Windows Workflow Foundation

1

• Windows Workflow Foundation
• By
• Sam Nasr, MCAD
• October 23, 2007

www.ClevelandDotNet.info
2
Agenda

• Introduction
• Windows WorkFlow Foundation
• Break
• MOSS 2007 Workflow
• QA
• Survey

3
What is WF

• Windows Workflow Foundation is the programming
  model, engine and tools for quickly building
  workflow enabled applications on Windows.
• In-process workflow engine, and designers for
  Visual Studio 2005.
• New namespace in .Net 3.0

4
Windows Workflow

• .NET Framework 3.0 (aka WinFX)
• .NET Framework 2.0
• Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
• Windows Workflow Foundation (WF)
• Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)
• Windows CardSpace
• A set of activities stored as a model that
  describe a real world process.
• Work passes through the model from start to
  finish and activities might be executed by people
  or by system functions.
• provides a way of describing execution
• Programmed with code or graphically.

5
Windows Workflow

• Available for both client and server versions of
  Windows.
• Once a workflow model is compiled it can be
  executed inside any Windows process
• console apps
• Forms-based apps
• Windows Services
• ASP.NET web sites
• Web services.

6
Windows Workflow

• Flowchart
• State Diagram
• Sequential Workflow
• Not an application must be hosted.
• Activities are the building blocks
• Override Activity.Execute()
• Utilizes XOML

7
Services

• Persistence Service (via SQL Server)
• Tracking Service (via SQL Server)
• Scheduler Service
• Transaction Service

8

• Demo

9

• MOSS Workflow

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MOSS Workflow

• Expands on WF
• Does NOT use pluggable services in WF.
• MOSS dehydrates the workflow.
• SharePoint Designer workflows are stored as
  source files in WSS (1 Doc Library/Site)
• WF Markup file (.XOML)
• WF rules
• WF configuration
• .ASPX if any

11
SharePoint Designer 2007

• Expands on FrontPage 2003
• Author WF against a list or Library at Design
  Time.
• Cannot associate WF to content type.
• WSS 3.0 WF are forms agnostic.
• No-code workflows
• Does not allow creation of custom activities.
• Works with pre-deployed activities.

12

• Demo

13
Workflow with MS-Office

• WF is embedded in
• MOSS
• Project Server
• Navision (NAV)
• CRM
• BizTalk Server (vNext)
• Client apps start workflow by calling into SP
  APIs.
• Collect Feedback on a document using a Workflow.
• http//office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA102178531
  033.aspx2

14

• Demo

15
Resources

• Windows Workflow Foundation
• http//msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa66
  3328.aspx
• .Net Framework
• http//wf.netfx3.com/
• Integrating Windows Workflow Foundation and
  Windows Communication Foundation
• http//msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb266709.
  aspx
• Use the ActivityExecutionContext (AEC) in Windows
  Workflow Foundation
• http//msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/07/06/fou
  ndations/default.aspx

16
QA