Download - SharePoint 2013 Workflow from K2
PRESENTED BY:
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STEVE BOLDT
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WORKFLOW IN SHAREPOINT 2013
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AGENDA
• Workflow and SharePoint Through the Years • SharePoint Workflow Today • SharePoint 2013 Workflow Architecture • Workflow Manager • Design Tools with SharePoint 2013
• SharePoint 2013 Designer • SharePoint 2013 & Visio 2013 • SharePoint 2013 & Visual Studio 2012
• SharePoint 2013 Workflow Demonstration(s) • Q & A
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SHAREPOINT WORKFLOW THROUGH THE YEARS
SharePoint 2007 / WSS 3
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SHAREPOINT WORKFLOW THROUGH THE YEARS
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SHAREPOINT WORKFLOW THROUGH THE YEARS
Out of box Microsoft built and is hosting some common workflows that ship with SharePoint, these workflows are easily configured and usable upon installation of MOSS – attach a template to a list/library and go! Partially Customized Utilizing a combination of Visio/SharePoint Designer to implement SharePoint actions/conditions to build rules-based, non-code process Fully Customized Build it all from scratch in Visual Studio; have to manage security, reporting, deployment
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SHAREPOINT WORKFLOW THROUGH THE YEARS
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SHAREPOINT WORKFLOW THROUGH THE YEARS
Conditions: With Specifics words in the title or other fields Modified (either in a specific time window or by a person) Created by or in a specific time frame File type File size ADVANCED Condition
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SHAREPOINT WORKFLOW THROUGH THE YEARS
Actions: Create task Update task Delete task Send email Prompt for values Change Item Status
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SHAREPOINT WORKFLOW TODAY
• Workflow moved to Workflow Manager (WM) • Does not run in SharePoint anymore
• WM is built on WF 4 • WF 4 is part of Microsoft .Net 4.5
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SHAREPOINT WORKFLOW TODAY
§ Workflow moved to Workflow Manager (formerly Azure Workflow Services) § Does not run in SharePoint anymore
§ WM is built on WF 4 § WF 4 is part of Microsoft .NET 4.5
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SHAREPOINT 2013 WORKFLOW AT A GLANCE
• 2 Distinct workflow platforms: 2010 and 2013 • Complete redesigned workflow infrastructure with Workflow Manager
1.0 (WM) • Design Tool Enhancements • Call Web Services • Fully Declarative, no more code • Visual Designer (with SP Designer)
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WORKFLOW AND SHAREPOINT 2013
Installs OTB Requires Workflow Manager
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WORKFLOW AND SHAREPOINT 2013
Installs OTB Requires Workflow Manager
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SHAREPOINT 2013 WORKFLOW DEPLOYMENT LOCATIONS
On-Premise Deployment: • WM can be installed on the WFE or separate server • Must be connected to the SharePoint 2013 farm • Cannot be on a Domain Controller
SharePoint Online / Office 365 (Off-Premise) Deployment: • No Deployment necessary, already installed • No configuration necessary
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KEY ARCHITECTURE CHANGES IN 2013 • Powered by Windows Workflow Foundation 4 (WF) • SharePoint 2013 workflow is now executed in the Workflow
Manager Client 1.0 server • Communicates with SharePoint using Azure service bus using
common protocols (I.E HTTP) • Based on .NET framework 4.5 • Enhanced connectivity to enable cloud-based execution of
workflows. • SharePoint Events are routed to WM and returned via REST
API
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SHAREPOINT WORKFLOW TODAY
SharePoint 2013 Workflow Architecture
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WORKFLOW MANAGER
New host which introduces new capabilities for authoring, hosting and managing workflows. Also hosts the execution processes for workflow instances.
WHAT IS WORKFLOW MANAGER?
