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Introduction to Workflow within Radicore [message #184]

Fri, 14 July 2006 05:16

AJM
Messages: 2386
Registered: April 2006
Location: Surrey, UK

Senior Member

For an introduction to the activity-based Workflow system which is included within the Radicore framework please see http://www.radicore.org/viewarticle.php?article_id=31

Tony Marston
http://www.tonymarston.net
http://www.radicore.org

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Re: Introduction to Workflow within Radicore [message #688 is a reply to message #184]

Sun, 18 March 2007 18:16

braingeyser
Messages: 17
Registered: November 2006
Location: Melbourne Australia

Junior Member

Is there somewhere I can see the petri-net diagrams for the example application workflow systems. It would help me to understand how to go from a diagram to an implementation.

I've only just discovered how useful this workflow system actually is, and then only by accident. I was playing around with the example app and forgot to add an address for a new person. Lo and behold, a message suddenly appears (as well as a lightbulb switching on above my head) on the home page reminding me to do it and providing me with a link to facilitate it.

"WTF!!" I thought. "How cool is THAT !!". After about 3 nanoseconds of further thought, I realised it must be that "workflow thingy" I had completely ignored until now. I had presumed you'd use it for long, drawn-out complex processes involving many steps and conditions. Since I currently had no use for that in the app I'm building at the moment (my first one using radicore) I decided I didn't need it right now. At the same time I was wondering how I'm going to make this app more bullet-proof for the bloke I'm making it for, who's not quite as computer literate as I'd like (this is where the lightbulb comes in).

What a totally marvelous concept. Its good to finally find a real world use for some of the interesting-but-what-good-is-it-really stuff I learned at uni. Smile

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Re: Introduction to Workflow within Radicore [message #689 is a reply to message #688]

Sun, 18 March 2007 19:10

AJM
Messages: 2386
Registered: April 2006
Location: Surrey, UK

Senior Member

In the zip download there is a folder called radicore/workflow/docs which contains a workflow-examples.html (this is also available at http://www.radicore.org/demo/workflow/docs/workflow-examples .html)

This shows a diagram of each of the different sample workflows which are available in the workflow database. Only one of these samples can be active at any one time, so by changing the end_date you can make a different one "current" as of today's date. A workflow is inactive if its end_date is in the past, or active/current if its end_date is in the future.

Tony Marston
http://www.tonymarston.net
http://www.radicore.org

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Re: Introduction to Workflow within Radicore [message #690 is a reply to message #689]

Sun, 18 March 2007 20:40

braingeyser
Messages: 17
Registered: November 2006
Location: Melbourne Australia

Junior Member

And if there is no end date then am I correct in assuming it's current indefinitely?

Quote:

Only one of these samples can be active at any one time

Could you explain why please? Does this mean it's not possible to have two running or that you choose not to? If so why?

[Updated on: Sun, 18 March 2007 20:44]

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Re: Introduction to Workflow within Radicore [message #695 is a reply to message #690]

Mon, 19 March 2007 05:10

AJM
Messages: 2386
Registered: April 2006
Location: Surrey, UK

Senior Member

If the end date is blank it signifies "infinity", far into the future. This is actually held on the database as "9999-12-31".

When I said "only one workflow can be active at any one time" I should have said "only one workflow with the same start task can be active at any one time. This means that whenever a task is run it can only start no more than 1 new workflow case. Sorry for the confusion.

Tony Marston
http://www.tonymarston.net
http://www.radicore.org

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