The use of Event Condition Action (ECA) rules has transformed database systems from passive query based data repositories to active sources of information delivery. In a similar fashion, ECA rules can be used to benefit workflow systems. In this paper, a reactive object model that is based on ECA rules is proposed to describe workflows. A reactive object is an information entity that reacts only to events. Its extensional behavior is determined only through its set of attributes and an event interface. A language framework known as ECA based language (ECAL) is presented. An example is used to illustrate how different aspects of a workflow can be captured as reactive objects.
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