Business Process Modeling Language (BPML)
Business Process Modeling Language (BPML) was an XML-based language for business process modeling, maintained by the Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) until its merger with the Object Management Group (OMG) in 2005. BPML was designed as a formally complete language, capable of modeling any process and deploying it as an executable software process without code generation.
BPML's key feature was its semantic completeness, enabling it to model complex processes without relying on external tools or languages. It was also designed for concurrent and distributed processing. Unlike BPEL (Business Process Execution Language), which often requires additional Java code or vendor-specific implementations, BPML could be executed independently as a pure processing engine.
Despite its strengths, BPML faced challenges in gaining market acceptance. Incumbent vendors like IBM and Microsoft favored the simpler BPEL. As a result, BPMI discontinued support for BPML in favor of BPEL4WS. In 2008, after the BPMI-OMG merger, BPML was officially deprecated with OMG's adoption of BPDM (Business Process Definition Metamodel).
BPML's legacy lies in its influence on the field of business process modeling. It demonstrated the potential for process-oriented programming and paved the way for the development of more advanced BPMS (Business Process Management Systems) that enable the management and execution of business processes at scale.