Key Points: • High Density & Multi-tenancy • Elastic Scale • Activity / Workflow Artifact Management • Tracking and Monitoring • Instance Management • Fully Declarative Authoring (no code) • REST and Service Bus Messaging capable • Interop into SP 2010 Processes
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INTEROP BRIDGE
§ Allows for calling of 2010 workflows (List/Site) from SharePoint 2013 (Via new Coordination Actions)
§ Is put in place for backwards compatibility between SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint 2010 workflow engines
§ WM will delegate workflows or portions of workflows to the 2010 Interop engine and provide
§ Synch/Asynch mode available
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SHAREPOINT WORKFLOWS TYPES
§ Same as provided in 2010, which include: § Reusable & Global Reusable
§ Associated with a Content Type and not a specific list § Available anywhere within a Site Collection § Recommended best practice approach for SharePoint Workflow
construction
§ Site Workflows § Not associated to a List or Content Type § As a result, not all Actions are available § Can only be started manually or via code
§ List Workflows § Associated only to a specific List § Context is the List & Columns § Not portable
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OUT OF THE BOX WORKFLOWS
• No native 2013 workflows come out of the box. However all 2010 can be activated.
Examples of SharePoint 2010 Workflow templates available to be activated: • Disposition Approval Workflow • Publishing Approval workflow • Three state workflow
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SHAREPOINT 2013 WORKFLOW DESIGNERS
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IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAREPOINT DESIGNER 2013
• Introducing Stages. • Workflow doesn’t have to be serial • Provides for a state machine like experience
• Declarative workflows can now have loop like functionality. • Loop x # of times. • Loop while condition is true
• Workflows can now call REST/SOAP Services
• Improved Email editor • Now supports rich formatting
• Designer supports Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo, Redo, Select-all
• Improved Visual Designer. Visio is now embedded. Can switch between visual and text-style.
• Can build 2010 or 2013 workflows
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SHAREPOINT 2013 WORKFLOW BUILDING BLOCKS
Stage
Action
Step
Action
Condition
- Stage
- Step
- Loop - Action - Condition
- Gates
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STAGES AND GATES
Stage
Gate
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SHAREPOINT 2013 WORKFLOW BUILDING BLOCKS - STAGES
§ A word about Stages: § A Workflow must have at least one Stage
§ An Start shape is required outside the Stage (but not Terminate shape)
§ Stages cannot be nested
§ Stages cannot be executed in parallel
§ Only Stages can be contained at the highest level of the Workflow – Steps, Actions, etc. are contained within Stages
§ No looping across Stages
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SHAREPOINT 2013 WORKFLOW BUILDING BLOCKS - STEPS
Steps are a logical grouping of Activities that get performed as a single unit of work Caveats:
§ Steps must be within a Stage § Steps can be used within a Loop § Steps may have only one entry and one exit point. § Steps can have Steps nested within
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SHAREPOINT 2013 WORKFLOW BUILDING BLOCKS - LOOPS
Visio 2013 and SharePoint Designer 2013 support two types of Loops: § Loop n Times § Loop with Condition
Caveats:
§ Loops must be within a Stage, and Stages cannot be within a Loop. § Steps may be within a Loop. § Loops may have only one entry and one exit point.
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Action Description
Assign a Task
Assigns a single workflow task to a user or group.
Start a Task Process
Initiates execution of a task process.
Go to This Stage Specifies the next stage in a workflow to which flow control should be handed.
Call HTTP Web Service Functions as a method call to a (REST) endpoint
Start List Workflow Starts a list scoped workflow (2010)
Start a site workflow Starts a site scoped workflow (2010)
Build Dynamic value Creates a new variable of type DynamicValue.
Get Property from Dynamic Value
Retrieves a property value from a specified variable of type DynamicValue.
New Actions in SPD
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Action Description Count Items in DynamicValue
Returns the number of rows in a variable of type DynamicValue.
Trim String
Removes all leading and trailing white-space characters from the current string.
Find Substring in String
Returns 1-based index of the first occurrence of one or more characters, or the first occurrence of a string, within a string.
Replace Substring in String
Returns a new string in which all occurrences of a specified character or string are replaced with another specified character or string.
Translate Document
Functions as a wrapper around the HTTP activity that calls the synchronous translation API. You must configure a Machine Translation Service Application for the SharePoint site on which you run the workflow.
New Actions in SPD
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Action Description
Set Workflow Status
Updates workflow status as specified in message string.
