eclipse.ui.views.properties.IPropertySource and is the basic class of our technical representation of a ProcessEntity or an ActivityEntity.
 
 
I'm not sure whether this would work. Easier would probably be to write a transformer to import your processes into the current JWT format and extend our metamodel with the things that you need. In JWT we also have an IPropertySource but based on the EMF model in the background.
 
>> But I know that graphical eclipse modellers are based on an individual domain object model and it could be problematic to find a way handle model objects from another plugin?  
 
Yes, I think so, too. And maybe if you are thinking of writing a new modeler from scratch (as described in https://www.xing.com/app/forum?op=showarticles;id=8568153), it might be easier to adapt our existing one with the things that you need!?

>>
As I sayed before the monitoring part of JWT is also interesting for our project.
How is it possible to monitor an external Workflow Engine running in a JEE Container?

I am interesting in reading also more about this part of your project.


Currently we are more focusing on the design time and the integration with other projects (such as STP, SCOrWare, the SCA standard, BPMN, BPEL, etc.). But if we find some contributors who would like to share their implementations, we would be happy of course ;-)
 
Best regards,
 
Florian_______________________________________________
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