Overview and Demonstration of declarative workflows in SharePoint using
Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2007
Kevin Hughes
MCT, MCITP, MCSA, MCTS, MCP, Network+, A+, ITIL
SharePoint Architect
Kevin@SharePointKevin.com
http://www.sharepointkevin.com
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A SharePoint workflow is the automated
movement of documents or items through a
sequence of actions or tasks that are related
to a business process
Enables the organization to attach business
logic to documents or items in a SharePoint
list or library.
Can streamline the cost and time required to
coordinate common business processes
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When you buy an item, you need to:
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find correct item
take item to counter
receive the price from attendant
decide between credit card or cash
▪ if cash:
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give appropriate amount to attendant
receive any change
verify change
pocket change
▪ if credit card:
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give credit card to attendant
receive receipt for signature
verify amount
sign receipt
return receipt to attendant
put pen in pocket
retrieve item, and run before the attendant notices the missing pen
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Allow automation of many business
processes
Can work with many SharePoint components
OOTB workflows have limitations
 Conditional logic is NOT supported
 Can not look up site data
 Little ability to route tasks
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Declarative means
 Follows a pre-defined process model where all
specifications, conditions and actions are defined within
the workflow.
 Relies on known and predictable circumstances
The websvcWebPartPages Web Service in Windows
SharePoint Services contains methods that enable a
declarative rules-based, code-free workflow editor,
such as Office SharePoint Designer 2007, to create
workflow templates and associate them with specific
SharePoint lists.
 Defined entirely in Extensible Application Markup
Language (XAML)
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For a given site, declarative workflows must be stored
in a site-level document library called Workflows.
 Files:
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Workflow markup (.xoml) file
Rules file
Workflow configuration file
Any .aspx forms needed, such as initiation forms (for
workflows that are started manually) or custom task forms
The files for each declarative workflow must be stored
in a separate folder in the Workflow document library.
Write workflow logic more advanced than OOTB
templates
 Create rules that associate conditions and
actions with items in SharePoint lists and
libraries
 Use conditions to allow branching workflow
paths
 Manipulate list items or list data
 Automatically generates necessary,
customizable, forms
 No-Code required
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Security Context – Always run in the context of the
user account which “owns” the workflow.
Can NOT be defined for Content Types
Must be attached to specific list/library
Can NOT be triggered by “System Account”
Can NOT be triggered by list items submitted via
Email
 Fixed in SP2 to allow STSADM command to set this
property
 “stsadm.exe –o setproperty –propertyname
declarativeworkflowautostartonemailenabled –
propertyvalue yes”
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Uses “default” Task list – may not be the one you think
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Events
Conditions
Actions
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What starts or initiates a workflow
 An item is created.
 An item is changed.
 A workflow participant clicks a start button on the
SharePoint site.
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Rules that apply conditional logic to
SharePoint lists and items
Rules establish a condition where the
workflow performs the associated action only
if that condition is true
Associated with one or more actions: If all
clauses in the condition are true, do all the
associated actions
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SPD 2007 provides several ready-made,
reusable conditions
 Is created or modified in a specific time span.
 Is created or modified by a specific person.
 Has a title field that contains specified keywords.
 Is a file of a specific type or has a file size in a
specific range. (Available only when the workflow
is attached to a document library.)
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Most basic unit of work in a workflow
SPD 2007 provides a set of ready-made, reusable actions
 Create, copy, change, or delete list items (including
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documents).
Check items in or out.
Send an e-mail message.
Create a task for someone on the Tasks list of your team site.
Collect data from a participant that can be referenced later in
the workflow.
Pause or stop the workflow.
Log workflow information to a History list to use for repudiation
or workflow debugging.
Set workflow variables or perform calculations.
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Workflows may contain any number of
actions
Not all actions in a workflow may be
automated
An action does not require a condition
Actions can be set up to run at the same time
(parallel) or one after another (serial)
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Parallel – All actions “fire” at the same time
Serial – One action must complete before the
next one begins
In any given rule (conditions and actions), all
actions must be either serial or parallel
A set of serial or parallel actions must be
contained within a single step
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A workflow is comprised of one or more steps
Each step can contain any number of actions
and associated conditions
Steps allow you to group conditions and actions
so that one set of rules (conditions and actions)
can be evaluated and performed before a
second set
Rules in one step are processed to conclusion
before going on to the next step
Each step can hold one set of 'Else If' conditional
branches
Make workflow more dynamic and flexible
Collect information from workflow participants at predefined
times in the workflow
 Make it possible for participants to interact with the tasks for that
workflow
 Two types of workflow forms
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 Initiation Form
 Custom Task Form
SPD 2007 automatically generates the ASP.NET forms, you can
customize them.
 Workflow forms are ASP.NET pages with a Data Form Web Part
and a master page applied to it.
 The .aspx files are stored on the SharePoint site with the workflow
source files.
 You can open and customize these forms as you would any other
.aspx file
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Gathers information from the workflow
participant when they start the workflow
Displayed to users when they manually start
a workflow on a given SharePoint item
Users can specify additional parameters or
information about the workflow as it applies
to the given SharePoint item
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Allows workflow participants to interact with
tasks in the Tasks list on a SharePoint site
Custom Task Wizard - create custom form
fields and add them to a custom task form
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Make any necessary changes or customizations to
your site, list, or library
A workflow is always attached to exactly one
SharePoint list or library
Site must have at least one list or library before you
create a workflow
Must create custom columns or settings before you
create the workflow so that those columns and
settings are available to you in the Workflow Designer
Turn on desired features before you design the
workflow
Same version of the Workflow Foundation must be
installed on both your computer and the server
SharePoint Designer Workflows
http://www.sharepointkevin.com/wfdemo/Lists/Active%20Projects/AllItems.aspx
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Infinite Loops – BAD!
 A workflow that starts when an item is changed
should never change an item in the list to which it
is attached
 A workflow that starts when an item is created
should never create an item in the list to which it
is attached
 Recursive firing is possible
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No data in the list item is changed until the
workflow is complete