Introduction
PAVONE StructureBuilder is PAVONE's innovative, Eclipse-based middleware that helps to easily create visual modeler applications. The following information lists application based on the PAVONE StructureBuilder framework. Some of the applications are PAVONE products, some are custom-based applications. The listing shows the flexibility of PAVONE StructureBuilder and the wide variety of visual tools that can be developed based upon PAVONE StructureBuilder.
History
In 2003 PAVONE decided to develop a new framework that would fit several requirements for visual applications. The name of the framework should be PAVONE StructureBuilder. Prior PAVONE has some visual applications based on C++ or Microsoft Visual Basic. These applications had a different architecture and different user interfaces. This makes the development and the usage of the applications difficult. Since PAVONE is a long-term IBM Premier Business Partner, the decision was to develop the new framework upon Java. As in 2004 the first release of the Eclipse Rich Client platform was published, PAVONE decided to use the Eclipse Rich Client platform as a basis for their framework. Since then PAVONE utilizes Eclipse RCP for all visual modeler applications.
Eclipse has enourmous advantages for Development and Quality Assurance due to its unified interface. The main challange was to develop applications for different user groups. Some applications are for an end user in operating departments with less IT understanding and some applications are for business architects or consultants which have such an understanding and would very powerful applications.
Media
You can watch selected screencam videos here. A detailed description of each visual tool follows below enriched with a screenshot.
PAVONE DocumentCategorizer
[Video] Screencam PAVONE DocumentCategorizer
PAVONE Structure Builder helps to organize category based knowledge structures.
PAVONE OrganizationModeler
[Video] Screencam PAVONE OrganizationModeler - views and entity representations
PAVONE Structure Builder helps to organize business structures.
[Video] Screencam PAVONE OrganizationModeler - restructuring your organization
PAVONE Structure Builder helps to organize Business Structures.
[Video] Screencam PAVONE OrganizationModeler - creating departments and people
PAVONE Structure Builder helps to organize Business Structures.
PAVONE MAP Modeler
[Video] Screencam PAVONE MAP Modeler
PAVONE Structure Builder helps to structure complex projects using the MAP method.
GCC CAM
[Video] Screencam Composite Application Managmement powered by StructureBuilder
PAVONE Structure Builder helps to document and visualize interdependencies between components in composite applications.
PAVONE Products
PAVONE DocumentCategorizer
PAVONE DocumentCategorizer was the first commercially available tool based on PAVONE StructureBuilder. It allows you to categorize documents in IBM Lotus Notes/Domino applications in a simple and clear way. The tool provides an intuitive user interface. It lets you shift documents between categories using drag & drop, create new categories or rename categories. The user interface of PAVONE DocumentCategorizer can be customized in order to best suit the cutomers' individual needs.
Target user group: End-user
First released in 2007.
PAVONE OrganizationModeler
PAVONE OrganizationModeler is an application designed to visually edit organizational structures. The PAVONE OrganizationModeler enhances the PAVONE workflow and project management solutions for the easy assignment of resources, groups and roles to each task.
The organizational structure is visualized by simple graphic elements, and this representation is enhanced by several functions supporting user interaction. This enhances traparency within the company. Also, each department or workgroup lead has the possibility to independently create or modify their own entity's structure, allowing for constant and immediate updating. With this information available, the organization is able to easily reorganize its structure, if current business processes require that.
Additionally to the PAVONE solutions the PAVONE OrganizationModeler supports a variety of other solutions, such as the IBM Lotus Notes Address Book, Domino Directory, and the Domino Workflow Organization database.
Target user group: End-user
First released in 2009.
PAVONE MAP Modeler
PAVONE MAP Modeler implements the MAP method developed by Dr. Horst Kötting. MAP (Major Activities and Products) is especially useful in large, complex and long-running projects environments. Map has been successfully utilized in several large, international projects within the last 20 years. It includes an optimization of scheduled and partially processed projects. One of the major differences to traditional project management methods is the focus on identifying the flow of information and the precise specification of intermediate products that have to be created.
