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Beautiful Workflows: A Matter of Taste?

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The Beauty of Functional Code

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 8106))

Abstract

Workflows can be specified using different languages. Mainstream workflow management systems predominantly use procedural languages having a graphical representation involving AND/XOR splits and joins (e.g., using BPMN). However, there are interesting alternative approaches. For example, case handling approaches are data-driven and allow users to deviate within limits, and declarative languages based on temporal logic (where everything is allowed unless explicitly forbidden). Recently, Rinus Plasmeijer proposed the iTask system (iTasks) based on the viewpoint that workflow modeling is in essence a particular kind of functional programming. This provides advantages in terms of expressiveness, extendibility, and implementation efficiency. On the occasion of his 61st birthday, we compare four workflow paradigms: procedural, case handling, declarative, and functional. For each paradigm we selected a characteristic workflow management system: YAWL (procedural), BPM|one (case handling), Declare (declarative), and iTasks (functional). Each of these systems aims to describe and support business processes in an elegant manner. However, there are significant differences. In this paper, we aim to identify and discuss these differences.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Architecture of Information Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, NL-5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Wil M. P. van der Aalst, Michael Westergaard & Hajo A. Reijers

  2. International Laboratory of Process-Aware Information Systems, National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), 33 Kirpichnaya Str., Moscow, Russia

    Wil M. P. van der Aalst & Michael Westergaard

  3. Business Process Management Discipline, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia

    Wil M. P. van der Aalst

  4. Perceptive Software, Piet Joubertstraat 4, 7315 AV, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands

    Hajo A. Reijers

Authors
  1. Wil M. P. van der Aalst
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  3. Hajo A. Reijers
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Computing and Information Sciences (ICIS), Radboud University Nijmegen, Heijendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Peter Achten

  2. Institute for Computing and Information Sciences (ICIS), Radboud University Nijmegen, Heijendaalseweg 135,, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Pieter Koopman

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van der Aalst, W.M.P., Westergaard, M., Reijers, H.A. (2013). Beautiful Workflows: A Matter of Taste?. In: Achten, P., Koopman, P. (eds) The Beauty of Functional Code. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 8106. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40355-2_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40355-2_15

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