ODF architecture overview
What is Open Development Framework
ODF is a Java-based framework for developing Bot Configs for the Intelligent Automation Cloud. It provides High-Level API for data processing, support for Dependency Injection, Unit Testing, reducing the usage of Webharvest XML code. Logically, ODF can be structured as on the figure below.
Design principles
When you learn about a framework, it’s important to know not only what it does but what principles it follows. Here are the guiding principles of the Open Development Framework:
- Reusability. We have seen that many components like Email connector, Share Folder adapters, Split-Join, etc., are implemented from scratch here and there. We consider ODF to be a solution to allow engineers to focus more on business logic rather than on low-level integrations.
- Extendibility. ODF provides a single interface, which means custom components are 100% compatible with pre-packaged components. Developers can seamlessly combine use-case specific adapters/connectors/converters with the third party components.
- Good for Scale. We are thinking about large implementations, where legacy applications, APIs, or business logic are common across multiple use-cases.
- Designed for RPA Engineers. We want to make the development process on the Intelligent Automation Cloud easier, more reliable, and predictable. ODF provides capabilities for minimizing the usage of Webharvest XML code, tools for Unit Testing, CI/CD, Modularity, built-in Dependency Injection engine, etc.