[Openflow-dev] Few comments about openflow

[Markus S. <fi...@ik...>]

I've experimentally written one fairly large process definition using
openflow (handling of bug reports by internal/external customers).

Obviously, this process could be also done using the CMF-oriented tools,
but it seemed to me that OpenFlow is better suited of the two for the
purpose, and apparently more actively maintained/updated (major plus in my
book).

Few comments (based on 1.0):

* manage_editTransitionForm.dtml needs small change to be useful:
      Condition:<input type="text" name="condition" value=""><br>
=>
      Condition:<input type="text" name="condition" value="<dtml-var
condition>"><br>

* I can see the logic in the 'join' (and/xor); however, the 'split' logic
completely eludes me;

typically, I have two different cases in my process definitions:

- one outbound
- multiple outbound, few of them with condition's that specify which are
valid

the 'and' logic as it is (just fire off all, ignore conditions) makes 'and'
unusable. the 'xor' logic (fire off one with matching condition) makes the
typical-case-#2 very difficult to produce.

What is the reasoning behind the 'and' not honoring the conditions? As far
as I can see it, I can see ONLY one desirable split behavior, which is,
'start all that match guard', which is current and and xor's hybrid - let's
call it 'conditional-and'. "Fire deterministically pseudorandom" 'xor' I
cannot see any use for, nor do I for the current 'and'.

Obviously, current 'and' behavior would be done with 'conditional-and'
using empty conditions, and current 'xor' seems not worth saving - if the
conditions do not overlap, the 'conditional-and' does same as 'xor'; if
conditions overlap, the last thing I want happening is one random
transition firing..

* To someone who was wanting sorting by various things (deadlines and
such):

just create a custom worklist, I for example have something like this:
...
       <tr tal:repeat="workitem
python:workflow.Catalog.searchResults(meta_type='Workitem',status=['inactive',
'active'],sort_on='deadlinefix')">
...
and poof, I have pending workitems sorted by when they have to be taken
care of.

-Markus

--
"Why? Are they brain damaged?"
"No more so than anyone who works on computers for a living."
- Neal Stephenson/Frederick George, "Interface"