This chapter introduces OSWorkflow and teaches the basics of the workflow engine. We begin by describing a simple real-world example, and then by using steps, actions, and results we create an XML definition of the process. We have taken the example of the holiday workflow, which is used in every company.
After building the example, we will show you how to visually model workflow definitions. Finally, we will embed OSWorkflow into our application or use it as a standalone workflow engine. The outline will cover the following topics:
Downloading and installing OSWorkflow
Getting a taste from the distribution
OSWorkflow basics
Visual Process modeling
Ways to implement OSWorkflow
The current OSWorkflow version, 2.8, requires a Java VM version 1.3 or higher. You can download binaries and sources from the OSWorkflow page at http://www.opensymphony.com/osworkflow/. To use the software, you must unpack the files using any...