Collaborative Process Development using Semantic MediaWiki

This is an attempt to document the steps involved in implementing the Collaborative Process Development using Semantic MediaWiki as described in the following paper:

Collaborative Process Development using Semantic MediaWiki
Frank Dengler(1), Steffen Lamparter(1), Mark Hefke(2), Andreas Abecker(2) - Institute AIFB, Universit¨at Karlsruhe (TH), Germany, {ffrank.dengler,steffen.lamparterg}@kit.edu - FZI Karlsruhe, Germany, {fhefke,abeckerg}@fzi.de
Abstract: Often organizational processes are rather informal, subject to frequent changes, and involve roles with unclear responsibilities. Nevertheless it can be beneficial for efficient organizational knowledge management to document and communicate such processes. In this context, current state-of-the-art methods and tools for process engineering do not provide the most appropriate instruments. In this paper we address this issue by combining traditional process engineering techniques with a collaborative, wiki-based approach. As a result we present an extension to Semantic MediaWiki featuring collaborative creation of a process description and the automated generation of its structured, graphical representation..
Source: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.145.8093&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Status

I am still in the procees of trying to make this work... stay tuned.

Here is what I have done so far:

Platform (WAMP)

Product	Version
Windows XP Pro	2002+SP3
PHP	5.2.10 (apache2handler)
MySQL	5.0.37-community-nt-log

My Procedure

1. Install Mediawiki

Installed fresh copy of Mediawiki v1.16.0 per: download:mediawiki/1.16/mediawiki-1.16.0.tar.gz

2. Install Semantic Bundle

Installed a fresh copy of SMW bundle (2010 12 02) per:

https://code.google.com/p/semantic-mediawiki-bundle/downloads/detail?name=SemanticBundle-20101202.7z&can=2

Note: I enabled everything except for the Validator, Maps and Semantic Maps extensions

3. Install Graphviz

Installed the latest Graphviz (v2.26.3) per:

http://www.graphviz.org/pub/graphviz/stable/windows/graphviz-2.26.3.msi

installed to:

C:\www\Graphviz2.26.3\

location of dot.exe:

C:\www\Graphviz2.26.3\bin\dot.exe

tested with the following command line:

C:\www\Graphviz2.26.3\bin\dot.exe -Tpng graph1.dot -o graph1.png

where graph1.dot is a text file containing:

digraph G {
  A -> B 
}

resulting in a nice little PNG file to look at names graph1.png

4. Install GraphViz Extention

Installed the Improved GraphViz Extention to mediawiki per:

Extension:GraphVizAndMSCGen

added the following to LocalSettings.php:

# GraphViz & MSCGen
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
# From: [[Extension:GraphVizAndMSCGen]]
  require_once("extensions/GraphViz.php"); 
  $wgGraphVizSettings->execPath = "c:\\www\\Graphviz2.26.3\\bin\\";
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------

tested it with the following wiki text in the main page:

<graphviz>
digraph mytest1 
{
  A -> B
}
</graphviz>

resulting in an image rendered in the wiki page which is identical to the command line text.

5. Modify LocalSettings.php

Enabled Process format in LocalSettings.php by adding:

$srfgFormats[] = 'process';

to LocalSettings.php per:

Extension:Semantic Result Formats/process format

see:

# Semantic Result Formats
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
# More info: http://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Semantic_Result_Formats#Installation
  include_once("$IP/extensions/SemanticResultFormats/SemanticResultFormats.php");
  $srfgFormats[] = 'process';

6. Tested Mediawiki, SMW, GraphViz, and all SMW bundle extensions

GraphViz Command Line test.

(Screenshot 00 - version page, and Screenshot 01 - Main Page)

7. Created Template, Form and Property pages

cloned all the pages from the process demo site at:

Properties:

http://km.aifb.kit.edu/projects/process/index.php?title=Special%3AAllPages&from=&namespace=102

Forms:

http://km.aifb.kit.edu/projects/process/index.php?title=Special%3AAllPages&from=&namespace=106

Templates:

http://km.aifb.kit.edu/projects/process/index.php?title=Special%3AAllPages&from=&namespace=10

8. Partial Success but no joy!

At this point, I can add a new process using:

{{#forminput:Process|25||Add process}}

but.... I am not able to add process steps to the process...

NOR am I able to ever see the GraphViz rendering of my process :-(

attempting to do so result in a page that never resolves with the nifty circle spinny wait graphic... bah!

if anyone can figure out whats missing in this procedure to make it work... PLEASE let me know! (by posting the solution here)

thanks!
-Rich (revansx)

Roles as Swimlanes Feature Request

I vote for a swimlane feature to group process steps assigned to the same role. Graphviz clusters should do the job. What do you think? --Planetenxin 17:34, 4 February 2011 (UTC)Reply

I second it. --revansx