Apache OFBiz

</table> Apache Open For Business (Apache OFBiz) is an Open Source Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. It provides a suite of enterprise applications that integrate and automate many of the business processes of an enterprise. OFBiz is an Apache Software Foundation top level project.

[edit] Overview

Apache OFBiz is a framework, provides a common data model and a rich set of business process. All applications are built around a common architecture using common data, logic and process components. Beyond the framework itself, Apache OFBiz offers a huge range of functionality including:

• Accounting (Agreements, Invoicing, Vendor Management, General Ledger)
• Asset Maintenance
• Catalogue and Product Management
• Facility and Warehouse Management
• Manufacturing
• Order Processing
• Inventory Management, automated stock replenishment etc.
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Human resources (HR)
• People and Group Management
• Project Management
• Sales Force Automation
• Work Effort Management
• Electronic Point Of Sale (ePOS)
• eCommerce

[edit] Technology

All of Apache OFBiz functionality is built on a common framework. The functionality can be divided into the following distinct layers:

[edit] Presentation Layer

Apache OFBiz uses the concept of "screens" to represent the Apache OFBiz pages. Each page is, normally, represented as a screen. A page in Apache OFBiz consists of components. A component can be a header, footer, etc. When the page is rendered all the components are combined together as specified in the screen definition. Components might be Java Server Pages ([JSP]s) <deprecated>, FTL pages built around FreeMarker template engine, Forms and Menus Widgets. Widgets are an OFBiz specific technology.

[edit] Business Layer

The application layer defines services provided to the user. The services can be of several types: Java methods, SOAP, simple services, workflow, etc. A service engine is responsible for invocation, transactions and security. Apache OFBiz uses a set of well established, open source technologies and standards such as Java, Java Enterprise Edition (JEE), XML and SOAP. Although Apache OFBiz is built around the concepts used by JEE, many of its concepts are implemented in different ways; either because Apache OFBiz was designed prior to many recent improvements in JEE or because Apache OFBiz authors didn’t agree with those implementations.

[edit] Data Layer

The data layer is responsible for database access, storage and providing a common data interface to the Business layer. Data is accessed not in Object Oriented fashion but in a relational way. Each entity (represented as a row in the database) is provided to the business layer as a set of generic values. A generic value is not typed, so fields of an entity are accessed by the column name.

[edit] Open Source Libraries

Here a list of the existing open source libraries that are used in Apache OFBiz. ^[1]

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] External links

• Official Apache OFBiz website
• Apache OFBiz: Real-World Open Source Java Platform ERP by David Jones and Ean Schuessler at JavaOne 2007
  • David Jones and Ean Schuessler Presentation
• ERP Application Development Frameworks: Case Study and Evaluation by Nattanicha Rittammanart, Wisut Wongyuedy, and Matthew N. Dailey

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