RE: [take 2] can the process model of a service use actions other than in action model?

[michael.poulin@uk.fid-intl.com]

Here is just a small example of a rational use of a Process Model.

Assume, a service performs calculations of a total price of customised computer itinerary. The calculation results may be either displayed in the Web browser, or sent by e-mail, or sent as a SMS to a cellular phone. 

A designer has several choices in implementing the Process Model for this service:
1) create 4 operations ( public Actions) such as a) calculate; b) displayed in the Web browser, c) sent by e-mail, d) sent as a SMS to a cellular phone. Then the consumer can call them respectively (this is the least robust solution)

2) create 3 operations: b) displayed in the Web browser, c) sent by e-mail, d) sent as a SMS to a cellular phone, assuming that calculation will be an internal Action involved for each type of public Actions

3) create 1 operation: getTotalPrice with one parameter/attribute of enumerated value {web, e-mail, SMS}. This has the same assumption about calculation as in 2)


So, from a consumer perspective I definitely choose the simplest and the most comprehensive solution - #3. From the developer perspective (if you are a SOA developer), choice #3 is also more preferable because it allows reuse of the same service operation ( public Actions) with future (unknown) parameter value depending of the future delivery means, which could be added later on with backward compatibility.

So, the Process Model shrinks into a single-Action Process

- Michael