[Zope-PTK] Content Management Articles

albert boulanger aboulang@ldeo.columbia.edu
Wed, 18 Oct 2000 14:29:15 -0400 (EDT)


   Albert Boulanger observed:

   > I really have a biased reaction about workflow focused on CMS of
   > webpages like in these articles. I think workflow should be more
   > general -- as general as work is. Zope would make its mark if it
   > offered or integrated with a WMF -- Workflow Management System (such
   > as Staffware's) that then can be applied to workflow of content for
   > CMS.

   I'm not familiar with Staffware, or any other dedicated workflow 
   systems. I did check out their Web Site though and found that 
   their product isn't available for Linux, and only works with two 
   costly RDBM systems. Prices were nowhere in sight, which always 
   makes me skittish.

Yes this in not a great open source solution. Adopting XML-based
protocols like SWAP and Wf-XML (its follow-on) would make plug and
play with systems like Staffware easier. The idea is to design the
interface to workflow management in the right way (and to provide some
basic one perhaps.)

The P2P Magi Server will have a java based visual workflow editor in
the near future. I am not sure if it will be open source or not. See
http://www.endtech.com/ . This uses SWAP. I have seen a prototype of
this and is quite nice.

See the two diagrams at http://www.zope.org/Members/aboulang/ for how
the Workflow Management Coalition views the interface to workflow
management. See also www.wfmc.org.

FYI,
Albert Boulanger
aboulanger@vpatch.com