Office 2010 Workflow: Developing Collaborative Solutions

590 Pages·2010·7.242 MB·English

by  Mark Collins

Office 2010 Workflow:

Developing Collaborative Solutions

■ ■ ■
MARK J. COLLINS

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Office 2010 Workflow: Developing Collaborative Solutions
Copyright © 2010 by Mark J. Collins
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
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ISBN-13 (pbk): 978-1-4302-2904-9
ISBN-13 (electronic): 978-1-4302-2905-6
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Contents at a Glance
■Preface..........................................................................................................................................................xix
■About the Author...........................................................................................................................................xxi
■About the Technical Reviewers....................................................................................................................xxii
■Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................................................xxiii
■Introduction.................................................................................................................................................xxiv
■PART 1: Introduction........................................................................................................................................1
■Chapter 1: Overview of Microsoft Office..........................................................................................................3
■Chapter 2: Setting Up a Development Environment.......................................................................................11
■Chapter 3: SharePoint Primer........................................................................................................................45
■PART 2: Using Workflows...............................................................................................................................57
■Chapter 4: Three-state Workflow...................................................................................................................59
■Chapter 5: Office Applications as Workflow Participants..............................................................................77
■Chapter 6: Creating Workflows with SharePoint Designer...........................................................................97
■Chapter 7: Creating Reusable and Site Workflows.......................................................................................119
■PART 3: Workflows in Visual Studio 2010....................................................................................................155
■Chapter 8: Creating a Simple Site Workflow................................................................................................157
■Chapter 9: Exploring the SharePoint Object Model......................................................................................181
■Chapter 10: Custom Workflow Forms..........................................................................................................199
■Chapter 11: Handling Events........................................................................................................................241
■Chapter 12: LINQ to SharePoint....................................................................................................................275
■Chapter 13: Using State Machine Workflows...............................................................................................301
■PART 4: Miscellaneous Topics......................................................................................................................383
■Chapter 14: Using a ConditionedActivityGroup............................................................................................385
■Chapter 15: Importing Reusable Workflows................................................................................................405
■Chapter 16: Creating Custom Actions..........................................................................................................425
■Chapter 17: Pluggable Workflow Services...................................................................................................451
■PART 5: Business Connectivity Services (BCS)............................................................................................473
■Chapter 18: Creating External Content Types..............................................................................................475
■Chapter 19: Implementing a .NET Assembly Connector...............................................................................509
■Chapter 20: Using External Lists in Outlook.................................................................................................553
■Index.............................................................................................................................................................573
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Contents
■Preface.....................................................................................................................xix
■About the Author......................................................................................................xxi
■About the Technical Reviewers...............................................................................xxii
■Acknowledgements................................................................................................xxiii
■Introduction............................................................................................................xxiv
■PART 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................1
■Chapter 1: Overview of Microsoft Office......................................................................3
End-User Perspective........................................................................................................3
Office Overview........................................................................................................................................3
Workflows in SharePoint..........................................................................................................................4
Workflow Overview............................................................................................................5
Code-less Workflows................................................................................................................................6
Visual Studio Workflows...........................................................................................................................6
Business Connectivity Services.........................................................................................6
Technology Overview.........................................................................................................7
Software Products....................................................................................................................................7
Client-Server Topology.............................................................................................................................9
Summary.........................................................................................................................10
■Chapter 2: Setting Up a Development Environment...................................................11
Single-Computer Installation...........................................................................................11
Initial Setup............................................................................................................................................11
SQL Server..............................................................................................................................................12
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■ CONTENTS