Utilizing PAVONE MAP Modeler, users can actively be guided through the process of modeling. Model inconsistencies are automatically analyzed and visualized. Comprehensive navigation and search functions make a fast recognition of complex project and process models possible.
Target user group: Project Managers and Business Consultants
First released in 2008.
PAVONE ProjectBuilder
PAVONE ProjectBuilder is a visual modelling tool used by project managers for the planning and layout of projects, as well as the specifying of individual tasks. Interaction with the user interface of the PAVONE ProjectBuilder is the same as with any Windows program.
A newly created project is designed with a hierarchical project structure plan. Defining the specific tasks settings, i.e. date, duration, budget and resources, takes place via a dialog box. Within the project's structure both single tasks and sub-projects can be created, edited, copied, deleted or moved.
To aid in a more flexible planning of individual project parts and templates can be accessed from a repository. Existing projects can be imported, incorporating their components completely or only in part. Sample templates with detailed documentation of schedules and/or predefined documentation forms can be utilized again in the creation of new projects.
Via drag & drop, these reusable templates are incorporated into the project's structure. The repository facilitates the planing of all project types, from loosely conceptual projects such as "brainstorming sessions" to mature and complex projects for methodology handbooks and organizational guides (in a documented format). This is achieved by predefining documentation types for each template, i.e. prepared check lists, report forms, example contracts or complex tables.
The PAVONE ProjectBuilder enables you to flexibly organize the project's parts into self-contained work packages, and in addition integrates the corresponding documentation, for example status reports, correspondence, minutes, technical drawings, contracts and market analysis reports.
Target user group: Project Managers
First release is scheduled to Q1/2010. Beta version was released in 2009.
PAVONE RulesModeler
PAVONE RulesModeler is a visual modeling tool for defining rules for workflow and project management tasks, document of any IBM Lotus Notes database or third party software products. It is primary used by administrators, developers and software architects.
A rule describes a specific action carried out by a Lotus Notes based rules engine. Depending on the status of a document the rules engine interprets the modeled rule and starts the predefined actions. E. g. actions could be the generation of a standard email escalation, an import of data from a web service, the data exchange to other data sources or the aggregation of data.
The main field of action is a IBM Lotus Notes Database and the control of data changes in documents but a scenario in context of a Java EE environment is also possible.
Target user group: Software Administrator, Software Developer, Software Architects
First release is scheduled to Q1/2010. Beta version was released in 2009
PAVONE ProcessModeler
PAVONE ProcessModeler is a tool for workflow modeling and graphic modelling of business , management and support processes. It enables you to create human-interaction workflows very easily, providing a graphical modeling tool. The process definitions that are created by PAVONE ProcessModeler can be executed by the PAVONE Workflow Engine. That way, no programming is involved to create executable workflows. For less complex workflows, this can move workflow development from the developer to the line of business power-users, eliminating mis-communication between line of business and the IT department.
PAVONE ProcessModeler can work on IBM Domino-based process definitions, as well as on XML process definitions.
Target user group: Software Architects, Business Architects
Beta version will be available in 2010.
Custom-based Applications
Activity Management Viewer
The Activity Management Viewer is an application to visualize activities from a person or a team. The activities will be defined in an separate Activity Management application. Each person can create activities for him or for other team members. Activities can be categorized in folders and can be tagged. The viewer visualize the activities in the folders. Each activity can have several properties, such as editor, start date, end date, duration or tags. The properties are visible in the viewer. The Activity Management application based on an IBM Lotus Notes database and the user started the viewer directly from the based IBM Lotus Notes application.
Target user group: End-user
Project Release: 2008
Composite Application Management (CAM) Viewer
In component-based software development, applications are made from software components in order to reduce complexity and increase reusability. The overall problem is divided into individual, self-contained program components. It was developed together with the Groupware Competence Center (GCC) at the University of Paderborn.
