5.2 Definition of a Process
A process is a number of sequential steps that represent requests and results. Figure 5-1is a graphical representation of a process.
Figure 5-1 A Generic Process
Every step in the process is represented as an integer. Positive odd numbers represent requests. Positive even numbers are successes, and negative even numbers are failures. Negative odd numbers are reserved for process states and processing errors. Processes can loop, branch into sub-processes, and merge again downstream.
Table 5-1 contains a list of the most common states that occur during a process.
Table 5-1 Common States
|
State |
Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
-99 |
illegalChange |
An illegal state change occurred. The legal sequence of steps is disrupted. |
|
-1 |
disabled |
The process is disabled. |
|
0 |
enabled |
The process is enabled but has not started. |
|
n* -1 |
completionPending |
The next-to-the last state in every process. |
|
n |
completed |
The last state in every process. The process ends with this step. |
The value of n is the highest number achieved during the process.