FW: [ebxml-bp] [ebBP] 2/13/2004: [RSD] Late binding

Discussion|OASIS.ebBP.WI55-Late Binding;

Topic|;

Point|v2.0 expression proposal;

mm1@

Submitted to Keith Swenson who has had an email change from Keith

Swenson <KSwenson@fsw.fujitsu.com> to Keith Swenson

<KSwenson@us.fujitsu.com> or kswenson.nospam@fsw.fujitsu.com.

Anders and Lars, I encourage you to comment on this near-term approach

for an expression for timing only. We will continue to look at more

solid solutions for the longer-term related to late binding (for v3.0).

One question I have is if a complex expression(s) may be required.

Please comment on Keith's near-term proposal.

Keith Swenson wrote:

> I have been following this, and brought up the discussion at the face

> to face meeting. I promosed to send a suggestion to the list.

> If I understand the situation proposed by Lars was that there were a

> set of different "time to perform" values that might come into play is

> a given process. The current BPSS constrains a give process to a

> single time to perform value. But in the real business world there

> are cases where parties might agree ahead of time on different time to

> perform values for specific situations. These situations might depend

> upon specifics of the intersaction, such as values carried in the

> business document.

> Why not simply allow an expression to be used in the place of the

> constant value? Clearly, the expression language would need to be

> specified. Within that language, there might be a function to read

> one or more values from the business document.

> An example might be "if the value of the transaction is greater than

> $50 then the time to perform should be 3 days, otherwise the time to

> perform is 5 days". Another example might be "if 'express service'

> is specified then time to perform is 2 days, otherwise time to perform

> is 7 days". Presumably express service would cost more....

> Such an expression of conditions of service like this are not unusual

> in the business world. Both parties agree on the conditions. There

> is no run time modification of time to perform, there is a fixed

> expression that specifies the time to perform.

> Such capabilities are common the process engines that I have

> experience with, so this is not in any sense 'exotic'.

> Martin Roberts has pointed out that any such expression language would

> need to also specify what would happen if the expression fails to

> evaluate, e.g. there is no business document, or multiple business

> document, or otherwise fails. There would probaly need to be a

> "default" in the case the expression fails.

> I would not really call this "late binding". I am wondering if

> categorizing this as "late binding" has taken the conversation down a

> blind alley.

> While there is much to work out to finalize such an approach, before

> doing this work, my question is simply "does this meet the original

> requirement as described by Lars"?

> Keith D Swenson, kswenson.nospam@fsw.fujitsu.com

> Fujitsu Software Corporation

> 1250 E. Arques Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94085

> (408) 746-6276 mobile: (408) 859-1005

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