Sams Teach Yourself Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) in 24 Hours

In just 24 sessions of about an hour, you’ll learn how to build robust, efficient business workflows with Windows Workflow Foundation (WF). Using a straightforward, step-by-step approach, each lesson builds the real-world foundation you need to succeed with WF from the ground up.   Filled with hands-on code examples, this book walks you through creating every type of workflow supported by .NET 3.5’s powerful new version of WF. One step at a time, you’ll discover how to host workflows, manage workflow lifecycles, integrate with Web services and WCF applications, create custom activities, and moreeverything you’ll need to solve real-world problems with WF!   Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common WF questions, issues, and tasks. Q&As help you build and test your knowledge. Notes point out shortcuts, solutions, and potential problems to avoid. New terms are clearly defined and explained.   Learn how to... Understand the value of workflows and their role in general .NET and advanced business process management systems Run workflows from and exchange data with .NET applications Create sequential, state-machine, and data-driven workflows Define multi-level approval workflows that execute in parallel and escalate Develop rulesets and manage them from SQL databases Track your workflows to make them more agile and governable Use Dynamic Update to change running workflows Work with exceptions, compensation, and transactions Expose workflows as Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) services and call Web services from workflows via WCF Expose workflows as Web services and call Web services from workflows Create basic, queued, event-driven, and composite custom activities

Table of Contents:
Introduction     1 Book Target Audience     2 How This Book Is Organized     2 Hour Summary     3   Part I The Basics HOUR 1 Understanding Windows Workflow Foundation     9 Describing Workflow and Workflow Systems     9 A Conceptual Description of Workflow     9 A Sample Expense Report Workflow     10 Workflow Segmentations     12 What Is a Business Process Management System?      13 .NET Framework 3.0 and 3.5     13 Overview of WF     14 Standard Modeling Activities     16 Multiple Workflow Styles     19 Hosting     23 Tracking     24 Rule Capabilities     26 Conditional Rules     26 RuleSets     27 Custom Activities     29 Reason for Custom Activities     29 Types of Custom Activities     30 XAML Workflows and Serialization     33 Dynamic Update     34 WF and WCF     36 WF and WCF: Conceptual Overview     36 WF and WCF: Integration Specifics     37 SharePoint Workflow     38 SharePoint Workflow Overview     38 SharePoint Workflow Visual Studio     40 SharePoint Workflow SharePoint Designer     40 Designer Rehosting and External Modeling     41 Summary     43 Installation Instructions     44 Visual Studio 2005 and .NET Framework 3.0 Installation Directions     44 Visual Studio 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 Installation Requirements/Directions     45   HOUR 2 A Spin Around Windows Workflow Foundation     47 Creating a Basic Workflow     47 Creating a Workflow Project     47 Building and Running a Workflow     49 Enhancing the Workflow     53 Improving Workflow Transparency     57 Passing Parameters to the Workflow     58 Using Declarative Rules     60 Adding New Activities     60 Creating the Declarative Rule     61 Examining the Project Files     63 Creating a XAML + Code Workflow     64 Adding and Configuring Activities     64 Examining the XAML Workflow     65 Running the XAML + Code Workflow     66 Creating a XAML-Only Workflow     66 Modeling and Preparing the XAML-Only Workflow for Execution     67 Call XAML-Only Workflow from Host     68 Summary     69 Workshop     69 Quiz     69 Answers     70   HOUR 3 Learning Basic Hosting     71 Overview of Hosting     72 Building a Host from Scratch     72 Creating Solution and Projects     73 Create a Simple Workflow     75 Creating the Host     75 Adding the Persistence Service     80 Adding Monitoring Events     83 Creating the Persistence and Tracking Databases     85 Running the Workflow     86 Updating the Host via Configuration     87 Summary     89 Workshop     90 Quiz     90 Answers     90   HOUR 4 Learning Host-Workflow Data Exchange     91 Host-Workflow Data Exchange     91 Creating the Solution and Projects     93 Creating the Solution     94 Creating the Local Service Project     94 Creating the Workflow Project     95 Creating the Windows Forms Project     95 Step 1: Creating the Local Service Interface     96 Step 2: Creating the Payload (EventArgs) Class     97 Step 3: Creating the Workflow     99 Adding the DependencyProperty Type     99 Step 3A: Creating a HandleExternalMethod Activity     101 Handle External Event Activity Property Window     102 Adding an IfElse Activity and Rules     103 Adding CallExternalMethod Activities     103 Creating the Windows Forms Host     108 Adding Controls to the Form     109 Adding the WF Runtime to the Form/Host     109 Step 4A: Creating the Workflow Instance and Raising the Initial Event     112 Step 4B: Implementing the Local Service     113 Building and Running the Project     116 Summary     116 Workshop     117 Quiz     117 Answers     118   HOUR 5 Creating an Escalation Workflow     119 Updating the Local Services     120 Updating the Basic Local Service Interface     