Re: [ebxml-bp] CAM brochure drafts

["David RR Webber" <david@drrw.info>]

Monica,

OK - so I did kinda mumble thru that bit on todays call
with my explanation!

Reason is its fairly flexible and open - depending on
which mechanism to use.

The basic idea is WYSIWYG for XML - i.e. you
put into the CAM structure section a layout of the
structure you want it to populate and assemble for you
as an output transaction.

There's a smorgasboard of choices and ways of doing
this - and driving it - roughly summarized
thus:

Method #1 -  a) input XML structure
                     b) output XML structure (target)
                     c) field names in a) match target locations
                         in b)

typically in this mode a) is a rough cut of the data needed, and
b) is the real desired final output format after the template rules
    have been applied - and data field values from a) inserted into
    corresponding positions in b).

Method #2 - a) input SQL database or similar (stored procedures)
                     b) output XML structure (target)
                     c) mapping rules from SQL fields to XPath locations in
b)

this allows you to do a traditional application integration - pulling
database
data and building XML structure accordingly.

Method #3 - a) either one of two methods above to get data needed
                     b) CAM merge output rules and layout
                     c) mapping rules from a) to locations in b)

this allows you to build non-XML formats such as EDI, HTML, text
and other layouts (the original use case was to support UPU postal
address layouts for printed address labels) - so you may be using
BPSS to send someone their label print run for that day...

Method #4 - a) bunch of #include files that contain definitions of
                         transaction layout components.
                     b) output structure - using #include to retrieve the
                          needed pieces.
                     c) context rules for which bits of the structure should
                         be used and when.

this allows you to build say a reference XSD layout - that then gets
feed into another process, or it allows you to have multiple layouts
(say a Ship Notice - in various formats - Sears, Walmart, Kohls, etc)
and then assemble up the right pieces depending on the context
parameter values you pass the CAM processor.

So CAM is pretty flexible in what it will allow you to assemble
- in a wide range of formats, in a variety of ways.   Now here's the
caveat - CAM has 3 implementation levels in it - so level 1
includes just the first Method #1, and then on up to level 3
that allows any of the methods to be used.  The idea being
that implementers just wanting a validation engine only
need to build level 1 compliance.  Those wanting a bit more -
level 2 - and those needing all features - level 3.

Martin has so far implemented Level 1 and a bit in his jCAM
processor - so it does validation using method #1 - comparing
some input XML to the reference structure b).

Hopefully this is not too confusing here!  I guess when we
say that CAM is a transaction service for BPSS - you can
see that it really can do a broad range of work for people -
and specifically what BPSS needs - mapping between a
logical document for a process step - and the physical
transaction instance needed for a given context.

Thanks, DW.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Monica J. Martin" <Monica.Martin@Sun.COM>
To: "David RR Webber" <david@drrw.info>
Cc: "BPSS ebXML" <ebxml-bp@lists.oasis-open.org>
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 7:26 PM
Subject: Re: [ebxml-bp] CAM brochure drafts


> David RR Webber wrote:
>
> >
> > FYI - check out the CAM Executive Brochure - hopefully
> > this helps answers questions that were previously
> > hanging.  There's also a technical primer for developers :
> >
> >
http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/5930/CAM%20Executive%20Overview%20brochure%2003Mar04.pdf
> >
>
> mm1: Perhaps you can explain in more detail and specifically Dave how
> CAM creates business transactions. Thanks.
>
> >
> >
http://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/cam/download.php/5929/CAM%20Technical%20brochure%2003Mar04.pdf
> >
> >
> > We're still fine tuning the words on these - so please
> > feel free to suggest improvements.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > DW.
> >
> >
>
>
>
>