RE: [wsbpel] Issue - 90 - Assignment of external data into a variable

I would propose that the external content be treated just like the content that defines the BPEL process—static. If the content is to be considered dynamic, and thus not available for static analysis, then I agree with Ugo that it would be better to use a web service call for this. The external content would be part of the complete process definition, just like the BPEL file and any referenced WSDL files.

Kristofer

From: Edwin Khodabakchian [mailto:edwink@collaxa.com]
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 2:43 PM
To: 'Kristofer Agren'; 'Ron Ten-Hove'; wsbpel@lists.oasis-open.org
Subject: RE: [wsbpel] Issue - 90 - Assignment of external data into a variable

If the content served by the URI is dynamic and we can therefore not benefit from static analysis than this feature might be best implemented using a simple XPATH function. - Edwin

From: Kristofer Agren [mailto:kagren@pakalert.com]
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 10:51 AM
To: 'Ron Ten-Hove'; wsbpel@lists.oasis-open.org
Subject: RE: [wsbpel] Issue - 90 - Assignment of external data into a variable

Point taken; this is true for all but relative URI references, in which case I would treat it as part of the BPEL deployment package that would contain the .bpel, .wsdl and .xsd (if any) resources. My concern with modeling it as a service is that it will not be clear that the purpose of the call is to simply fetch static data.

Kristofer

From: Ron Ten-Hove [mailto:Ronald.Ten-Hove@Sun.COM]
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 12:50 PM
To: wsbpel@lists.oasis-open.org
Subject: Re: [wsbpel] Issue - 90 - Assignment of external data into a variable

I worry about the use of direct references to files from within a BPEL process for several minor reasons, but one primary one: portability. The file cannot reasonably be at the same URI for every BPEL installation. Ugo's suggestion of modelling the file resource as a service is far more portable, since it wraps the inherently non-portable resource in a separate service that at the abstract level (that is, the BPEL view of services) is always the same.

Cheers,
-Ron

ws-bpel issues list editor wrote:

This issue has been added to the wsbpel issue list. The issues list is posted as a Technical Committee document to the OASIS WSBPEL TC pages on a regular basis. The current edition, as a TC document, is the most recent document with the title in the "Issues" folder of the WSBPEL TC document list - the next posting will include this issue. The list editor's working copy, which will normally include an issue when it is announced, is available at this constant URL.

Issue - 90 - Assignment of external data into a variable

Status: open
Date added: 9 Jan 2004
Submitter: Kristofer Agren
Date submitted: 09 January 2004
Document: BPEL specification
Description: The current assignment model allows for assigning literal data entered in directly under the <from> element. In practice, it may be desirable to have an external file/location where the data is maintained, which will allow for reuse if the same set of data is to be utilized in different business processes. The external file must be a valid XML document.
Submitter's proposal: I propose that this is solved by adding another form of the <form> element that can accept an external location uri and an optional query string:

<assign>

        <copy>

               <from location="uri" query="queryString"?/>

               <to.../>

        </copy>

</assign>

Changes: 9 Jan 2004 - new issue

To comment on this issue, please follow-up to this announcement on the wsbpel@lists.oasis-open.org list (replying to this message should automatically send your message to that list), or ensure the subject line as you send it starts "Issue - 90 - [anything]" or is a reply to such a message.

To add a new issue, see the issues procedures document (but the address for new issue submission is the sender of this announcement).

To unsubscribe from this mailing list (and be removed from the roster of the OASIS TC), go to http://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/wsbpel/members/leave_workgroup.php.

wsbpel message

Issue - 90 - Assignment of external data into a variable