topic Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps in Alfresco Archive

Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

jck — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:42:59 GMT

Hi all,this post aims at providing the Alfresco developer a methodology to build powerful Alfresco application in 10 steps, and in 10 days. The project developed hereafter to explain this methodology is the track of a real one. Feel free to add new requirements to extend the use case.Step 1 - Define

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

edubreil — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:36:11 GMT

Hi all,

Step 2 : Stabilize the use case

For this tutorial, our user needs to type, process, share and stock mails.
We finally define five main features:
1 - dematerialize file (scan documents)
2 - store dematerialized documents
3 - type documents (associate meta data to content types)
4 - process documents associated to these content types
5 - file documents in the right place (in the classification scheme)

To address these features we adopt a methodology in three levels:
1 - design contents types and meta data
2 - design forms
3 - design workflows

We are going to work with SIDE-Labs, a graphical IDE based on Eclipse, so following steps will show SIDE-Labs in action.

Any comments?

Stl.

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

jck — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:16:29 GMT

In fact, developing an application is a repetitive scenario in 5 steps:
    * Think (requirements)
    * Input (store and input)
    * Process (workflow)
    * Browse (navigate and view)
    * Analyze (reports and Business Intelligence)

First one has just been answered in previous posts.

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

mrogers — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:09:36 GMT

If the point of this tutorial is "methodology", then I'd like to see some mention of iterative development in your process. I think this is especially important for new users of Alfresco who may fail to implement a big "requirement". However they would be able to tackle a large task if it were broken down into small but useful steps.

For example "design content types" may become a nightmare if you attempt to define a model for the entire business on a blank sheet of paper. Following that approach, you will probably spend a lot of time working on stuff that is never used. It's probably better to start with a minimal requirement and then refine it later.

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

jck — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:26:11 GMT

Hi,
I completely agree with you. Of course, development process is a repetitive and iterative process.

In this tutorial, we'll only manage one document type knowing that adding other content types is just a matter of iterating on thist first set of steps.

One of the main risk is to try to draw the complete picture and ending with nothing. One way is FDD (Feature Driven Development) which aims at structuring development in little steps you can develop one after the other, so when you end, whatever the reason, at least you have a set of working feature.

JC

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

edubreil — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:46:23 GMT

Hi all,

Step 3 : design content types

We define the following contents types in two diagrams titled "digitization" and "common".

The first one, "digitization", includes following content-types:
- document: label, number, comment, dematerialization and author
- incoming mail: sending date and sender
An "Service" enumeration is attached to the sender.

The second one, "common", includes following classes:
- company: name, address, phone number
- person: first name, last name, age

You finally get the following diagrams with SIDE-Labs.
[img]http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/images/thumb/4/4e/100000000000035F0000020B6086A27A.jpg/800px-100000000000035F0000020B6086A27A.jpg[/img]

Stl.

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

jck — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:55:11 GMT

Hi,
I post here:
* methodology overview
* requirements diagram
* data diagram

Methodology overview:
[img]http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/images/d/dd/10000201000002BB00000148179B478D.png[/img]

Requirements diagram:
[img]http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/images/7/75/10000000000003A800000291BB24A48D.jpg[/img]

Data diagram:
[img]http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/images/b/be/10000201000002F600000251F9B3F781.png[/img]

The diagrams have been made with SIDE-Labs. The corresponding wiki page can be directly accessed on http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/index.php/Documentation:User:Tutorial-10Steps.

JC

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

edubreil — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:36:51 GMT

Hi all,

Step 4 : Design Form Diagram

The form diagram is built from the class model.
The 'Load Resources' feature enables to retrieve the classes and properties contained in the data model.
For example,'Document' class is composed of three properties : label, a number, a comment …
Moreover, the form modeler enables to organize classes and properties into various forms, either for usage concerns (beginner, normal or expert forms) or visual appearances (horizontal, vertical, tabbed and borderless presentation). On the picture below, you can see the tree model on the left and on the right, the view outline.

[img]http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/images/thumb/c/c1/1000000000000212000002E32A4E333F.jpg/430px-1000000000000212000002E32A4E333F.jpg[/img]

Any questions?

Stl.

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

edubreil — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:19:15 GMT

Hi all,

Step 5 : Test Form

Once the form diagram designed, we have to generate and deploy it with Side-Labs, which can be described as a 'super configurator' for Alfresco.
First, it is nesessary to create an '.application' model to configure the options of generation and deployment.
A complete documentation is available to guide the different scales http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/index.php/Documentation:User:GettingStarted.
As it happens, form has been obtained by choosing for:
*model : data and form models
*generation: KSR400 Form > SIDE Chiba Form Generator for Alfresco and KSR500 Data > SIDE Content Model Generator for Alfresco
*deployment: XForms > SIDE Chiba X-Forms Direct Deployer and > Alfresco > SIDE Alfresco Direct Deployer
The model results can be accessed via an index page which lists links pointing to the different forms produced, as illustrated on the pictures below.

Index forms
[img]http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/images/4/4a/100000000000029C000000FB5CDDEEA0.jpg[/img]

InBoxMails forms
[img]http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/images/c/c0/100000000000027F000001BFBDDDF512.jpg[/img]

Stl.

