Part 3: Practical Examples

Welcome to Part 3 of our article on simplifying workflow management with the XWorkflows library. In this section, we will dive into practical examples that demonstrate the library's capabilities in real-world scenarios.

Example 1: Order Processing Workflow

In this example, we'll walk you through the implementation of an order processing workflow using the XWorkflows library.

Scenario Consider an e-commerce platform where orders transition through different states: "Created," "Submitted," "Delivered," and "Canceled." We will create actions for submitting, canceling, and delivering orders, along with events for logging and notifications.

Implementation Define the Order Entity:

Create a class OrderEntity that implements IWorkflowStateEntity. This class will hold the order's identifier and state.

// Define the OrderEntity class
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Create Actions and Events:

Define actions for submitting, canceling, and delivering orders. Create corresponding events for each action to handle post-action tasks.

// Define actions and events
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Define States:

Create classes for each order state, inheriting from WorkflowStateBase<OrderEntity, State, OrderWorkflow>. Define the allowed transitions for each state.

// Define states
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Create the OrderWorkflow:

Define the OrderWorkflow class, registering the actions and states.

// Create the OrderWorkflow class
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Execute Workflow Actions:

Instantiate the OrderEntity and execute actions within the workflow.

// Instantiate OrderEntity
var order = new OrderEntity { /* Initialize properties */ };

// Execute actions within the workflow
var submitRequest = new SubmitOrderActionRequest { /* Request data */ };
var (submitResult, submitResponse) = await orderWorkflow.ExecuteAction(order, submitRequest);

Example 2: Task Management Workflow

In this example, we'll guide you through the implementation of a task management workflow using the XWorkflows library.

Scenario Imagine a task management application where tasks transition through states: "Open," "In Progress," "Completed," and "Canceled." We'll define actions for updating task status, marking tasks as completed, and canceling tasks.

Implementation Define the Task Entity:

Create a class TaskEntity that implements IWorkflowStateEntity. This class will store the task's identifier and state.

// Define the TaskEntity class
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Create Actions and Events:

Define actions for updating task status, completing tasks, and canceling tasks. Implement corresponding events for post-action tasks.

// Define actions and events
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Define States:

Create classes for each task state, inheriting from WorkflowStateBase<TaskEntity, State, TaskWorkflow>. Specify allowed transitions for each state.

// Define states
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Create the TaskWorkflow:

Define the TaskWorkflow class, registering actions and states.

// Create the TaskWorkflow class
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Execute Workflow Actions:

Instantiate the TaskEntity and execute actions within the workflow.

// Instantiate TaskEntity
var task = new TaskEntity { /* Initialize properties */ };

// Execute actions within the workflow
var updateStatusRequest = new UpdateTaskStatusActionRequest { /* Request data */ };
var (updateStatusResult, updateStatusResponse) = await taskWorkflow.ExecuteAction(task, updateStatusRequest);

Example 3: Approval Workflow

In our final example, we'll showcase the XWorkflows library's application in an approval workflow scenario.

Scenario Consider a document approval process with states: "Draft," "Pending Approval," "Approved," and "Rejected." We'll create actions for submitting documents, approving/rejecting them, and events for notifications.

Implementation Define the Document Entity:

Create a class DocumentEntity implementing IWorkflowStateEntity. This class will hold the document's identifier and state.

// Define the DocumentEntity class
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Create Actions and Events:

Define actions for submitting documents, approving them, and rejecting them. Create corresponding events for notifications.

// Define actions and events
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Define States:

Create classes for each document state, inheriting from WorkflowStateBase<DocumentEntity, State, ApprovalWorkflow>. Specify allowed transitions.

// Define states
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Create the ApprovalWorkflow:

Define the ApprovalWorkflow class, registering actions and states.

// Create the ApprovalWorkflow class
// https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

Execute Workflow Actions:

Instantiate the DocumentEntity and execute actions within the workflow.

// Instantiate DocumentEntity
var document = new DocumentEntity { /* Initialize properties */ };

// Execute actions within the workflow
var submitRequest = new SubmitForApprovalActionRequest { /* Request data */ };
var (submitResult, submitResponse) = await approvalWorkflow.ExecuteAction(document, submitRequest);

Conclusion

In this section, we've explored practical examples that demonstrate how the XWorkflows library can be applied to real-world scenarios. Through the order processing, task management, and approval workflow examples, we've showcased the library's versatility and power in simplifying workflow management within software applications.

By following these examples and harnessing the capabilities of the XWorkflows library, developers can efficiently manage complex workflows, ensure data integrity, and achieve organized and maintainable software systems.

References and Resources

XWorkflows Examples GitHub Repository: https://github.com/dejandjenic/XWorkflows.Examples

NuGet Package: XWorkflows