WebMethods Flow: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:20, 26 February 2007

Revision as of 05:26, 26 February 2007

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'''webMethods Flow''' (known as "flow code" or simply "Flowflow") is a [[graphical programming language]] that runs within the [[webMethods Integration Server]]. It was designed to simplify tedious, difficult to maintain or error prone aspects of integration/B2B activities.

The [[webMethods Developer]] is the IDE in which to write flow code.

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The main driver behind flow syntax was to allow the graphical configuration of the mapping logic that forms the major part of Integration projects. Transformation and conversion of data in a text based programming language quickly becomes unwieldy and cluttered. It is also quite difficult to maintain due to the cumbersome nature. Flow code seeks to alleviate this problem by creating a programming language similar to the way you would indicate mapping of data if your source and destination data formats were placed side by side on a white board and lines connecting source to destination.

The other goal of flow was to allow a service based view of the application. Any existing code is a service. Invoking functionality is akin to treating it as a "[[black box]]" requiring certain inputs (which are mapped from your available variables). The results of that operation are then treated as outputs of the "black box". The concept of the "pipeline" is the means by which to pass data to and get results back from invocation of services<ref name="wmPipelineExplained">[http://www.jroller.com/page/nathan?entry=webmethods_pipeline_variable_passing_and] - explanation of the webMethods pipeline</ref>.

==Syntax==

There are the following operators in the flow language<ref name="wmPipelineExplained" />:

* Map

* Invoke

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==Criticisms==

* Incorrectly used flow can produce some ugly code due to too much in the way of mapping in a single Map operation.

* It is a proprietary language and as such there is little support or reference material available outside [[webMethods]], the user group [http://www.wmusers.com wmusers.com] and a few isolated blogsuser created pages.

* Source code is stored as XML, making it rather difficult to use traditional editors, source control and merge tools.

* The graphical nature of the language may give the impression that non-technical staff are capable of writing good code in it. A technical background in other programming languages is of great advantage in producing good quality flow code.

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*[[webMethods Developer]] - the IDE

*[[webMethods]] - the creating company

==References==

<references/>

==External Links==

*[http://wmusers.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=47 wmusers forum for flow and java services]

*[http://www.jroller.com/page/nathan?entry=intro_to_webmethods_flow Introduction to webMethods flow]