WP SoaVis

A Service Oriented Architecture is primarily based on the definition and co-operation of services. One of the main benefits is claimed to be the re-use of existing functionality. However, due to the complexity of the environment, the insight of available functionality is often lacking. In new projects, new functionality is thus build completely new with new services. Even when there is already an existing service performing the same task.

This plugin provides a means to manage and visualise the existing service base. With the use of shortcodes, the network of service relations can be visualised. As the relations can change over time, the visualisation is dynamically generated every time it is shown on the site.

Download a set of example entities via [https://www.soavis.eu/wp-soavis-sample-upload]. This page also shows how to upload that set.

The main visualisation is provided by GraphViz, a powerful tool for visualising network and tree structures that connect objects. It has been implemented in the WP GraphViz plugin. Hence the dependency check.

This section describes how to install the plugin and get it working.

1. Upload the contents of the wp-soavis.zip to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
3. Define new services, projects, components, systems, chains.
4. Use shortcodes as described in the documentation in your posts or pages.

How do I use this plugin?

Create definitions for services, components, projects, systems using the custom post type sub menu’s in the WP SoaVis menu. Use the meta tag ‘ServiceDependency’ to define on which services this service depends.
Use the [soavis_*] shortcodes in the post body to show the desired information. The sub menu ‘SoaVis Shortcodes’ shows an overview of the shortcodes supported, including a list of parameters to be used per shortcode.
See the site for more explanations and a demo: soavis.eu.

What is GraphViz?

GraphViz is a way of generating visualisations of structural relationships between objects.
Almost any kind of diagram where something connects to something else can be drawn and automatically laid out using the DOT language.

1. 

   The SoaVis Services sub menu page shows an overview of a number of services defined as soavis_service post_type.

2. 

   The SoaVis Systems sub menu page shows an overview of a number of systems defined as soavis_system post_type.

3. 

   The SoaVis Shortcode sub menu page shows an overview of the SoaVis shortcodes, including the parameters accepted.

4. 

   A SoaVis Service can be edited like any other post. A drop down has been added to ease the use of SaoVis shortcodes.

5. 

   A service post on the front end shows a SoaVis graph example.

6. 

   A system post on the front end showing a different SoaVis graph.

1.3.0

• Tested for WP 5.4.0.

1.2.1

• Tested for WP 5.0.3.

1.2.0

• Formal version, tested for WP 4.7.4.
• Fixed changed behaviour of WP-GraphViz simple option.
• Fixed translations.

1.1.1

• Fixed translation handling using localization functions

1.1.0

• Fixed post content issue with shortcode encoding

1.0.0

• Fixed size and floating of graphs.
• Fixed display of number of entities in list view.
• Added shortcode support for start_nodes, filter, show_number and search parameters.
• Updated nl_NL translations.

0.4.0

• Fixed handling of max_graph_level.
• Fixed handling of WP GraphViz dependency.
• Added support for non-defined services.
• Added link for uploading sample entities.
• Added Dutch translation (nl_NL).

0.3.0

• Fixed version of stable tag.
• Added setting for traverse network level.

0.2.0

• Fixed SoaVis Chain type.
• Fixed generation of node url.
• Added DebugMP support to public class.
• Added support for Demo by Gravity Forms.
• Added support for category by SoaVis post_types.

0.1.0

• First version starting the plugin.