Re: Workflow engine

> > Most engines let you define a web service (SOAP) provider where you
> > specify the method to invoke, required parameters;  it simply a matter
> > of defining the provider 'schema', and then method can be invoked.
> How is authentication handled in a real world setup?

Usually relies upon the HTTP layer;  the same as authenticating with an OGo
XML-RPC request.  Some servers support authentication beyond BASIC, but so very
eveyrone I've met supports BASIC.  And some servers choose, for whatever unholy
reason, to put authentication in the method request itself (where
username/secret pairs are parameters).

> >> I suppose writing a small SOAP<->XML-RPC bridge should be pretty easy
> >> in Mono?
> > True.  And on my to-do list.  I already have some .NET Remoting <-> OGo
> > XML-RPC code.  I'm currently redrafting all my slop and maybe I will
> > have something someone else would be interested in.
> Would you consider starting a Mono implementation of GroupDAV? 

Yes, I've already played with it a bit based upon the example requests in the
GroupDAV document.  And I've looked at the noodle code for more information, but
I probably need to just install it and read the packets.  Not being a 'real'
developer it is often easier for me to read packets rather than code.

Is there any documentation on what properties OGo makes available via DAV?  I'm
not terribly familiar with DAV and working with ZideStore often feels like
groping in the dark.

The object's I've been able to pull (I can enumerate a collection, fetch an
object) seem rather spartan so maybe I'm missing some way to tweak my query?

>Are  there any iCalendar parsing libraries for Mono?

I've looked, no luck so far.

> >> That is actually the major work, packaging the OGo functionality in
> >> something which can be referred from the workflow definition. Not sure
> >> how this is done in current solutions as it probably involves some
> >> scripting.
> > Just some mechanism for OGo to emit events would be terribly useful and
> > save a great deal of polling.  Even something as simple as 'object
> > created;task;11560' would be extremely useful.  Write it to a file or a
> > table, with a timestamp,   Currently for an external system to know a
> > task (or anything) was created is really hard,  although tracking a
> > existing object is easy based upon the objectVersion.
> What you want is not possible. Whether the object will be created is  
> only known at database transaction commit.

Thats what I feared.

> We once started an effort called the "trackd". This allowed XML-RPC  
> clients to register themselves for change notifications. The trackd  
> itself tracked changes by polling the object version.
> http://svn.opengroupware.org/viewcvs/trunk/Recycler/SandStorm/ 
> skytrackd/?rev=593

I'll take a look

> I agree that such a functionality would be very useful.

Yep.
 
> > Perhaps, I don't know if it has a plugin interface.  I've so far  
> > avoided
> > developing in Java; running the apps is hard enough.
> Well, actually JaWE install was flawless, the provided JNLP works just  
> fine.

I've never had any trouble with jawe specifically, but I only run it on Linux/GNOME.

> >> Writing some own simple modeller as a web app could be done as well.
> >> Not sure whether people would be pleased with that though.
> > Like OpenWFE's droflo?
> Don't know what this is.

droflo is just the name for their workflow builder.
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