/* * Copyright (c) 2002-2003 by OpenSymphony * All rights reserved. */package com.opensymphony.workflow;import com.opensymphony.module.propertyset.PropertySet;import java.rmi.Remote;import java.rmi.RemoteException;import java.util.Map;/** * Remote interface to be implemented by any class that are to be called from within a workflow as a function, * either as a pre-function or a post-function. The args nested elements within the function xml call * will be mapped to the properties parameter. * * @author <a href="mailto:plightbo@hotmail.com">Pat Lightbody</a> */public interface FunctionProviderRemote extends Remote {    //~ Methods ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////    /**     * Execute this function     * @param transientVars Variables that will not be persisted. These include inputs     * given in the {@link Workflow#initialize} and {@link Workflow#doAction} method calls.     * There are two special variable names: <b>entry</b> (object type:     * {@link com.opensymphony.workflow.spi.WorkflowEntry}) and <b>context</b>     * (object type: {@link com.opensymphony.workflow.WorkflowContext}).     * Also, any variable set as a {@link com.opensymphony.workflow.Register}), will also be     * available in the transient map, no matter what. These transient variables only last through     * the method call that they were invoked in, such as {@link Workflow#initialize}     * and {@link Workflow#doAction}.     * @param args The properties for this function invocation. Properties are created     * from arg nested elements within the xml, an arg element takes in a name attribute     * which is the properties key, and the CDATA text contents of the element map to     * the property value.     * @param ps The persistent variables that are associated with the current     * instance of the workflow. Any change made to the propertyset are persisted to     * the propertyset implementation's persistent store.     */    public void execute(Map transientVars, Map args, PropertySet ps) throws RemoteException;}