Download SQL Server 2005 -CLR

Creating Business Workflow Using
SharePoint Designer 2007
Presented by Tarek Ghazali
IT Technical Specialist
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 MCTS
Web Development MCP
LebDev Vice President – Lebanese Dev. Community
What are workflows?
Encapsulated logic for coordinating
business processes
» provides abstractions to model real world processes
» valuable for modeling long running and stateful
behavior
» Workflows in WF are decomposed into activities
» Windows Workflow Foundation supports two
fundamental workflow styles:
Sequential workflows
State machine workflow
modeled as flowchart
modeled as state diagram
Sequential Workflows
State Machine Workflows
Windows Workflow Foundation
(WF)
• Single workflow technology for
Windows
– Extensible framework & toolset
– Base platform for Microsoft, ISV and customer solutions
• A framework for building workflow into
applications
– A framework to build on - not an application or server
– Exposed to developers via .NET 3.0
WSS Workflow
• Windows Workflow Foundation run-time engine
– Hosted in Windows SharePoint Services (WSS)
– WSS supports workflows on items and documents
• WF associated with list, document library or content type
• WF can be started and completed by user actions
• WF can be configured to start without user action
• Out-of-box capabilities
– Review, approval, collect signatures, issue tracking, translation,
expiration…
• Development platform
– Visual Studio plug-in
– SharePoint Designer wizard
Workflow architecture in Windows SharePoint
Services 3.0
Windows SharePoint Services provides custom implementations of the
following services for the engine: transaction, persistence, notifications,
roles, tracking, and messaging. Developers can then create workflow
solutions that run within Windows SharePoint Services.
LOB
integration
Visual Studio & WF SDK
Industry specific
processes
Custom Tracking Apps
SharePoint Site
Designer Workflow
Document Processes
Professional Developer
Authoring Scenario Pyramid
Custom Form Actions
Routing & Approval
Tracking Applications
List Moderation
Document Expiration
End User
Out-of-the-Box
Solutions
(with customization)
SharePoint Feature Areas
Docs/tasks/calendars, blogs,
wikis, e-mail integration, project
management “lite”, Outlook
integration,
offline docs/lists
Server-based Excel
spreadsheets and data
visualization, Report
Center, BI Web Parts,
KPIs/Dashboards
Business
Intelligence
Rich and Web forms
based front-ends,
Line Of Business
actions, pluggable
SSO, Workflow
Business
Processes
Platform
Services
Workspaces, Mgmt,
Security, Storage,
Topology, Site Model
Content
Management
Integrated document
management, records
management, and Web
content management with
policies and workflow
Collaboration
Portal
Enterprise Portal
template, Site
Directory, My Sites,
social networking,
privacy control
Search
Enterprise scalability,
contextual relevance, rich
people and business data search
What Is SharePoint Designer?
• Use Office SharePoint Designer 2007 to
create and deploy interactive solutions on
the SharePoint platform, without having to
write code
– You can design SharePoint workflows and
applications without having to use traditional
procedural coding languages or techniques.
The value of “no code”
applications
• No code = No risk
• Designed for Rapid Development
• Administrator-controlled developers
extensibility points
SharePoint Designer Benefits
• SharePoint Designer provides you with easy-touse tools that you can use to:
– Build conditional views and forms with validation.
– Read, write, and present data from a variety of data
sources—such as XML files, SQL databases, and
Web Services.
– Compile data from multiple sources to create
flexible, customized views and reports.
– Build Web Part pages and connect Web Parts to
create sophisticated business applications.
SharePoint Designer -Workflow Designer
• The Workflow Designer automates business
processes like automated task assignment and
notification associated with SharePoint lists and
document libraries by setting up custom
workflow conditions and actions and linking
them to the SharePoint data.
– Creating application logic without code
SharePoint Roles and Responsibilities
Rule-Based “No Code”
Workflows
Workflows are composed of pre-existing building
blocks and conditional logic
Based on Events, Conditions,
and Actions
Described by XOML files in
Web site
Triggered by initiation form or
list events
Supports rich data binding to list items
Extensible via custom actions, conditions
Sample Workflow Actions
• Assign Custom Task
• Send Email
• Create/Update/Delete
List item
• Collect Data from User
• Wait for Timer
• Wait for Data Change
Demo
Developing Workflow
Tools Comparison
• Using Visual Studio.NET Designer
–
–
–
–
–
It’s not for a specific SharePoint Site
Developing custom code to your activities
Design Forms to communicate with users
Done by Professional Developer
Can author both sequential and state workflows
• Using SharePoint Designer
–
–
–
–
–
It’s for a specific SharePoint Site
Code-free, declarative rules-based workflows .
you are in effect assembling pre-existing activities into workflows
Likely Done by Web designer or Knowledge worker.
Can Author sequential workflow only.
Running Workflows Authored in
SharePoint Designer 2007
• workflows authored in Office SharePoint Designer are
not compiled and deployed as assemblies
• Stored as their source files within Windows SharePoint
Services and compiled into memory only when needed
– The workflow markup file
– The workflow rules file
– ASPX forms for any custom workflow forms
necessary
Workflow component structure in
Windows SharePoint Services
SPWorkflowManager object hierarchy
Resources & Questions
• Microsoft Resources:
– http://www.microsoft.com/sharepoint/
– http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/
– http://www.microsoft.com/sharepoint/prodinfo/demos.mspx
• Contact me:
– [email protected]
• Download Presentation :
– http://www.sqlmvp.com