[Zope] Generic Workflow Products?

[albert boulanger]

      Sounds like a job for Zope, doesn't it.  Basically I've
      implemented a couple of systems like this, either
      classic database-driven or z-class driven.  But I'm tired
      of re-inventing the wheel.  It would be nicer if systems
      like this could be implemented at the "workflow logic" 
      level rather than the Zclass level.  IE a set of ZClasses
      or Product classes that implemented workflow systems.

      Is there such a thing? Has anyone worked on such a thing?  
      Any ideas how to implement such a thing?

      I've got a couple of modifications to an existing system
      coming up, which sounds like just the excuse I need
      for a total rewrite :)

      -- cary

   There are several workflow activites within Zope that I know of:

   PTK has and "implicit" workflow support for moving documents in a
   review process. Unfortunately workflow hangs off of the documents from
   what I saw of its design patterns. Not a good design if a workflow
   step involves multiple documents and the execution of applications on
   data.

   Several Zope sites have some kind of workflow for what they do. There
   is a mesh healing (CAD/CAM) Zope based application service provider
   (ASP) that comes to mind.

   There is an standards based (WFMC -- workflow management coalition,
   www.wfmc.org) Zope product that really has seen no progress since early
   this year - see openflow.sourceforge.net

   You might consider marrying a workflow engine like Staffware's to
   Zope. This marriage may be easier if they support SWAP (simple
   workflow access protocol see www.ics.uci.edu/~ietfswap). Staffware has
   indicated that they will (are) supporting SWAP.

   We are a company, vPatch, that is building web-based workflow that can
   run apps for the oil and gas industry. Our current system uses tclets
   to display workflow graphically, but we are going to Java.  It would
   be nice to work on a good set of (standards based) design patterns for
   workflow and implement them in Zope. In my mind these patterns would
   consider pluggable workflow engines like Staffware's using SWAP.


   Yours in workflow,
   Albert Boulanger
   aboulanger@vpatch.com