Step 1-my frist workflow trip!

Opening

Since the previous article about agileeas. NET platform development step by step series-pharmacy system-index using agileeas. net agile software development platform was closed for a period of time. First, it was very busy recently and gave guidance to the customer. After more than 20 days, it was also a recommended ERP system, I have already achieved satisfactory results, and we will continue to make persistent efforts.

First of all, I am not a veteran of WF. I just recorded my learning process. Of course, because my younger brother is not talented, there may be errors in understanding or problems with my impressions. I hope you will criticize and correct me.

This article also describes how to use WF.

Summary

Workflow is a popular technology recently. In fact, WF originated from the office automation field in the middle of 1970s. Since August 1993, WfMC (Workflow Management Alliance) was established, in 1994, a series of workflow standards were developed. More and more scholars are paying attention to the workflow in the 21st century, and the technology is becoming more and more mature. Of course, I must keep up with the times, so I also joined the workflow army, hoping to keep up with our predecessors. Of course, I also hope that interested friends can join the workflow discussion group. Specific Group Number:120661978.

Outline

1. workflow Introduction

Ii. Workflow Reference Model

3. Workflow Management System

Iv. Workflow Management System Architecture

V. current workflow status

6. First workflow instance

Workflow Introduction

The English word of a workflow is workflow. Like most computer terms, it is also a synthesis word. It is a combination of work words and flow words. Work is translated into tasks and work, and flow is translated into processes and flows. Flow reflects the dynamic attributes or changing processes of a thing. For example, water flow is called water flow, air flow is called air flow, material flow, and capital flow, in the abstract field, there are information flows and control flows. Therefore, a business flow is called a workflow by changing the process between tasks, activities, and activities.

There is no uniform and clear definition of work flows. Different organizations and researchers have defined their respective workflows:

• Definition 1: A workflow is a type of business process that can be fully or partially automatically executed. Based on a series of process rules, documents, information, or tasks can be transmitted and executed between different executors.
• Definition 2: A workflow organizes a group of tasks to complete a business process. The task trigger sequence and trigger conditions are defined in the workflow. Each task can be completed by one or more software systems, by one or more persons, or by one or more persons collaborating with the software system. The trigger sequence and conditions of a task are used to define and implement the trigger of a task, synchronization of a task, and transmission of information flows (data streams.
• Definition 3: A workflow is a mechanism used to implement business process practices.
• Definition 4: A workflow is a computer-based representation model of a business process. It defines various parameters required to complete the entire process. These parameters include the definition of each step in the process, the execution sequence between steps, the conditions, the establishment of data streams, who is responsible for each step, and the applications required for each activity.Program.

Although the definitions of these workflows are different in their expressions, they basically illustrate the problem that a workflow is a computer implementation of a business process. Using workflow as the Implementation Technology of the business process requires the workflow system to reflect the following aspects of the business process:

• 1. What is the business process, that is, what activities and tasks constitute, that is, the structural definition;
• 2. How to do it, that is, the execution conditions, rules, and interactive information between activities, that is, the definition of control flow and information flow;
• 3. Who will do it, that is, people or computer applications, that is, the definition of organizational roles;
• 4. Monitor the execution process through the workflow management system.

Workflow Reference Model

One of the main contributions of WfMC in terms of workflow specifications and standards is to propose a workflow reference model ). The workflow reference model is derived from the analysis of the structure of a common workflow program and determines the interfaces in the structure. These interfaces allow different products to work collaboratively at different structural levels. All workflow systems contain a series of public components, which adopt a set of defined methods for collaboration. Different products have different processing capabilities in these public components. To achieve collaboration between different workflow products, a set of standard interfaces and data exchange formats must be developed between these components. By implementing these standard interfaces, collaboration between products can be achieved.

Let's take a look at the reference model of WfMC:

Next, let's explain the specific functions of each interface:

1. Interface 1:

Interfaces between modeling or defining tools and runtime workflow management software.

2. Interface 2:

This interface provides an API for communication between client applications and workflow engines.

3. Interface 3:

This API is used to communicate with other applications.

4. interface 4:

Communication APIs between workflows are the core APIs for implementing the Distributed Workflow Management System.

5. Interface 5:

This tool provides interfaces for monitoring and managing the current status of the workflow engine and instances running under the engine.

Let's take a look at the functions of the above tools:

Process definition tool:

It provides a convenient process definition that can be recognized by computers. Currently, we use a wide range of graphical tools to define WF processes. Finally, output an xpdl file. Xpdl (XML Process Definition Language) is a standardized specification proposed by Workflow Management Coalition. It uses XML files to enable different workflow software to exchange business process definitions.