Active Directory......................................................................................................................................12
Installing SharePoint on a Server OS...............................................................................12
Installing the Prerequisites.....................................................................................................................13
Installing SharePoint Server...................................................................................................................14
Running the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard........................................................................16
Using the Central Administration Web Application.................................................................................22
Installing SharePoint on a Desktop..................................................................................26
Installing the Prerequisites.....................................................................................................................28
Enabling Windows Features...................................................................................................................30
Installing SharePoint Server............................................................................................32
Installing Hotfix KB970315.....................................................................................................................34
Running the Configuration Wizard..........................................................................................................35
Initial Site Configuration.........................................................................................................................37
Installing Other Applications............................................................................................39
Installing Visual Studio 2010..................................................................................................................39
Office Client Applications.......................................................................................................................39
SharePoint Designer 2010......................................................................................................................40
Installing Office 2010..............................................................................................................................41
Installing Visio 2010...............................................................................................................................41
Configuring E-mail...........................................................................................................42
Providing an E-mail System...................................................................................................................42
Configuring SMTP...................................................................................................................................42
Summary.........................................................................................................................43
■Chapter 3: SharePoint Primer....................................................................................45
Columns...........................................................................................................................45
Text Columns..........................................................................................................................................46
Date & Time Columns.............................................................................................................................47
Person or Group Columns.......................................................................................................................47
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Choice Columns......................................................................................................................................48
Lookup Columns.....................................................................................................................................49
Calculated Columns................................................................................................................................50
Site Columns Collection..........................................................................................................................50
Content Types..................................................................................................................51
Lists and Libraries...........................................................................................................51
Supporting Content Types......................................................................................................................52
Views......................................................................................................................................................52
Subsites...........................................................................................................................53
Templates........................................................................................................................54
Site Templates........................................................................................................................................54
List Templates........................................................................................................................................55
Summary.........................................................................................................................56
■PART 2: Using Workflows..........................................................................................57
■Chapter 4: Three-state Workflow..............................................................................59
Creating a New Site.........................................................................................................59
Creating a New List................................................................................................................................61
Understanding the Workflow Process....................................................................................................62
Defining the List Columns.......................................................................................................................63
Associating the Workflow................................................................................................65
Defining the First Transition...................................................................................................................68
Defining the Second Transition..............................................................................................................69
Using the Work Request Workflow..................................................................................70
Workflow Tasks...............................................................................................................74
Summary.........................................................................................................................76
■Chapter 5: Office Applications as Workflow Participants..........................................77
Creating a SharePoint Site...............................................................................................77
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Creating a Document Library..................................................................................................................78
Associating a Workflow..........................................................................................................................79
Using the Document Workflow........................................................................................82
Submitting a New Design Document......................................................................................................82
Enabling Office.......................................................................................................................................84
Receiving Workflow E-mail Notifications...............................................................................................84
Receiving a Task Notification.................................................................................................................86
Using Office Shortcuts............................................................................................................................87
Integrating the Task List..................................................................................................89
Executing the Workflow Again................................................................................................................91
Displaying the Task in Outlook...............................................................................................................91
More About Tasks............................................................................................................92
Working with Multiple Task List.............................................................................................................92
Deleting Tasks........................................................................................................................................94
Summary.........................................................................................................................95
■Chapter 6: Creating Workflows with SharePoint Designer.......................................97
Creating the Site..............................................................................................................97
Creating a Custom List...........................................................................................................................98
Defining the List Columns.......................................................................................................................98
Using Visio to Define a Workflow...................................................................................100
Designing a Workflow in Visio..............................................................................................................100
Exporting a Visio Workflow...................................................................................................................101
Importing a Visio Workflow............................................................................................102
Entering the Workflow Definition..........................................................................................................103
Specifying a Condition..........................................................................................................................105
Creating a Calendar Entry.....................................................................................................................107
Adding Workflow Details......................................................................................................................110
Configuring the Workflow.....................................................................................................................112