With the introduction of the Composite Application Framework in IBM Lotus Notes 8, component-based software development enters the world of Groupware-Systems. Implementation details are disregarded by using existing components, which enables the application developer to concentrate on the substantial issues, i.e. the business logic.
The goal of GCC CAM was to develop and implement a model for the management of component-based applications.
The implementation of GCC CAM supports the creation and modification, as well as management and administration of Composite Applications.
The creation and modification process lays emphasis on the selection and connection of components, which is supported by a shared component repository and appropriate documentation possibilities.
Extensive import and analysis mechanisms where created to enable the collection of all Composite Applications of a Domino infrastructure as well as the import of components from update sites and the registration of data types. PAVONE StructureBuilder is used as a visualization tool within this environment. This supports management and administration of composite applications, thereby offering an overview of all areas of the Composite Application Framework.
The Composite Application Management Viewer has been developed in 2008 and was a part of a master thesis which won the 2nd price in the 2008 university theses contest sponsored by Deutsche Notes User Group (DNUG)
Target user group: Software Architects, Software Developer
Project Release: 2008.
ProjectBuilder for IBM Lotus Quickr
The Project Builder for IBM Lotus Quickr helps to maintain and organize IBM Lotus Quickr Projects graphically.
Target user group: Software Architects, Business Architects
Project Release: 2008.
BPEL Viewer powered by StructureBuilder
BPEL Viewer powered by StructureBuilder is a custom-based application for viewing processes modeled in the Business Process Execution Language.
Target user group: Software Architects, Business Architects
Project Release: 2008.
Investor-Investment Quote Viewer
A business management consulting company wants to get an overview about investor and investment relationships. The company advises their customers with investments in other companies. Since these relationships can be complex it ist important to get an quick visible overview about the relationships. The data are stored in an IBM Lotus Notes database and and the user started the viewer application directly from the based IBM Lotus Notes application.
(Remark: For discretion aspects the name of the investors and investments are encrypted in the images.)
Target user group: Business Management Analysts
Project Release: 2009
Marketing Intelligence Viewer
Another company wants to get an overview about the relationships between their products and their customers. The overview gives an quick answer to show which customer has bought which products. Furthermore, the user can see which other customer has bought a particular product. Besides this, the user sees the relationships between the different customers. The data are stored in an IBM Lotus Notes database and and the user started the viewer application directly from the based IBM Lotus Notes application.
(Remark: For discretion aspects the name of the customer and products are encrypted in the images.)
Target user group: End-user in Marketing department
Project Release: 2009
Technical Background
The user interface contain five main views. These are the Editor, an Overview to navigate in complex structures and an Explorer to list all objects in an hierarchical structure. Further a Search view and a Palette to create new objects. The user can hide all views, without the Editor. Besides these views a Welcome screen exists, similar to the Welcome screen in the Eclipse IDE.
The implementation started with the version 3.0 and was later updated versions 3.1 and 3.2. For the visual elements GEF is used and for the implementation of the data exchnage JiBX is used to define the binding of the data and configuration files with XML.
The data exchange to the connected application is implemented with XML. A requirement was a flexible data exchange to connect very easily to other applications which can run on different platforms. Such applications can run in an IBM Lotus Notes/Domino infrastructure or on Java EE platforms. Further it should be possible to read and save files from operating systems.
For this, a two-tier architecture was chosen. To describe the data structure a mapping file (.psm) is used. To describe the visualization of the objects a layout file (.psl) is used. This layout file describes how the objects will be displayed in the editor of the StructureBuilder. This means an independence of the visualization and the data structure. The data will be read from the data file (.xml) which is build based on the mapping file. The data file will be read and created by the connected applications.
To create a new interface is very easy. To describe the data model which should be used in the StructureBuilder, you have to create the mapping file. Afterwards the connected application should create a data file (1), which will be read by the StructureBuilder [(2), (3), (4)]. After the user save the objects and data in the StructureBuilder, the StructureBuilder will update the data file (5) and ask the connected application to import these data (6).
