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Visual Scripting of XML

Visual Scripting of XML. Introduction - Presenters. David Webber drrw@smartdraw.com Paul Stannard paul@smartdraw.com. Tutorial Agenda. Part 1 Why Visual Scripting? Theory of Visual Scripting Examples Part 2 How VisualScript Works Building VisualScript models Part 3

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Visual Scripting of XML

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  1. Visual Scripting of XML

  2. Introduction - Presenters • David Webber • drrw@smartdraw.com • Paul Stannard • paul@smartdraw.com

  3. Tutorial Agenda • Part 1 • Why Visual Scripting? • Theory of Visual Scripting • Examples • Part 2 • How VisualScript Works • Building VisualScript models • Part 3 • Worked Examples – BPEL, BPSS and more • Requests?

  4. Why Visual Scripting? Part 1

  5. Is XML Too Complex? • Can XML standards be easily developed, updated and promoted? • Are there only a handful of XML gurus who really understand the developing standards? • Is there an intuitive, graphical way to represent business processes? • Can the domain expert’s knowledge be captured accurately?

  6. Why Visual Scripting? – What are we trying to do? • Allow non XML experts to express their business knowledge in XML formats – particularly business processes • Insulate users from the details of XML syntax • Capture the knowledge of experts in a re-usable form • Make XML re-usable! • To be completely open • Support any XML standard • To accelerate the adoption and deployment of XML by making it easier!

  7. Or like this… Visual Scripting of Business Processes • Do you represent a business process like this…

  8. Step 1: Using scripted symbols, domain experts DRAW a business process Step 2: VisualScript BUILDS XML code based on the diagram Step 3: Define RUN parameters to specify output Introducing Visual Scripting… Visual Scripting = Drawing XML

  9. Theory of Visual Scripting Part 1

  10. Theory of Visual Scripting • XML is hierarchical and associative • Visual metaphor must match richness of XML expression • Need a higher level abstraction that insulates users from syntax • Conceptual objects not tags • Automatic control of hierarchy • Package abstraction as an intuitive, re-usable model • Access, Outreach & Communication

  11. Approach • Work from XML output as a roadmap • Map appropriate XML fragments to logical components. • Logical component = symbol with real world meaning • Design a template that creates the XML output from the logical components • Use UI components that automate hierarchy • Swim lanes & trees • Modify output with user input • Entry fields on symbols • Automatic cross references (+across models) • Validation

  12. Code is built from the diagram Drag and drop pre- programmed symbols Define Run Parameters & Run Visual Scripting Example Process

  13. How VisualScript Works Part 2

  14. VisualScript: The Process Solution • Provides a graphical interface to business processes represented as XML such as BPEL and BPSS • Facilitates rapid prototyping of emerging standards and ensures compliance • Bridges the communication gap between business people and XML developers • Allows ANY flavor of XML; It’s completely open!

  15. The VisualScript Story • Our history is business process diagramming • Business processes are flowcharts and should be represented as such • Forms are a good linear solution, but are inadequate for process-oriented applications

  16. How VisualScript Works – Statements • A drawing is a list of shapes • Each shape is assigned one or more statements • Documents have statements • These are compiled into a script

  17. Demo How VisualScript Works – 1 Basic concepts and operations

  18. How VisualScript Works – Fields & Expressions Allow users to enter the value of a variable by adding Fields to shapes. Assign properties to field values with Field Types and Drop-Lists Use Expressions to streamline coding efforts

  19. How VisualScript Works – Hierarchy • Empower end-users to create well-formed XML with tools that automatically enforce hierarchical relationships. Automatic Connectors Swim Lanes

  20. How VisualScript Works – Scripted Symbols • Associate script with real-world objects that represent steps in a process NOT a symbol for each element. Do not assume users will order the statements

  21. Demo How VisualScript Works - 2 Creating re-usable models

  22. How VisualScript Works – A Model Defined • A Modelis a diagram with pre-defined properties • Users drag and drop pre-programmed symbols from a docked library • VisualScript follows the flow of the diagram to generate compliant XML script • A model can support one or more output languages • Model Advisors provide help to get started

  23. How VisualScript Works – Building a Model • Make your symbols • Make a library and add the symbols • Make a document • Set the validation, run parameters and lock • Save as a template

  24. How VisualScript Works – Validate, Build & Run Generate Script from a diagram with one click Define Run Parameters Set validation options

  25. Demo How VisualScript Works - 3 Using logical groups - thinking beyond simple tags

  26. How VisualScript Works – Re-using XML • A symbol with fields is re-usable XML – a Function • Whole drawings can be re-usable using #include statements and linking • Create a hierarchy of drawings

  27. Demo How VisualScript Works – 4 Additional tools and features

  28. How VisualScript Works – Power Features • Automatically generated lists • Other expressions • Conditional • Math • Assignment • Properties • Integrated Debugger

  29. How VisualScript Works – Scripted Symbols 2. Insert Syntax 4. Add Field Rules 1. Select Symbol 3. Define Fields & Types

  30. How VisualScript Works – Statement Ordering • Use Automatic Connectors to • create hierarchy among objects 2. Automatically enforce Parent / Child relationships 3. Use indent / out-dent tools to set relationships manually 4. View Statement Order in the diagram

  31. Enforcing Standards with VisualScript Models VisualScript Models allow you to create reusable symbol libraries and template diagrams for other users

  32. BREAK

  33. Demo Real World Use Cases BPEL, BPSS, & more

  34. Demo BPSS

  35. Use Cases - BPSS • Uses a pre-built Model • Automatic Hierarchy with Swim Lanes • Symbols represent real-world ideas like Business Documents

  36. Demo BPEL

  37. Use Cases - BPEL • Uses Multiple Languages • Uses automatically built list boxes • Links between WSDL and BPEL

  38. Author Your Own XML Solution Automatic Compliance: Build Your Own Model • Open system—work in any language! • Insulate the end-user and empower them to build well-formed XML • Create re-usable XML statements Collaboration: Easily Package and Distribute Models • Like sharing Financial models in Excel Quick Start: Use Built-in Model Templates • VisualScript includes model templates to help you get started

  39. You are limited only by your own ingenuity! What else can it do? Schema, XSLT, RSS, WSDL, BPEL, ebXML BPSS, CPA, BODs, UBL…

  40. Questions

  41. Survey

  42. Visual Scripting Paul Stannard: paul@smartdraw.com David Webber: drrw@smartdraw.com

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