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Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

During the past several months, we've seen a lot of questions about developing custom SharePoint workflows in the comments of various posts on this blog as well as in the SharePoint Workflow community forum. Many of the answers can be found in a recently published MSDN technical article written by a couple of senior consultants (Daniel Odievich and Alireza Etemad Mazaheri) in Microsoft Consulting Services. If you have any questions about developing workflows in SharePoint, please read the article first, and if you still have any questions, then post them in the forum referenced above.

 

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Published Saturday, May 31, 2008 10:09 PM by sptblog
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# Dew Drop - June 1, 2008 | Alvin Ashcraft's Morning Dew

PingBack from http://www.alvinashcraft.com/2008/06/01/dew-drop-june-1-2008/

Sunday, June 01, 2008 9:59 AM by Dew Drop - June 1, 2008 | Alvin Ashcraft's Morning Dew

# re: Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

When is Microsoft going to stop pushing the coding angle on all things, why can't there be a GUI interface that allows drag and drop of even custom workflow.

gone are the days of coding come on get with the 21st century and lets all move on from this coding backwater

Tuesday, June 03, 2008 5:12 PM by me

# re: Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

Hi Me,

Limitations of such Workflow engine solutions with the GUIs you mentioned is the main problem.

Speaking from experience of dealing with various other ECM products in the past that in fact contained Workflow engines that featured dragging and dropping of configurable and even allowed for custom steps, there was hardly ever the case where a customer did not require something from me that the Workflow could not handle without a significant level of customisation. Problem with that is that such customisations are commonly far more complex then they should be and can de-stabilise the solution besides adding far more points of failure than it should.

WWF for SharePoint provides the best way to ensure that proper Workflow solutions are created as part of the complete solution. Buidling such solutions in Visual Studio 2008 is far easier than the fatured MSDN article in this post would like you to think and it featuras a very good blend of drag and drop type of solution and code solution. I do however agree that it's not perfect and it can get much better, but as such it's still far better for creating proper ECM Workflow solutions than today's drag and drop Workflow engines. Also, available third party solutions that can complement SharePoint 2007 instead of WWF are not really that great.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008 5:02 PM by Zlatan

# re: Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

Is that not what "SharePoint Designer"(SPD)is for??

I have designed several work flows using designer and never had to directly touch the code.

Granted, there are some limitations, but it is far better than the Out Of The Box functionality.

If the work flow is so complex that you can not accomplish it in SPD, then code would be the answer...

If you don't like to code, I would ask why you are a developer then... (not to be rude, just a question)

Monday, June 09, 2008 11:38 AM by Joshua

# re: Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

not a rude question, Joshua, an excellent one

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 3:33 PM by lucas

# re: Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

We'll never be done with code, because by the time all the GUI interfaces enable us to do what we're doing in code right now, they'll be a whole new generation of technology that we'll be coding, that GUIs have not be made for yet. We are developers. We code. It's what we do!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 7:12 PM by Levi

# re: Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

Does someone has used a workflow for SharePoint is called kaldeera?

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 5:21 PM by Mike

# re: Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

My users have created approval workflows for document publication. The want the approver to be able to open the document and make changes. Why are documents in read only format when working with workflows? Does anyone know a simple work around?

Thanks!

Rebecca

rebeccamcwilliams@wellsfargo.com

Friday, August 29, 2008 3:17 PM by Rebecca McWilliams

# re: Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

Has anyone created an "end of task" workflow yet? I would like to be notified when a task's completion percentage reaches 100%.

Thanks in advance

Friday, September 05, 2008 9:19 AM by Frank

# re: Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

I'm learning about workflow set-ups and would like to have a workflow associated with a particular library in SharePoint and not a single document, is this possible?  How would I set it up.  I have been exploring and do not see that the system has that capability.  Is there a work around?  Can I attach several documents to a workflow instead of just one document?  Can I set up individual workflows and then link workflows so that one starts upon the completion of another workflow (so that I can attach different documents in a library)?

Thursday, September 25, 2008 10:56 AM by Wendy Suydam

# re: Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

I have read all the tutorials for Sharepoint Designer workflow develoment.  I am looking for a list of what actions are available, and what type of calculations a workflow can accept.  

I am trying to find a way to make a workflow calculate a new date and time by adding minutes to it.  Example 30minutes is added to 1/20/09 1:00Pm.  Answer should be 1/20/09 1:30Pm.

Can this be done using a workflow?

Wednesday, January 21, 2009 4:35 PM by tomsrig

# re: Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

I am trying to expand on the Sales Lead Pipeline Solution Template. The template was set up to convert a lead to an opportunity. our company has asked me to modify the site and create a second Workflow on the opportunities list to convert to a Project. I have created the new workflow with SD and created a "Convert an Opportunity" Link just under the Convert a Lead Link on the QL Bar and modified my Data view to include an input button titled "Project" that navigates to the Workflow Form to start the workflow. But i am getting a error when i try to use the workflow through this method. I can start the workflow from an individual items edit menu but not from the quick access Input button and Convert Page. It is as if my input button works to navigate to the new page but does not transfer teh info for the item that i am trying to convert What am i missing???? I have looked all over the provided workflow and i am stuck

HELP

Monday, February 02, 2009 9:15 PM by wickid1ne

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