Supervisors info:
Αλέξης Δελής, Καθηγητής, Πληροφορικής & Τηλεπικοινωνιών, ΕΚΠΑ
Κώστας Σαΐδης, Δρ., Πληροφορικής & Τηλεπικοινωνιών, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Version control systems (VCS) are essential tools for tracking changes in software source code.
However, their utility extends beyond the traditional boundaries of software engineering.
Recognizing the benefits of version control for a broader spectrum of applications, this thesis presents the design and implementation of a framework that allows business application developers to integrate version control capabilities into the implementation of business workflows with minimal overhead.
The framework capitalizes on the DOLAR framework's functionalities to provide a data store agnostic, version controlled object database, offering an efficient way to manage changes in the workflow driver datasets.
Through the proposed implementation, this thesis addresses both the challenge of introducing version control into new applications and the complexity of integrating it into existing legacy systems.
The underlying structure of our approach comprises adaptations of VCS principles, using constructs such as repositories, commits, and branches to handle changes in application data.
The evaluation of our approach includes detailed real-world scenarios, demonstrating how it could elegantly support processes such as academic thesis submissions and generic form submissions within business applications.
In assesing the practical implementation of our approach, the thesis showcases how such a version control system can serve to reduce complexity, enhance transparency in changes, and facilitate smoother workflows.
While acknowledging the trade-offs made in terms of increased storage overhead and impact on search systems, the thesis concludes by emphasizing the framework's contribution to application development and its potential for future enhancements, such as conflict detection and resolution, extended user interface options, and richer VCS operations.
