[news.eclipse.technology.jwt] Re: MWE vs JWT

[Mickael Istria <mickael.istria@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bryan Hunt a écrit :
> I just ran across the Eclipse JWT project and it seems that it either 
> overlaps or compliments MWE - I'm not quite sure which.  Have the two 
> groups had any discussions on collaboration?
>
> I am, hopefully, cross-posting to both groups and including a link to my 
> starter EMF based workflow engine for discussion.
>
> https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=225892
>
> Bryan


Hello,

I took a look at MWE, and here are a few thought that could maybe show 
you some differences between MWE and JWT. (However, I am not a wise old 
man in JWT -and Eclipse more generally-, so that I apologize in advance 
if I make mistakes).


MWE is a modeler for workflow based on EMF. According to what I quickly 
saw when I tried it, it defines a metamodel for workflows, and allows 
users to write and run a workflow defined in this metamodel.

JWT is aimed to be a complete and generic tool for workflow designers. 
It includes a graphical editor that allows to "draw" a workflow. It uses 
an internal metamodel for workflows which is compatible with AgilPro 
Workflow Engine.
In the future, JWT should include some runtime tools that would allow 
user to monitor his workflow from JWT with a large and open set of 
workflow engines (we are currently focusing on Bonita).

We recently integrated into JWT a transformation framework to give it 
more compatibility with other standards such as XPDL, BPMN... (the list 
is short for the time, but it may be extended). XPDL will give to JWT 
the ability to design workflows that will be compatible with Bonita, and 
BPMN will make JWT compatible with other graphical workflow editors.

As you can see, we are trying to make JWT as complete and general as 
possible.


The thought that came to my mind when I discovered MWE workflow engine 
was: "JWT could handle it".
Including a new workflow engine into JWT can be done in a few steps 
(that may not be so easy to implement than to desctibe them):
- Extend editor and JWT metamodel to make them support additional 
informations necessary to your metamodel (that is the most difficult 
point since changing metamodel must be done cleverly)
- Add a transformation from JWT internal metamodel to your workflow 
engine metamodel, so that JWT can produce MWE files
- and, if you want a full integration, add a launcher for your workflow 
engine, and everything to call it from the UI.



I hope that all this monologue answered your questions, and that it gave 
you some ideas for a possible future compatibility between JWT and MWE.

Mickael