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• Worked Examples – BPEL,

BPSS and more• Requests?

Why Visual Scripting?

Part 1

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?

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!

Visual Scripting of Business Processes

• Do you represent a business process like this…

• Or like this…

Introducing Visual Scripting…

Visual Scripting = Drawing XML

Step 1: Using scripted

symbols, domainexperts DRAW a business process

Step 2: VisualScript

BUILDSXML code based on

the diagram

Step 3:Define RUN

parameters to specify output

Theory of Visual Scripting

Part 1

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

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

Visual Scripting Example Process

Code is built from the diagram

Define Run Parameters & Run

Drag and drop pre-programmed symbols

How VisualScript Works

Part 2

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!

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

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

Demo

How VisualScript Works How VisualScript Works – 1– 1Basic concepts and operations

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

How VisualScript Works – Hierarchy

Empower end-users to create well-formed XML with tools that automatically enforce hierarchical relationships.

Automatic Connectors Swim Lanes

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

Demo

How VisualScript Works How VisualScript Works - 2- 2Creating re-usable models

How VisualScript Works – A Model Defined

• A Model is a diagram with pre-defined properties

• Users drag and drop pre-programmed symbols from a docked library

• VisualScript follows theflow of the diagram to

generate compliant XML script

• A model can support one or more output languages

• Model Advisors provide help to get started

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

How VisualScript Works – Validate, Build & Run

Set validation options

Generate Script from a diagram with one

click

Define Run Parameters

Demo

How VisualScript Works How VisualScript Works - 3- 3Using logical groups - thinking

beyond simple tags

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

Demo

How VisualScript Works How VisualScript Works – 4– 4Additional tools and features

How VisualScript Works – Power Features

• Automatically generated lists

• Other expressions– Conditional– Math– Assignment– Properties

• Integrated Debugger

How VisualScript Works – Scripted Symbols

1. Select Symbol

2. Insert Syntax

3. Define Fields & Types

4. Add Field Rules

How VisualScript Works – Statement Ordering

1. 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 thediagram

Enforcing Standards with VisualScript Models

VisualScript Models

allow you to create

reusable symbollibraries andtemplate diagramsfor other users

BREAKBREAK

Demo

Real World Use CasesReal World Use Cases

BPEL, BPSS, & moreBPEL, BPSS, & more

Demo

BPSSBPSS

Use Cases - BPSS

• Uses a pre-built Model

• Automatic Hierarchy with Swim Lanes

• Symbols represent real-world ideas like Business Documents

Demo

BPELBPEL

Use Cases - BPEL

• Uses Multiple Languages

• Uses automatically built list boxes

• Links between WSDL and BPEL

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

You are limited only by your own ingenuity!

What else can it do?

Schema, XSLT, RSS, WSDL,BPEL, ebXML BPSS, CPA, BODs, UBL…

Questions

Survey

Visual ScriptingPaul Stannard: paul@smartdraw.com David Webber: drrw@smartdraw.com