Technical Class:

1. info@newsteplearning.com
www.newsteplearning.com
(425) 522-3727
Understanding and Extending
SharePoint Designer Workflows

2. About Chris Beckett
Solution Architect
Learning Consultant
and Trainer
@sharepointbits
MCM
MCT
MCSE
MCPD
24+10
blog.sharepointbits.com chris@newsteplearning.com

3. Agenda
Technical
Architecture
Extending Workflow with
Workflow Features and
Custom Activities and
Capabilities
Web Services

4. SharePoint 2010 Workflow
Architecture
Custom SharePoint
Workflow Runtime
Host
Built upon
.NET 3.51 Workflow
Foundation

5. Workflow Architecture Workflow Execution
now uses Windows
Azure Workflow
(WAW)

6. Workflow Interop Bridge
Azure Workflow can
invoke a SharePoint
2010 Workflow

7. Activating Workflow Features
There are no 2013
Mode Workflows
included with
SharePoint 2013
2010 workflows are not
activated by default

8. Agenda
Workflow Features and
Capabilities
Extending Workflow with
Technical
Custom Activities and
Architecture
Web Services

9. Platform Type
Choice of 2010
or 2013 Workflow
Architecture

10. Workflow Types
List Reusable Site
• Published directly to a • Published to a content • Not bound to a specific
list or library type list or library
• No reusability • Reusable across lists or • No content item
• Full access to list libraries supported by context
content types and content Type • Can only be started
fields • No visibility of list- manually
• Manual or Auto-Start specific fields like
Created or Modified
• Manual or Auto-Start

11. Reusable Workflow Content Type
Reusable workflows
only bound
to generic
content type

12. Stages
Stage names can
now be used for
Workflow Status
Stages support
transitioning
to other Stages

13. App Steps
App Step requires
activation
of Site Feature
App Steps can be
nested anywhere
inside a Stage or Step

14. Task-Related Actions
SharePoint 2010 SharePoint 2013

15. SharePoint 2010 Task Events
Process Events Task Events

16. SharePoint 2013 Task Dialog
No Assignment
Stages
Optional Sync or
Asynch Behavior
Types of
Task Completion
Customize
Emails
Reminder Notifications
Customize Task
Outcomes

17. Association and Initiation Forms
SharePoint 2010 SharePoint 2013

18. Task Forms
SharePoint 2010 SharePoint 2013

19. Workflow Notifications
Still not great!

20. Dictionaries Dictionaries can
contain other
Dictionaries
Collection of Name
and Value Pairs

21. Loops and Dictionaries Dictionaries are
collections of
Name/Value Pairs
Loop ‘n’ Times
Or
Loop Until If

22. Call HTTP Web Service Action
RESTful
Web Services are
supported
HTTP Verbs support
REST Operations

23. Calling a Web Service
Uses
Dictionary
Parameters

24. Agenda
Extending Workflow with
Custom Activities and
Web Services
Technical Workflow Features and
Architecture Capabilities

25. Workflow Extension Options
Full-Trust Code Activities (2010/2013)
Sandbox Code Activities (2010)
Pluggable Workflow Services (2010)
Declarative Workflow Activities (2013)
Call HTTP Web Service Action (2013)

26. Actions and Activities
Activity Actions
• Activity is a reusable unit of • Wraps an activity with sentence
workflow execution interface
• Typically parameter driven • Maps activity parameters to
• Declarative or Coded SharePoint designer types
• Declarative recommended for • Many workflow actions can map
SharePoint 2013 to a single workflow activity
• Coded only supported On- • Located under:
Premises – Requires Custom ..##Template1033Workflow
Deployment

27. Activity Types
Custom Activities
SharePoint Activities Project Activities
(Microsoft.SharePoint.WorkflowServices.Activities) (Microsoft.Office.Project.Server.WorkflowActivities)
Workflow Manager Activities
(Microsoft.Activities)
Workflow Foundation 4.5 Activities
(System.Activities)

28. Workflow Actions Element
Add parameter to
indicate Sandbox
Rule Designer
defines User
Experience
Parameters map to
Fields and Method
Interface

29. Workflow Extensions Platform Support
On-Premises 2010 On-Premises 2013 Office 365 SharePoint Apps
Full Trust Code Activities
Sandbox Code Activities
Pluggable Workflow Services
Declarative Activities
Call HTTP Web Service Action

30. Code Activity (2010)
Subclass of
Workflow Activity
Base
Public Properties for
Parameters
Override Execute
Method

31. Code Activity (2013)
Subclass of
Workflow Activity
Base
In and Out
Arguments for
Parameters
Override Execute
Method

32. Sandbox Activity (2010)
Public Class
and Static Methods
Context and
additional Parameters
Hashtable is used for
return values

33. Pluggable Workflow Services
• Introduced in SharePoint 2010
• Allows workflow to send and
receive asynchronous messages
from external services
• Full Trust Solution
• Fairly Complex to Code / Test
• Requires web.config modification
• Supported for 2010 Mode
Workflows on SharePoint 2013
• No longer supported in
SharePoint 2013 Workflow

34. Declarative Activity (2013)
Rich Set of DynamicValue
Native supports
Activities complex data
exchange
Call Web
Services to
Extend

35. Recommended Extensibility Model
Activities Web Services
Full Trust 2010
Declarative 2013

36. More Information
TechNet Workflow Resource Center
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/sharepoint/jj556245
What’s New in SharePoint 2013 Workflow
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj163177.aspx
How to work with Web Services in SharePoint Designer 2013
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp179912.aspx
SharePoint 2013 Workflows and the HTTP Accept Header
http://www.fiechter.eu/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=35&mobile=0
How to: Build and Deploy Custom Workflow Actions
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj163911.aspx
Workflow Actions Schema Reference
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj583378(v=office.15).aspx

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38. Questions
Thank you for attending!
chris@newsteplearning.com
(425) 522-3727
@sharepointbits
blog.sharepointbits.com
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