This article describes how the IDE can be utilized as a common platform for both developers and business experts, how the development process is accelerated, and how costs are reduced. The integrated IDE supports free choice of architecture for using business logic.
WebSphere Application Developer (WSAD) is - like Eclipse and other IDEs based on Eclipse - a platform that can be complemented with different tools and customized to meet individual needs. A business rules system has been presented by a German software engineering company that is the first of its kind as a plug-in for these platforms. With WSAD, it presents an integrated IDE for the development of applications with easy-to-change business logic.
As a plug-in, the business rules system uses the functionalities of WSAD and complements the platform with a unique method of graphical development of business logic and automatic rule code generation of the models.
Accelerating the Process Using the Graphical Approach
Different concepts of software engineering target integrating the knowledge of business experts into the application development process. UML is one of them. Relations between classes and objects are modeled graphically to control data flow and communication between objects.
The graphical modeling approach is used by the business rules system for the development of business logic. The whole modeling process - structuring rule flow as well as defining rules as different decisions - is covered with the graphical method. This makes results extremely traceable and easy to actualize and debug. The graphical design of the IDE allows for efficient integration of the business expert into the development process. The complete model represents the precise definition of the business logic. The developer then takes this model and automatically generates rule code for it. Based on simplified coordination between business and IT experts, high-quality development and actualization of business logic is accelerated.
Platform for Developers and Business Experts
The business user has a simple view of the IDE that solely comprises the graphical rule editor. This editor also displays statistics of simulations and tests that are important for the expert to debug the logic from his business view. Modeling the rules in their context, he or she has direct access to the data objects of the application and is supported by dialogues. It is not necessary to define an extra business language.
Figure 1 shows a graphical editor for modeling business logic, in this case for calculating prices of cinema tickets depending on the hall where the film is shown and the seat that has been chosen. This calculation example is extended by a second tree (node at the bottom of the model) that integrates discounts for students and coupons. This ability to extend rule trees is provided for reasons of clarity accompanying complexity.
The graph in Figure 2 shows a similar interface for the developer. It has different views of the business logic (for navigation, for project settings, statistics, etc.), using the previous example after simulation of single data processing, with statistics at the nodes and highlighting of the path taken in the rule tree.
