Spstc2011 Developing Reusable Workflow Features

Developing Reusable Workflow Features

(Fri-S2A-106)Dev Track – 200

Mike Oryszak (@next_connect)Intellinet

Aug 12, 2011

Welcome to SharePoint Saturday—The Conference

Welcome to SharePoint Saturday—The Conference Welcome to SharePoint Saturday—The Conference

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to disturb others.• Open wireless access is available at SSID: SPSTC2011• Feel free to “tweet and blog” during the session• Thanks to our Diamond and Platinum Sponsors:

Thank you for being a part of the first SharePoint Saturday conference


About Me• Practice Manager with Intellinet• Microsoft SharePoint Server MVP• Dev and Architect with MS stack since 1996• Working with SharePoint since 2002• Raleigh-Durham, NC Area since 1998


Outline & Agenda• Approach and Goals• Overview on Creating Custom Actions• Example 1 – Budget Approval Limits• Example 2 – Out of Office Delegation• Additional Examples• Wrap-up and Questions

APPROACH AND GOALSDeveloping Reusable Workflow Features


Approach and Goals• Common Workflow Limitations– Workflows developed one at a time– Config and Admin content is localized – Silos– Maintaining data difficult, and process admin

focused


Approach and Goals• Reuse Goals– Centralize common configuration data– Leverage central farm services– Make it easier for users to maintain their data– Reduce time to create new workflows– Improve efficiency of managing workflows


Approach and Goals• Approaches– Take a “Portfolio Approach” to process design– Change data lookup sources from local to central• Budget Approval Limit example• Out of Office Delegation example

– Group common calls into Actions or Services• Out of Office Delegation example• Check Request example


Approach and Goals• Approaches– Leverage central services like User Profiles, BCS• Budget Approval example• Out of Office Delegation example

– Link workflows together; start workflow from another• Check Request example

CREATING CUSTOM ACTIONSDeveloping Reusable Workflow Features


Full Trust Actions• Approaches– Leverage central services like User Profiles, BCS• Budget Approval example• Out of Office Delegation example

– Link workflows together; start workflow from another• Check Request example


Full Trust Action Implementation• Important Namespaces– System.Workflow.ComponentModel– Microsoft.SharePoint.Workflow– Microsoft.SharePoint.WorkflowActions

• Key Dev Tasks– Define Properties– Override ActivityExecutionStatus Execute– Override ActivityExecutionStatus HandleFault– Create WorkflowActions definition in Elements.xml


Sandbox Actions• Developed in Visual Studio• Limited to Site Collection boundaries• Does not require server admin to deploy;

O365• Provides a way to create simple reusable

features


Sandbox Action Implementation• Important Namespaces– Microsoft.SharePoint.Workflow– Microsoft.SharePoint.UserCode

• Key Dev Tasks– Action must return a Hashtable– Action must accept a SPUserCodeWorkflowContext as

the first argument– Create WorkflowActions definition in Elements.xml

BUDGET APPROVAL LIMITSDeveloping Reusable Workflow Features


Budget Approval Overview• A common example of data needed to support

an approval workflow• Centralize the data so that it is available for

multiple processes• Leverage services like User Profile and BCS


Bad ApproachLoad Budget For Approver Issues:

• 3 Sites, separate config lists• Separate Maintenance• Out of Sync


Alternative ApproachAdvantages:• Central Source• Can Sync (BCS)• Distributed Management


Demo

OUT OF OFFICE DELEGATIONDeveloping Reusable Workflow Features


Out of Office Delegation Overview• SharePoint has built-in Out of Office

Delegation• Great example of User Maintained config data• Great example of leveraging User Profiles


Bad Approach• Building it into each process, with localized

data stored in a list on the workflow site– Process Admin Maintains it– Data stored in multiple places– Workflow steps maintained in multiple places


Alternative Approach• Out of Office Delegation Feature– User Profile Custom Attributes• Out of Office Start Date• Out of Office End Date• Out of Office Delegation

– Custom Workflow Action• Simplifies check from SPD workflows


Demo

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLESDeveloping Reusable Workflow Features


Additional Examples• Standard Feature Requests– Escalations– Task Reminders– Role Based Assignments (CFO, Ops Mgr, etc)

• Frequent Re-usable Processes– Check Request– Compliance Activity Logging


Initiating Another Workflow• Create Reusable Sub-Processes• Use Standard Events– New Item– Edit Item

• Can use Full Trust Actions to add/edit items between site collections


Check Request Overview• Check Request is an example of a process that

may be initiated from multiple processes• Could be built into each process, or separated

into a separate “sub-process” for reuse


Bad ApproachIssues:• Same process steps• AP users have tasks in x sites• Multiple places to update if process

changes• Process owners may not

understand other uses


Sub-Process ApproachAdvantages:• Std process on AP site• Easy access for AP users• Easy to maintain and monitor

WRAP-UPDeveloping Reusable Workflow Features


Recommended Approaches• Take a “Portfolio Approach” to process design• Change data lookup sources from local to central• Group common functions or calls into Actions or

Services• Leverage central services like User Profiles, BCS• Link workflows together; start workflow from

another


Questions?


Additional Resources• MSDN – Create a Sandbox Workflow Action

– http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff798499.aspx

• MSDN – Reference Implementation Workflow Activities– http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff798330.aspx

• User Profiles – Creating Custom Properties– http://www.mikeoryszak.com/sharepoint/user-profiles-%e2%80%93-creating-custom-properti

es

• User Profiles – Driving Business Process– http://www.mikeoryszak.com/sharepoint/user-profiles-%e2%80%93-driving-business-process

• Workflow Posts– http://www.mikeoryszak.com/tag/workflow

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff798499.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff798330.aspx

http://www.mikeoryszak.com/sharepoint/user-profiles-%E2%80%93-creating-custom-properties

http://www.mikeoryszak.com/sharepoint/user-profiles-%E2%80%93-creating-custom-properties

http://www.mikeoryszak.com/sharepoint/user-profiles-%E2%80%93-driving-business-process

http://www.mikeoryszak.com/tag/workflow


Contact Info• Blog - http://www.mikeoryszak.com• Twitter - @Next_Connect• Email – [email protected]• LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeloryszak

http://www.mikeoryszak.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeloryszak


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Spstc2011 Developing Reusable Workflow Features