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Executing the Workflow.................................................................................................114
Exporting to Visio...........................................................................................................117
Summary.......................................................................................................................118
■Chapter 7: Creating Reusable and Site Workflows..................................................119
Reusable Workflows......................................................................................................119
Creating a New Site..............................................................................................................................119
Creating a Reusable Workflow.............................................................................................................122
Workflow Editor Overview....................................................................................................................123
Initiation Form Parameters...................................................................................................................126
Entering the Workflow Definition..........................................................................................................129
Checking the Review Outcome.............................................................................................................133
Adding a Second Step..........................................................................................................................135
Publishing the Workflow.......................................................................................................................140
Associating the Workflow.....................................................................................................................140
Testing the Workflow............................................................................................................................142
Site Workflows...............................................................................................................144
Initiation Form Parameters...................................................................................................................145
Designing the Workflow.......................................................................................................................147
Testing the Workflow............................................................................................................................150
Summary.......................................................................................................................153
■PART 3: Workflows in Visual Studio 2010...............................................................155
■Chapter 8: Creating a Simple Site Workflow...........................................................157
Using Visual Studio 2010...............................................................................................158
Creating a SharePoint Project...............................................................................................................158
Running as Administrator.....................................................................................................................159
Configuring the SharePoint Project......................................................................................................161
SharePoint Support in Visual Studio 2010............................................................................................164
Designing a SharePoint Workflow.................................................................................168
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Logging to the History List....................................................................................................................168
Creating a New Task............................................................................................................................168
Defining the Activity’s Properties.........................................................................................................168
Entering Code in the Code-Beside Class..............................................................................................171
Deploying the Workflow.................................................................................................171
Running the Workflow..........................................................................................................................174
Visual Studio Cleanup...........................................................................................................................176
Resolving Retract Issues................................................................................................176
SharePoint Deployment Configuration..................................................................................................177
Selecting the Active Configuration.......................................................................................................178
Summary.......................................................................................................................179
■Chapter 9: Exploring the SharePoint Object Model.................................................181
Creating a SharePoint Project in Visual Studio..............................................................181
Adding a Workflow...............................................................................................................................183
SharePoint Customization Wizard........................................................................................................184
Writing SharePoint Details to the History List................................................................185
Creating the Workflow Design..............................................................................................................186
Accessing the Object Model.................................................................................................................188
Testing the Workflow............................................................................................................................192
Scanning the Tasks List.................................................................................................193
Adding an Activity to Check the Tasks List...........................................................................................193
Implementing Check Tasks Logic.........................................................................................................193
Testing the Workflow............................................................................................................................196
More About Content Types.............................................................................................197
Summary.......................................................................................................................198
■Chapter 10: Custom Workflow Forms......................................................................199
Creating a Sequential Workflow....................................................................................199
Adding an Initiation Form...............................................................................................200
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Customizing the Initiation Form............................................................................................................203
Getting the Initiation Data in the Workflow...........................................................................................205
Implementing the Workflow...........................................................................................206
Replicator Activity.................................................................................................................................207
Setting Up the Replicator Activity.........................................................................................................208
CreateTask Activity...............................................................................................................................209
Testing the Workflow............................................................................................................................212
Content Types................................................................................................................214
Creating a Content Type.......................................................................................................................214
Content Type Inheritance......................................................................................................................217
Adding Field Definitions........................................................................................................................217
Adding the Field References.................................................................................................................218
Using the New Content Type................................................................................................................222
Testing the Workflow............................................................................................................................225
Creating Custom Task Forms with InfoPath 2010..........................................................226
Connecting to SharePoint.....................................................................................................................226
Modifying the Form Layout...................................................................................................................230
Defining Rules......................................................................................................................................233
Publishing the Form..............................................................................................................................235
Testing the Custom Form.....................................................................................................................236
Summary.......................................................................................................................239
■Chapter 11: Handling Events...................................................................................241
Modifying the Calendar List...........................................................................................241
Adding the MenuUrl Column.................................................................................................................241
Adding the Attendees Column..............................................................................................................242
Creating a New Event...........................................................................................................................244
Designing the Workflow.................................................................................................246
Creating the Workflow Project..............................................................................................................246
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