1.0.0-alpha1: attempt#1

[cdavernas]

Many thanks for submitting your Pull Request ❤️!

Please specify parts of this PR update:

• Specification
• Schema
• Examples
• Extensions
• Roadmap
• Use Cases
• Community
• TCK
• Other

Discussion or Issue link:
#843

What this PR does / why we need it:

The version 1.0.0-alpha1 is one of the most impacting release of the history of the Serverless Workflow DSL. It aims at both drastically simplify the DSL and at completing it with many new features.

It is intended to be the last release containing breaking changes before the Serverless Workflow DSL 1.0.0 can see the day.

What's new?

• Total refactor of grammar and semantics. See motivation.
  Addresses Rename data filter properties #672.
• Moved all descriptive properties into the document top level property. Adds a new (required) namespace DNS Label property.
  Addresses Add namespace property #838.
• Complex objects use maps instead of arrays, thus enabling more intelligible JSON pointers.
  Addresses Use maps instead of arrays for complex objects in the specification #831.
• All workflow components are now referencable. This allows getting rid of many cumbersome 'oneOf' definitions.
  Partially addresses Refactor external references #691.
• Merged the state and action concepts into task, getting rid of state nesting limitations. See tasks.
• Merged end and transition into flow directives.
  Addresses Group End and Transition properties #684.
• Got rid of the concept of compensation. Compensation can easily be designed by branching and/or chaining tasks.
• Support task nesting, thanks to composite tasks.
  Addresses Backward Compatibility: Parallel Branch does not support direct use of states definitions #413.
• Allows calling functions over HTTP, GRPC, OpenAPI and AsyncAPI. See calls.
  Addresses Rename action functionRef property #828.
• Allows running custom processes, using containers, shell commands, scripts or workflows. See processes.
• Supports both sequential and concurrent task execution modes. See execution strategy.
• Offers fault tolerance features, using try task to catch and handle errors raised during execution.
• Enables retrying on specific errors. See retry policy.
  Addresses Add multi retryRef to action #681 and Refactor retries #772.
• Supports timeouts, used to define a duration after which to raise a new timeout error, possibly faulting the task/workflow. See timeouts.
• Allows raising errors. See errors.
  Addresses Add means to throw an error #771.
• Added a serie of Gherkin features used for both conformance testing and Behavior Driven Design (BDD).
  Addresses Add stand-alone example resources #324.
• Supports concurrent event correlations.
  Addresses Rename eventDef correlation properties #679 and Find a way to name processed correlation keys #680.
• Enables extending and overriding the DSL, in a runtime agnostic and fully portable fashion, without writting a single line of code. See extensions.

[cdavernas]

Refactor preview
WIP

[cdavernas]

@ricardozanini @fjtirado I took the freedom of renaming TCK, which is apparently specifically used for Java, by CTK, but it does however change the meaning a bit from Technology Compatibility Kit into Compliance Test Kit. There is also the option of simply changing the meaning of the acronym into Technology Compliance Kit or something like that.

WDYT?

[cdavernas]

@ricardozanini Do we need to include the annual reviews, and if so, can we move them to a properly cased directory (such as annual-reviews)?

What about the meetingminutes directory? Do we still need it? If so, can we properly case it (such as meeting-minutes, or move it to a relevant subdirectory such as community)

[cdavernas]

@ricardozanini We will need to refactor comparisons, if we believe it's necessary to keep them. If so, could you guys @ricardozanini @fjtirado take care of it?

[cdavernas]

@ricardozanini @fjtirado I removed the examples instead of just updating them, because I believe this role is fullfilled by the Gherkin features, and is even more intelligible imho. What do you guys think?

[cdavernas]

@ricardozanini @fjtirado Could you guys also take care of creating use cases (for documentation), and Gherkin tests, if need be, for the CTK?

[ricardozanini]

@ricardozanini Do we need to include the annual reviews, and if so, can we move them to a properly cased directory (such as annual-reviews)?

We can keep those in the folder annual-reviews, but I think CNCF is ditching those. Until we can confirm this info I think we can keep it there.

What about the meetingminutes directory? Do we still need it? If so, can we properly case it (such as meeting-minutes, or move it to a relevant subdirectory such as community)

Please ditch this one, we have the discussions: https://github.com/serverlessworkflow/specification/discussions/categories/meetings-notes

[ricardozanini]

@ricardozanini We will need to refactor comparisons, if we believe it's necessary to keep them. If so, could you guys @ricardozanini @fjtirado take care of it?

I don't think we need those.

[ricardozanini]

@ricardozanini @fjtirado I removed the examples instead of just updating them, because I believe this role is fullfilled by the Gherkin features, and is even more intelligible imho. What do you guys think?

We need to be able to validate the schema somehow. The examples are good for this, plus newcomers can grasp the DSL easier with them, IMO.

[ricardozanini]

@ricardozanini @fjtirado Could you guys also take care of creating use cases (for documentation), and Gherkin tests, if need be, for the CTK?

Sure thing, it will also be a great way to validate our refactoring and use cases.

[cdavernas]

We need to be able to validate the schema somehow. The examples are good for this, plus newcomers can grasp the DSL easier with them, IMO.

Indeed. As for the schema, I'm working on it. It's a big piece.