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

edubreil — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:42:23 GMT

Hi all,

Step 6 : Workflow

Still using Side-Labs, configuration tool for Alfresco, the workflow's modeling involves creating the model of the same name .workflowdi.
As requirements and data models, we have three categories of objects:
*actors: Scanning, Administration, Management
*tasks and properties: CheckTypeDocument, ManageMails, Validate, MoveDocument
*links between different tasks: documentType, ifDocumentType, ifNoDocumentType, manageMails, validationTequest, …
Moreover, the workflow modeler enables to add 'Actions'. An action fits on a transition by right clicking on it and choosing 'Add an action' > Alfresco. Four choices are possible as :
*send e-mail
*import PDF
*export PDF
*create new content

Workflow model
[img]http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/images/e/e4/100000000000031A0000022D8ADEA4BA.jpg[/img]

For example, the code corresponding to the action 'send e-mail' is ever written, so it is just necessary to click on it in the menu, and the Action's window will open.
Very comfortable !

Stl.

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

edubreil — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:22:42 GMT

Hi all,

Step 7 : Form and Workflow integration

It is possible to start a workflow from a Form just by clicking on buttons. This way envolves to create a Form-Workflow, which is a form model. A command exists to automate the creation of this form:
*open the workflow model
*click right on it
*choose SIDE > 'Initialize from model'
All Form-Workflow have to be linked to a Data Form in the 'Properties' Field, that is the only one constraint of success.
The same options as Form are useable (Group in a new group, tabbed presentation …).
Other features are specific on Form Workflow as editing an attribute in a task and seeing it in another, but most of the time a simple initialization is sufficient !
As the Form model, the Form Workflow model is a tree.

Look at the tutorial http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/index.php/Documentation:User:Tutorial-10Steps.

Any question?

Stl.

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

edubreil — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:43:49 GMT

Hi all,

Step 8 : Test form-workflow integration

To test the integration Form-Workflow we use a webapp by adding 'demo' at the end of the http://localhost:8080/xforms/demo/. This webapp is separated into five areas among which are 'Actions' for changing the parameters as Chiba URL, and 'Configuration' where it is possible to observe the different parameters of connexion.

Webapp demo
[img]http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/images/thumb/2/24/10000000000004BA000002A7D2F43AD0.jpg/800px-10000000000004BA000002A7D2F43AD0.jpg[/img]

But the two most important one are :

* 'Launch a new instance of workflow': to start the workflow choosen and the first task associated;

* 'Pooled tasks': to move from one task to another by validating them.

Stl.

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

edubreil — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:25:48 GMT

Hi everybody,

Step 9 : Browse View

The view model enables to design exactly what you want to see from your data model to your Alfresco/Share application. As the form model, with a 'Load Ressource' and an 'Initialized from class', you retrieve the class data. Moreother, this model is easy to use, because it corresponds to a tree model whith which you structure informations by using drags and drops commands.
[img]http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/images/thumb/b/bf/1000000000000557000003375AF4AC80.jpg/800px-1000000000000557000003375AF4AC80.jpg[/img]
The result on Alfresco Share appears as this:
[img]http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/images/thumb/5/57/1000000000000555000001A530B472BC.jpg/800px-1000000000000555000001A530B472BC.jpg[/img]

Any questions or remarks ?

Stl.

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

edubreil — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:15:01 GMT

Hello again, here is the last post

Step 10 : That's it !

As a conclusion we can present YaMma as an open source project to build a mail management system, which is easy to adapt to other projects. In terms of project management, it is:
*10 models (data, form, workflow, view)
*5 days of modeling including tests, alternatives solutions, prototypes and discussions with the end users
*150 directories and files, more than 10 000 lines of code(xml, js, jpdl, …)

Of course, enhancement are possible. For example:
*it is possible to add new content type and metada associated
*it would be a good feature to add select list included on Form-Workflow for choosing between different content as 'Car' or 'Mail'for this project.
*it is possible to document all levels of the application. For data model, by right clicking on a class, the last tab of the window offers an area to write the concept description, and the .odt file is automatically generated at the same time as other amp. files.

Important links:
*update site for source models
http://www.side-labs.org/svn/models/SIDE-2/IS/ECM/Alfresco/3.2Labs/
*documentation to understand YaMma:
http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/index.php/Documentation:User:Tutorial-10Steps#Methodology_to_build_an_Alfresco_app_in_10_steps
*documentation to replay YaMma:
http://www.side-labs.org/wiki/index.php/SIDEownload:Yamma

Stl.

Re: Methodology to build Alfresco application in 10 steps

jck — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:57:50 GMT

Hi,
Here are a few more resources to download YaMma in source or binary form and conclude this tutorial about SIDE-Labs and Alfresco:
* [1] checkout YaMma source models (SIDE-Labs source code) on svn
* [2] download the entire application, packaged through an installer, to test it on Alfresco

HTH,

JC

[2] : http://www.side-labs.org/svn/models/SIDE-2/IS/ECM/Digitization/YaMma/
[3] : https://sourceforge.net/projects/side-labs/files/Applications/IS/ECM/Digitization/YaMma/