Oracle Workflow Builder lets you create, view, or modify a business process with simple drag and drop operations. Using the Workflow Builder, you can create and modify all workflow objects, including activities, item types, and messages. At any time you can add, remove, or change workflow activities, or set up new prerequisite relationships among activities. You can easily work with a summary-level model of your workflow, expanding activities within the workflow as needed to greater levels of detail. And, you can operate Oracle Workflow Builder from a desktop PC or from a disconnected laptop PC.

The Workflow Engine embedded in the Oracle database server monitors workflow states and coordinates the routing of activities for a process. Changes in workflow state, such as the completion of workflow activities, are signaled to the engine via a PL/SQL API or a Java API. Based on flexibly-defined workflow rules, the engine determines which activities are eligible to run, and then runs them. The Workflow Engine supports sophisticated workflow rules, including looping, branching, parallel flows, and subflows.

• Business Event System
• Workflow Definitions Loader
• Complete Programmatic Extensibility
• Electronic Notifications
• Electronic Mail Integration
• Internet-Enabled Workflow
• Monitoring and Administration

The Business Event System is an application service that uses the Oracle Advanced Queuing (AQ) infrastructure to communicate business events between systems. The Business Event System consists of the Event Manager, which lets you register subscriptions to significant events, and event activities, which let you model business events within workflow processes. When a local event occurs, the subscribing code is executed in the same transaction as the code that raised the event. Subscription processing can include executing custom code on the event information, sending event information to a workflow process, and sending event information to other queues or systems.

The Workflow Definitions Loader is a utility program that moves workflow definitions between database and corresponding flat file representations. You can use it to move workflow definitions from a development to a production database, or to apply upgrades to existing definitions. In addition to being a standalone server program, the Workflow Definitions Loader is also integrated into Oracle Workflow Builder, allowing you to open and save workflow definitions in both a database and file.

Oracle Workflow lets you include your own PL/SQL procedures or external functions as activities in your workflows. Without modifying your application code, you can have your own program run whenever the Workflow Engine detects that your program’s prerequisites are satisfied.

Oracle Workflow lets you include users in your workflows to handle activities that cannot be automated, such as approvals for requisitions or sales orders. Electronic notifications are routed to a role, which can be an individual user or a group of users. Any user associated with that role can act on the notification. Each notification includes a message that contains all the information a user needs to make a decision. The information may be embedded in the message body or attached as a separate document. Oracle Workflow interprets each notification activity response to decide how to move on to the next workflow activity.

Electronic mail (e-mail) users can receive notifications of outstanding work items and can respond to those notifications using their e-mail application of choice. An e-mail notification can include an attachment that provides another means of responding to the notification.

Any user with access to a standard Web browser can be included in a workflow. Web users can access a Notification Web page to see their outstanding work items, then navigate to additional pages to see more details or provide a response.

Workflow administrators and users can view the progress of a work item in a workflow process by connecting to the Workflow Monitor using a standard Web browser that supports Java. The Workflow Monitor displays an annotated view of the process diagram for a particular instance of a workflow process, so that users can get a graphical depiction of their work item status.The Workflow Monitor also displays a separate status summary for the work item, the process, and each activity in the process

Tools for mapping business processes, which might be defined sets of routes, roles, and rules for the movement of documents and tasks. Implementation of those business processes through linkages with a company’s computer network, shared databases, and email systems, so that information can flow through the organization at a controlled and efficient pace.

The components of Oracle Workflow require the following hardware and software configurations:

• Oracle Workflow Builder is installed using Oracle Universal Installer and requires the installation of Oracle Net Services (version 8.1.6 or higher for Oracle8i, or version 9.0.1 or higher for Oracle9i) and Required Support Files (version 8.1.6 or higher for Oracle8i, or version 9.0.1 or higher for Oracle9i). You should install Oracle Workflow Builder on an IBM, Compaq or 100% compatible personal computer with the following:
• A 486 processor or better Clock speed of 66 Mhz or greater (90 Mhz or greater is recommended)
• Network card
• SVGA color monitor
• Modem configured with dial-in access for use by Oracle Worldwide Customer Support. At least one PC at your site should be configured with a modem.

