Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation

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

me — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:12:07 GMT

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

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

Zlatan — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:02:08 GMT

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.

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

Joshua — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:38:21 GMT

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)

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

lucas — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:33:23 GMT

not a rude question, Joshua, an excellent one

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

Levi — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:12:04 GMT

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!

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

Mike — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:21:41 GMT

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

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

Rebecca McWilliams — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:17:45 GMT

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

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

Frank — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:19:01 GMT

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

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

Wendy Suydam — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:56:22 GMT

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)?

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

tomsrig — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:35:14 GMT

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?

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

wickid1ne — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:15:28 GMT

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