Create a Project from Current Item [Microsoft Project]
Creates a Project Server project based on the current item.
Set the current project stage status to this value [MS Project]
Sets the two status fields within the current stage of the project.
Set the status field in the idea list item to this value [MS Project]
Updates the status field of the original SharePoint list item.
Wait for Project Event [MS Project]
Pauses the current instance of the workflow to await a specified Project event
Set this field in the project to this value [MSProject]
Sets the value for the enterprise custom field for a specified project.
New Actions in SPD
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NEW TASK ACTIONS Assign a task - This action is to assign a task to a single user that
outputs a variable and a TaskId. You can use the people picker to select the person or group to whom you are assigning the task.
Start a Task Process – This action allows you to assign multiple tasks to
multiple users and then use the results in a task process.
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CALL HTTP WEB SERVICE
• Accesses SharePoint 2013 via CSOM • Expects JSON format • HTTP Methods:
• Get • Delete • Merge • Put • Post
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DICTIONARY TYPES
New Dictionary Variable Type: • Build Dictionary Action
• Can contain any variable type • Used to store info • Important for Call HTTP Web Service
• Count Items in a Dictionary • Counts variables in a Dictionary • Used for looping through Dictionary
• Get an Item from a Dictionary • Get variables stored in a Dictionary • Useful for retrieving a stand-alone variable
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Workflow Example using SharePoint Designer 2013 and Visio 2013
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VISIO 2013 & SHAREPOINT 2013
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VISIO 2013 & SHAREPOINT 2013
• Must be Microsoft Visio Professional 2013
• Carries through traditional method of building workflows
• Contains a dedicated SharePoint workflow stencil set
• Matches SPD with Stages and Gates
• Can still go back and forth between Visio and SPD
• Custom actions now can appear in the stencil pane
• Still unable to add workflow properties to shapes.
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VISUAL STUDIO 2012 & SHAREPOINT 2013
• Office Developer Tools for Visual Studio 2012 • Workflow Manager 1.0 Tools for Visual Studio 2012 • Can still import from SPD reusable workflows
o Both 2010 and 2013 • New project types, examples include:
o Custom Activity o Workflow (SharePoint 2013 / Workflow Manager style)
• All declarative • New project item templates • Custom Activities • Allows for richer debugging capabilities
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WORKFLOW DESIGN IN VISUAL STUDIO 2012
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VISUAL STUDIO 2012 PROJECTS
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Visual Studio Toolbox
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Visual Studio Canvas
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COMPARING DESIGNERS
SharePoint Designer
Visual Studio 2012
Create Declarative Workflow Yes Yes Reusability Create Reusable
Workflows Create
Templates Build into SharePoint App No Yes Use Custom Code No No Custom Actions Consumer of
Actions Yes, using
custom project Visio Integration Yes No Debugging No Yes
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Actions
Stop Workflow
All Document Set Actions
All Records Management Actions
Add List item
All Permissions Actions
Lookup Manger of user function
Collect Data From User
Start Approval Process
Start Custom Task Process
Start Feedback Process
Copy List Item
WHAT’S MISSING IN SHAREPOINT 2013 WORKFLOW??
Conditions
If Current Item Field Equals Value
Check List item permissions levels
Check List Item Permissions
Features and Functions
Association Columns
Content type association
Globally reusable workflow type
Workflow visualization option
Require Manage List/Web Permission' feature for list/site workflow
InfoPath is not supported for SharePoint Designer 2013 workflows.
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Actions Conditions Features and Functions Stop Workflow If Current Item Field
Equals Value Association Columns
All Document Set Actions Check List item permissions levels
Content type association
All Records Management Actions Check List Item Permissions
Globally reusable workflow type
Add List item Workflow visualization option All Permissions Actions Require Manage List/Web
Permission' feature for list/site workflow
Lookup Manger of user function InfoPath is not supported for SharePoint Designer 2013 workflows.
Collect Data From User
Start Approval Process
Start Custom Task Process
Start Feedback Process
Copy List Item
What's Gone for 2013 workflows?
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