[Openflow-dev] Re: [Openflow-pa] Openflow implementation contract

[Daniele T. <d.t...@ic...>]

Hello Cory,

please read inline comments/suggestions.


On Monday 15 November 2004 22:45, Ben M wrote:
> I have a client that has chosen Openflow as their solution, but needs
> someone (me) to handle the implementation.
>
> They have a complex system requiring mutiple levels of approval and review
> for hardware design. A web designer by trade, I am somewhat familiar with
> workflow and have been researching Openflow, but there are still several
> gaps in my knowledge....
>
> * Does anyone have experience in quoting an Openflow implementation? A
> sample proposal, with anything sensitive removed of course, would be
> amazingly helpful.

Can't really help you there. You could mention the OpenFlow strengths you can 
find on the OpenFlow site at www.openflow.it.


> * Any thoughts on common gotchas?

See my answer to point 3-4, below.


> * At this point I haven't studied their process enough to know if Openflow
> will work as-is or needs to be extended? If so, what is that process like?
> (I do have some experience in Python programming)

OpenFlow is a tool for supporting workflow applications that are developed by 
Zope/python programmers. It is *not* an end-user application. You can have an 
example of the applications you can support with OpenFlow downloading the 
example available in the download page at www.openflow.it.

So since OpenFlow is just a tool that you use in your application I suggest 
getting acquainted with the environment it is created for: Zope. I'm afraid 
being a python programmer is not enough to use OpenFlow, you should get 
somehow into Zope. 

If your application is just to give it a try, then you'll just need the 
ZopeBook documentation. That would be a good start and still lets you develop 
some quite capable and usable applications. Most of the OpenFlow examples you 
can download are made with just Python Scripts and DTML-ZPT. Then, if your 
interest goes further, you can dive into the developer's book and exploit 
some more of the Zope/OpenFlow functionalities.


> * Does Openflow have enough capability to stand alone, or should I expect
> to develop companion web applications to handle information submission,
> files, etc...?

OpenFlow is not stand alone. The application you develop makes use of OpenFlow 
to coordinate the people and their work. I'm afraid you'll have to develop 
the interfaces and back-end logic of your project. OpenFlow will be beneath 
all this, given that you need to handle work between people. 


> Thanks!
> Cory

Thanks for your interest,
 Daniele


-- 
Daniele Tarini - Research & Development - Icube S.r.l.
Address:        Via Ridolfi 15 - 56124 Pisa (PI), Italy
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