As regards the graphical designer, the 3.1.2 Starter’s Kit contains GPD 3.0.11 whereas the 3.0.4 Starter’s Kit contains GPD 3.0.10. Both GPD releases are built and tested against Eclipse 3.2 and WTP 1.5. There are no big functional additions with respect to the previous GPD release, only some minor fixes, says Koen Aers of JBoss. A particular change in the GPD 3.0.11 is the removal of the JBoss jBPM runtime. "If you install the plug-in in a new Eclipse installation, you will have to configure one or more runtimes before you can create new projects. This removes the dependency of each GPD release on a particular version of the jBPM runtime libraries. Of course, all this comes preconfigured in the Starter's Kit," he adds.

Key features of JBoss jBPM include:

• Open Source: JBoss jBPM has a business friendly open source license that makes it free to download, use, embed, and distribute.
• Flexible and scalable process engine: JBoss jBPM is architected to run standalone or be seamlessly embedded within any Java or J2EE application. The process engine automatically handles state, variable, and task management as well as process timers and audit logging across all active processes.
• Pluggable Architecture: JBoss jBPM’s pluggable architecture allows extensibility and customizability on every level; within the process engine, for each process definition and every corresponding process instance. JBoss jBPM supports multiple process languages tailored to different requirements. jPDL is designed for workflow, BPM and embedded process coordination requirements. BPEL is the standard for web services applications. Additionally, jBPM enables pageflow control in web applications including those built with JBoss Seam.
• Integration with JBoss Seam: JBoss Seam is an application framework for simplifying and unifying the EJB and Java Server Faces (JSF) component models. JBoss Seam incorporates JBoss jBPM to support page flow scenarios in web applications. By using JBoss jBPM with JBoss Seam, developers can write applications with complex workflows and user interactions more easily.
• Easy Programming Model: JBoss jBPM provides a process-oriented programming model that blends the best of both Java and declarative programming techniques. It enables developers to structure their software around an easy to understand process graph that lets business people and developers speak the same language – facilitating a more agile implementation of the processes required by business people.