• Productive Application Development
• Visual and Declarative Experience
• Declarative Business Services
• Rich Web User Interfaces
• Advanced Controller
• Simplified Binding

• Visual and Declarative Java EE Development
• Business Services Development
• User Interface Development
• Binding Business Services Components to the User Interface

• End-to-End Solution
• Development Environment
• Platform Independence
• Technology Choice
• Technology Commitment
• Metadata-Driven
• Declarative Customization
• Enhanced Reusability
• Source availability
• Support

1. Integrated and Pluggable Model-View-Controller Framework
   Oracle ADF is based on the model view controller design pattern that promotes loose coupling and easier application development and maintenance. Oracle ADF provides a solution for each of the MVC layers and supports easy integration of the various layers together with integrated security and customization solution.
2. Rich Web Based Interfaces
   Oracle ADF includes a library of more than 150 standards-based Java Server Faces (JSF) components with built-in HTML5 and Ajax functionality. With these components, web deployed user interfaces can be developed with a level of functionality and interactivity previously reserved for thick-client applications. The components offer data interaction, data visualization, and encapsulated browser side operations in a set of easy to use components that makes rich client application development easier than ever. The ADF Faces components adapt to support user interfaces on both regular browsers and tablet based browser including support for touch gestures and adaptive layouts.
3. Advanced Page Flow
   Oracle ADF extends the basic JSF controller to provide the ADF Controller. The ADF Controller provides: enhanced page and operations flow control, comprehensive state management, and reusability of flows as components in other flows and inside JSF pages and portals.
4. Drag and Drop Data Binding
   ADF provides a data-binding framework that simplifies binding UI to business services through a simple drag and drop operations in the IDE. This is done while still keeping the independence of the business service from consuming interfaces. With the framework, the UI developer is insulated from the underlying implementation of the business service layer. This makes the process of building the UI truly decoupled from the implementation of the business service layer, better positioning the application for implementation in a service-oriented architecture.
5. ADF Business Components
   ADF Business Components simplifies the task of business service development and style. These powerful components are visually designed and customized to allow declarative access to relational databases. The business components can implement custom business functionality, declarative validation, security, and advanced object-relational functionality ADF Business Components is just one of the possible business service implementations within the ADF ADF Business Components is just one of the possible business service implementations within the ADF meta framwork. Developers can also use EJB/JPA, Web Services (REST or ORACLE DATA SHEET2 SOAP), POJOs and other implementations for the service layer.
6. Multi-channel Clients
   ADF applications can be developed with an eye towards a variety of delivery methods. The framework supports direct implementation of web-based interfaces, mobile delivery, and desktop applications, including integration with Microsoft Excel. Due to the loose coupling architecture that Oracle ADF supports, developers can leverage the same business services with multiple user interfaces thereby increasing the reusability of their code.

Oracle ADF Mobile extends Oracle ADF to support development of on device mobile applications. Leveraging HTML5 and Java, Oracle ADF Mobile enables developers to build and extend enterprise applications for iOS and Android from a single code base. Using a hybrid mobile architecture, ADF Mobile supports access to native device services, enables offline applications, can integrate server generated content, and protects enterprise investments from future technology shifts.

1. Extensive IDEs Support
   Oracle JDeveloper offers a comprehensive visual and declarative experience for Oracle ADF applications development. This means that wherever possible the developer has the capability to design an application utilizing visual editors and diagrams and then customize that design through integrated dialogs and property inspectors.
   
   JDeveloper also provides the ability for the developer to choose to directly manipulate source code at any time. This provides the option to switch between development styles at will to suit the type of application or preferences of the developer. Oracle JDeveloper contains a unique debugger that enables developers to set break points on the declarative aspects of Oracle ADF.
   
   For development shops standardized on the Eclipse platform, Oracle ADF development is supported through the Oracle Enterprise Pack for Eclipse tooling. This includes support for development with Oracle ADF Faces, Oracle ADF Controller and the Oracle ADF Binding layer. Oracle Enterprise Pack for Eclipse also offers support for ADF specific debugging and analysis of code dependencies.

Oracle’s Application Development Framework offers an unparalleled level of productivity for application developers looking to build enterprise applications based on industry standards. Leveraging a sound architecture, open standards, and a plethora of built-in features Oracle ADF accelerates the development of cutting edge enterprise applications.