Management and monitoring tools:

Monitors the process of a workflow in the entire Organization and provides a series of management functions to implement security, process control, authorization, and other operations. Typical functions include user management, role management, monitoring management, resource management, and process monitoring management. For example, instantiation of a process model, starting, suspending, recovering, and terminating an instance, and managing an ongoing process instance.

Workflow execution service:

It is composed of one or more workflow engines. It provides the execution of process instances, navigation of activities, interaction with external resources to complete various activities, maintenance of control data and related data.

Is the entire workflow service process:

Workflow Management System

Workflow Management System (WMS), a workflow management system, is defined as follows.

Definition 1: A workflow management system is a software system that defines and manages workflows and executes workflow instances according to the predefined workflow logic in the computer.

Definition 2: A workflow management system is a computer software system that allows an enterprise to efficiently execute and monitor the execution process.

According to the definition of the workflow management system, a workflow management system should provide the following functions:

1. define, implement, and manage workflow operations;

2. Interaction with workflow executors, namely, persons or application systems;

3. Promote the execution of workflow instances;

4. Monitor the running status of the workflow.

It should be noted that the workflow management system is not an enterprise's business system. To a large extent, the workflow management system provides a software supporting environment for enterprise business system operation, which is very similar to the operating system on a single computer. However, the workflow management system supports a large scope and complex environments, so some people call it a business operating system.

Workflow Management System Architecture

The product architecture of the workflow management system proposed by WfMC. This architecture provides the functional components and interfaces of the abstract workflow management system. It can meet the main functions that the workflow management system and products should have, it provides a public foundation for implementing interoperability between workflow products. The workflow management system consists of three parts:

It is also the architecture design of the workflow management system proposed by WfMC. Here we will explain the role of several important components:

Software Components: Implements functions of different components of the workflow management system, including process modeling tools, workflow engines, task table managers, and user interfaces;

System Control Data: Data used by one or more software components in the workflow management system, including process definition, organization/role model data, workflow control data, workflow-related data, and task table;

Application and Application Data: For workflow management systems, they are not components of the workflow management system, but external systems and data. They are called by the workflow management system to complete the entire or part of workflow management functions, for example, external applications called by the workflow management system and data of these application operations.

Current status of Workflow

Let's take a look at a lot of current automated office processes:

The picture above may not be clear, and I have not drawn a new clear picture. So let's take a look at it first, and then I will add it later, the preceding figure shows that different roles are responsible for different states and actions in the workflow. The assignment of work responsibilities is highlighted above.

The concept of workflow originated from the production organization and office automation fields. The purpose is to break down the work into well-defined tasks and roles, execute and monitor these tasks according to certain rules and processes to improve work efficiency, reduce production costs, and improve the level of production management and enterprise competitiveness.

Many enterprise application systems are divided into two types based on their functions. One is an office automation system that focuses on document circulation and daily office work, the other is a specific business system that focuses on the business process of an enterprise's business process. Both office automation systems and business systems provide software services for enterprises and aim to serve enterprise needs. However, the operating processes of enterprises in the real world are constantly changing and adjusting to adapt to the ever-changing market. The biggest problem that such changes bring to the software of the information system is that the adjustment of the enterprise's operation process often requires the original information system software to be re-designed and developed, so that the development cost is very high, we have found a relatively flexible architecture and management method so that the information system can quickly adapt to the changes in the enterprise's business process has become a top topic for software designers who construct information systems for enterprises. The reason why workflows and workflow management systems can be used by enterprise information systems lies in this. Although workflow technology has already begun to have a blank space in enterprise applications, compared with other technologies that have already been applied to enterprises, workflow technology is still in its early stage of technological development.

The following figure shows the development curve between the workflow and RDBMS system:

Of course, we can see that WF is in the initial development stage, and the database management system is very mature and productized.

My workflow trip

Let's start our journey to WF development. It seems that there are a lot of nonsense. I hope you will not dislike it, next let's start the development of the first program demo to complete our WF development journey.

1. Create a state machine workflow or a sequence workflow console application:

2. Enter the Project name:

3. Design related status nodes in workflow. The main design page is as follows:

4. Create a State node, find the following node in the toolbar on the left, and drag it to the designer:

Select the State node and drag it to the designer, as shown in the following figure:

5. In the design state flow, the start state node and the completion state node. After all, the workflow state must start and end, which is required for the state machine.

6. After the State is added, let's set the jump and distance of the State. Drag a new node to the designer:

After this node is selected, the edit Properties dialog box is displayed.

7. Set the jump and other actions of the node in this status:

8. In the order in, add the same event to the first initialization Start state to complete the jump. BackgroundCodeAs follows:

9. The effect after running is as follows:

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