Model-Binding versus Method-Binding
The common way to implement an Imixs Workflow application is to bind a business object to a workflow model and process it by calling the Imixs Workflow engine.
@EJB
WorkflowService wfm; ItemCollection workitem=new ItemCollection(); .... // set model data workitem.replaceItemValue("$modelversion", "1.0.0"); workitem.replaceItemValue("$processid", 100); workitem.replaceItemValue("$activityid", 10); // process workitem workitem=wfm.processWorkItem(workitem);
We call this a 'model-binding' because you bind your business object during the development of your application to a workflow model. This means that you typical first design your workflow model and after that you start implementing your application. So as a developer you know the model and can assign a possible workflow activity into your business object. Imixs Workflow provides different methods to compute the possible workflow activities during runtime so you are not forced to hard code the activities in your code.
The method-binding
But in some cases you might need to follow a different strategy. In a scenario where the modeling process takes place very late, you may not be able to bind your business objects to an workflow activity by assigning an activityID. This situation occurs when you first develop your business methods, and then need to link them to workflow activities of a workflow model. This means that the method call itself identifies the activity in the workflow model to be processed by the workflow engine. So each method call is bound to an workflow activity. We call it the 'method-binding'. To provide an appropriate model, the process designer need to know the different business methods implemented from the workflow application. So he can bind the method-name directly to the workflow activities of a workflow model.
This kind of late binding enforces to work with Interceptor classes. This concept is a common way in Java EE to implement cross-cutting functionality. So the solution here is to intercept the call of a business method and find the corresponding workflow activity in a model. Then you can process the business object.
@EJB
WorkflowService wfm; ItemCollection workitem=findWorkitem();
ItemCollection activity=findActivityByMethod(workitem,methodName); .... // set activityid workitem.replaceItemValue("$activityid", activity.getItemValueInteger("numActivityID"); // process workitem workitem=wfm.processWorkItem(workitem);
Posted at 07:33PM May 11, 2012
Posted by: Ralph
Category: Business
BPM solutions using Java EE
The Imixs Workflow project is an open source project that relieved the construction of business process management systems (BPMS). An essential part of the project are the Imixs JEE Workflow components. These components can be used to build BPM solutions based on the Java EE plattform.
The following tutorial will show how an Imixs BPM solution can be created in a few minutes with the help of Eclipse, Maven and Glassfish Application Server.
[Read More]
Posted at 12:17AM Jul 19, 2010
Posted by: Ralph
Category: Business
Imixs Workflow runs on JBoss Application Server
The Imixs JEE Workflow components are successfully tested on the latest release of JBoss Application Server V 5.1.0.GA (JBossAS 5). The JBoss Application Server is the one of the most widely used Java application servers on the market.
The Imixs JEE Workflow is a full featured Workflow Management System (WFMS) based on the Java EE5 specification and fulfills the requirements to a scalable, transactional, robust and simple deployable Java EE Workflow System.
JBoss 5 for the Java EE5 codebase fully complies with the Java EE5 specification. So the JBossAS 5 is an ideal platform for Workflow Management Systems based on the Imixs Open Source Workflow.
The Imixs JEE Project site provides additional Installation guides for JBoss and also informations about deployment strategies to get best results running the Imixs Worklow on JBoss Application Server.
Read more about the Imixs Java EE Workflow System.
Posted at 05:06PM Jun 28, 2010
Posted by: Ralph
Category: Business
Imixs Workflow API 2.0.1 released
Today the new version 2.0.1 of the Imixs Worklfow API was finally released.
Read more about the Imixs Workflow API on the www.imixs.org Project Site.
Posted at 01:36PM Nov 28, 2009
Posted by: Ralph
Category: Business
New! Imixs Workflow Project
I am proud to announce that we started the new Open Source Workflow Project Imixs-Workflow on dev.java.net. This project arise from the ix-workflow project we developed about for more than 3 years. But the new project is much more easy to use. We developed a bunch of simplifications in the Workflow API so the hole project is now much easier to integreate. I would be happy if you can give me some feedback to that project on the project home page.
I will provide a short video next time to show how easy it is building workflow applications based on the API.
Posted at 10:28PM Jul 16, 2009
Posted by: Ralph
Category: Business
New Version 1.6 of Imixs IX JEE Workflow
Currently we are working on the new 1.6 release of Imixs IX Workflow API and IX JEE Workflow Server. The new release will include a ReportService. This feature support a power full report function which allows you to generate dynamic reports based on running Business Processes. The Report Feature will be included into the IX REST Services so reports can be used very easy.
Also we extend the IX Workflow Modeler with a new Report Editor that allows a Workflow Modeler to create and manage reports as *.ixr files directly in a Eclipse project.
The new functionality will expand the Imixs IX Workflow Tool with a really strong feature set! Source code of new Version 1.6 will be available on subversion repository in a pre-beta version:
https://ix-workflow.dev.java.net/source/browse/ix-workflow/
Posted at 10:27PM Sep 01, 2008
Posted by: Ralph
Category: Business
Building a Workflow Application - Part I
The following Tutorial I will explain how easy it is to build a Workflow Application using the IX Open Source Workflow Components. The Tutorial is divided into three parts:
- Part I. - Setup and Modeling
- Part II. - Building Business Logic with EJB 3.0
- Part III. - Building a Web Frontend
Posted at 08:55AM Jul 26, 2008
Posted by: Ralph
Category: Business
IX Modeler - new Version 2.2.4
The new version 2.2.4 of the Imixs IX Workflow Modeler is now released. This version includes a lot of improvements concerning the graphical modeling. Therefor the popular style has changed. The attributes of activity entities,like Mail or Access Configurations, now are displayed graphicaly. The handling of users and time objects has been improved.[Read More]
Posted at 10:48AM Jul 20, 2008
Posted by: Ralph
Category: Business