WORKFLOW-BASED APPLICATION GENERATOR

• US 20140075413A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ceebit Corporation
• Original Assignee: INADEV Corporation
• Inventors: Binjrajka, Vikrant
• Granted Patent: US 9,557,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

A workflow-based application generator to generate a workflow application based upon at least one received workflow process. The application generator is to generate, based on the received workflow process, workflow configuration rules that include a list of determined workflow pages based on a required functionality, and configuration routing rules that include an order of the workflow pages and dependency information pertaining to the workflow pages. The workflow-based application generator is to generate a workflow context according to the workflow configuration rules, the configuration routing rules, and the retrieved workflow pages. Based upon the generated workflow context, the workflow-based application generator is to build a workflow application.

Claims

9. A workflow-based application generator, comprising:

a data processing device; and

a memory on which is stored machine readable instructions, that when executed by the data processing device cause the data processing device to;

receive a workflow process;

analyze the received workflow process to determine a plurality of process steps;

generate, based on the determined plurality of process steps, a workflow configuration including workflow configuration rules that include a list of determined workflow pages based on a required functionality, and configuration routing rules that include an order of the workflow pages and dependency information pertaining to the workflow pages;

retrieve the determined workflow pages from a workflow page repository;

generate a workflow context according to the workflow configuration rules, the configuration routing rules, and the retrieved workflow pages; and

generate a workflow application based upon the workflow context.

1. A method of generating a workflow-based application, comprising:

receiving, by a data processing device, a workflow process;

analyzing the workflow process to determine a plurality of process steps;

generating, based on the plurality of process steps, a workflow configuration including workflow configuration rules that include a list of determined workflow pages based on a required functionality, and configuration routing rules that include an order of the workflow pages and dependency information pertaining to the workflow pages;

retrieving the determined workflow pages from a workflow page repository;

generating a workflow context according to the workflow configuration rules, the workflow routing rules, and the retrieved workflow pages; and

generating a workflow application based upon the workflow context.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the workflow context includes:

retrieving a workflow page template; and

aggregating the workflow configuration rules, the workflow routing rules, the identified and retrieved workflow pages, and the received workflow page template into the generated workflow context.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising building the workflow page template using user interface properties, form fields, and validation rules.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a target platform configuration;

generating the workflow application using the workflow context and the selected target platform configuration; and

building a deployment package using the generated workflow application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the target platform configuration includes:

selecting a target platform mode from a plurality of platform modes, each of platform mode having an associated platform specific plugin module; and

generating the target platform configuration based on the associated platform specific plugin module.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a workflow process includes receiving at least one of manually inputted workflow definitions, and a file having a format type that includes Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), Java-based BPM/Workflow Management System (YAWL), and XML Process Definition Language (XPDL).

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing workflow pages in the workflow page repository, each workflow page representing steps in a workflow and comprises a reusable component defined by metadata.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each workflow page stored in the workflow page repository includes an ID associated with the workflow page, and retrieving the determined workflow pages from the workflow page repository includes retrieving software code from a code repository based upon the IDs associated with the determined workflow pages.

10. The workflow-based application generator of claim 9, wherein said instructions are further to cause the data processing device to receive a plurality of workflow processes having at least one process step in common, wherein the generated workflow configuration rules and the generated routing configuration rules for each workflow process of the plurality of workflow processes includes a common workflow page.

11. The workflow-based application generator of claim 9, wherein a workflow page in the generated workflow application includes:

page properties;

a page template; and

form definitions,

wherein the page properties, page template, and form definitions are determined from the workflow configuration rules, the routing configuration rules, and a target platform configuration.

12. The workflow-based application generator of claim 9, wherein to generate the workflow context, the data processing device is further to retrieve a workflow page template and aggregate the workflow configuration rules, the workflow routing rules, the retrieved workflow pages, and the received workflow page template into the workflow context.

13. The workflow-based application generator of claim 9, wherein to generate the workflow application, the data processing device is further to:

select a target platform configuration;

generate the workflow application using the workflow context and the selected target platform configuration; and

build a deployment package using the generated workflow application.

14. The workflow-based application generator of claim 9, further comprising the workflow page repository to store the workflow pages, each workflow page representing steps in a workflow and comprises a reusable component defined by metadata, each workflow page including an ID, and to retrieve the determined workflow pages from the workflow page repository includes to retrieve software code from a code repository based upon the IDs of the determined workflow pages.

13-1. The workflow-based application generator of claim 9, wherein the received workflow process includes at least one of manually inputted workflow definitions, and a file having a format type that includes Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), Java-based BPM/Workflow Management System (YAWL), and XML Process Definition Language (XPDL).

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a data processing device, cause the data processing device to:

receive a workflow process;

analyze the received workflow process to determine a plurality of process steps;

generate, based on the determined plurality of process steps, a workflow configuration including workflow configuration rules that include a list of workflow pages based on a required functionality, and configuration routing rules that include an order of the workflow pages and dependency information pertaining to the workflow pages;

retrieve the determined workflow pages from a workflow page repository;

generate a workflow context according to the workflow configuration rules, the configuration routing rules, and the retrieved workflow pages; and

generate a workflow application based upon the workflow context.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein to generate a workflow context, said instructions are further to cause the data processing device to retrieve a workflow page template, and aggregate the workflow configuration rules, the workflow routing rules, the retrieved workflow pages, and the received workflow page template into the workflow context.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein to generate the workflow application, said instructions are further to cause the data processing device to:

select a target platform configuration;

generate the workflow application using the workflow context and the selected target platform configuration; and

build a deployment package using the generated workflow application.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the generated workflow application includes a plurality of workflow pages, each workflow page in the generated workflow application including:

page properties;

a page template; and

form definitions,

wherein the page properties, page template, and form definitions are determined from the workflow configuration rules, the routing configuration rules, and a target platform configuration.