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Subject: RE: [wsbpel] A Topic for the F2F?


Title: Message
David,
 
I take a contrary view to this. My belief is that for any given project, the source code (which in this case is a BPEL "script") is the definitive descriptor for the entire project. Anything else, like a visual representation, is simply a view on that source code.
 
Now we may choose to invest effort in creating a standard means of transforming that source code into something visual (or perhaps an intermediate format that makes visualisation easier), but that should not be part of the BPEL "scripting language." For an analogy, I have never programmed any C# applications with additional features to support syntax highlighting, the tool that I use works it out from the source code (which bits of text should be in blue, which in black and so forth).
 
Now my view may be naive because you might have come across some bits of BPEL for which we simply cannot compute a visual representation, and if that is the case then your motion is probably a strong one. However, I notice that the Collaxa implementation of BPEL4WS has a visual audit trail facility (and I belive also a visual wizard now?) which makes me think that it is possible to compute a visual representation without having to add clues into the script.
 
Perhaps Doron or Edwin would share their thoughts here?
 
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: Burdett, David [mailto:david.burdett@commerceone.com]
Sent: 22 May 2003 23:45
To: WS BPEL (E-mail)
Subject: [wsbpel] A Topic for the F2F?

Here's a topic I would like to suggest for discussion at the F2F.
 
THE PROBLEM
The problem arises because of three assumptions that I believe are valid:
1. BPEL is an "execution only" language, i.e. it is desgined to be something that can be input into software and run, e.g. using some "BPEL Run Time" software
2. BPEL will often be defined and maintained with the aid of some GUI based "BPEL Design Time" software that allows the process to be visualised.
3. The BPEL Design Time software will contain additional positional and graphical information about the visual representation of the BPEL design that not contained in the BPEL XML definitions.
 
The problem is that this means that exporting a BPEL definition from one BPEL Design Time for input into another will result in a BPEL definition that will not be easily editable as all the graphical information would be lost.
 
In the extreme, for a complex design, it could mean that designer of business processes using BPEL is effectively locked into the BPEL Design Time software provider that they initially choose. This I don't think is a good idea.
 
THE SOLUTION ?
To solve this problem I would like to suggest the setting up of a sub-committe of the TC that has responsibilty for developing a "BPEL Visual Binding" specification which would contain the relevant visual information from the BPEL Design Time. The idea would be that the Visual Binding specification is a separate document to the main BPEL specification. Also BPEL Design Time Implementations could export either:
1. The BPEL XML Definition alone, or
2. The BPEL XML Definition PLUS the BPEL Visual Binding
 
The former could be used for input to a BPEL Run Time and the latter could be input into some other BPEL Design Time.
 
By creating a separate, but related, specification, it should be possible to carry out the work on the BPEL Visual Binding specifcation in parallel, without hindering any work on the main BPEL specification.
 
Regards
 
David
 
 
Director, Product Management, Web Services
Commerce One
4440 Rosewood Drive, Pleasanton, CA 94588, USA
Tel/VMail: +1 (925) 520 4422; Cell: +1 (925) 216 7704
mailto:david.burdett@commerceone.com; Web: http://www.commerceone.com
 


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