120 Creating the Escalation Local Service     121 Extending the Workflow     122 Adding the Activities     122 Configuring CheckCredit’s Activities     125 Updating the Workflow Code-Beside File     127 Update the Forms (Hosts)      128 Implement New Interface Members in the Escalation Form     128 Implement the MoreInfo Method in the Basic Order Form     129 Configure Hosts to Track and Persist     130 Add Tracking to Basic and Escalation Forms     130 Add Persistence to Both Forms     131 Retrieve Tracking Data     132 Retrieve the Workflow from Persistence     135 Running the Solution     137 First-Level Approval or Rejection     137 Second-Level Approval or Rejection     138 Second Level Approval and Tracking     139 Running the WorkflowMonitor SDK Sample     141 Downloading and Installing WorkflowMonitor     141 Summary     143 Workshop     144 Quiz     144 Answers     144   Part II State Machined Workflows and Advanced Control Flow Activities HOUR 6 Creating Basic State Machine Workflows     147 Explaining State Machine Workflows     147 Investigating State Machine Workflow Components     149 Creating the Project     150 Creating the Workflow     150 Preparatory Work     151 Adding State and EventDriven Activities     151 Updating the EventDriven Activities     153 Running the Basic Workflow     159 Hierarchical States and State Introspection     159 Modifying the Workflow     160 StateMachineWorkflowInstance and State Introspection     165 Run the Enhanced State Machine Workflow     165 Summary     166 Workshop     166 Quiz     166 Answers     167   HOUR 7 Creating Advanced State Machine Workflows     169 Updating the Form and Adding Member Variables     170 Updating the Form Code-Behind Logic to Work with StateMachineWorkflowInstance Members     170 Extract “In Scope” Events     171 SetState Combo Box     174 Historical States     175 Possible State Transitions     176 Override the Current State     176 Update the UI When Workflow Idles     177 Update the UI when Workflow Completes     177 Update the UI When Workflow Terminates     178 Running the Workflow     178 Summary     180 Workshop     180 Quiz     180 Answers     180   HOUR 8 Working with Parallel Activities and Correlation     181 Creating the Solution and First Project     181 Create the Parallel Activity Tester Project     182 Creating the Workflow     182 Standard Parallel Activity Execution     182 Running the Parallel Workflow     183 Synchronized Parallel Execution     185 Parallel Approval and Correlation     187 Opening the Solution and Adding the Projects     188 Local Service with Correlation     188 Create the Event Payload (EventArgs)      190 Concurrent Approver Workflow     191 Summary     200 Workshop     201 Quiz     201 Answers     201   HOUR 9 Working with the Replicator and While Activities     203 Creating Solutions and Projects     204 Creating the Replicator Workflow     204 Adding Member Variables to the Workflow     204 Placing the Activities on the Workflow     205 Configuring the Activities     206 Updating the Host Form     210 Running the Replicator Sequentially     212 Using the While Activity for Sequential Processing     213 Modeling the Workflow     213 Adding Code-Beside for the While Activity     213 Updating the Replicator Workflow to Run in Parallel     215 Adding Parallel Support to the Replicator     215 Running the Parallel Replicator     216 Summary     217 Workshop     217 Quiz     217 Answers     218   HOUR 10 Working with EventHandlingScope and Strongly Typed Activities     219 Learning Basic EventHandlingScope Activity Solution and Project Setup     220 Creating the Basic EventHandlingScope Workflow     220 Placing the Activities on the EventHandlingScope Sequential Section     220 Placing the Activities on the EventHandlingScope Event Handlers Section     221 Configuring the Event Handling Scope Sequential Activities     223 Configuring the EventHandlingScope Event Handling Activities     224 Running the Basic EventHandlingScope Workflow      225 Looking at the EventHandlingScope Activity in XAML     225 Creating a More Advanced EventHandlingScope Workflow     226 Setting up the Advanced EventHandlingScope Activity Solution     226 Add the Activities to the Workflow     227 Running the Advanced EventHandlingScope Workflow     232 Using WCA.exe to Build the Strongly Typed Activities     233 Use Strongly Typed Activities on a Workflow     234 Summary     237 Workshop     238 Quiz     238 Answers     238   Part III Data-Driven Workflows and Rules HOUR 11 Creating Data-Driven Workflows     241 Describing the CAG     241 Exploring the CAG and Data-Driven Workflows     243 CAG Approval Sample     243 Creating the Project     244 Adding Variable Declarations     244 Add the CAG to the Workflow     245 Configuring the Approver1Lane of the CAG     246 Configuring the Approver2Lane of the CAG     249 Running the Workflow with Two Lanes     251 Configuring the Approver3Lane of the CAG     252 Run the Workflow with Three Lanes     254 Summary     254 Workshop     255 Quiz     255 Answers     255   HOUR 12 Working with the WF RuleSet     257 Creating the RuleSet     258 RuleSet Terminology and Project Ruleset     258 Creating the Project     260 Creating the RuleSet via the Policy Activity     260 Monitoring the RuleSet     264 Adding RuleSet Tracing     265 Evaluating Pre-Execution Results     265 Evaluating Post-Execution Results     267 Calling Methods from Rules     267 Attributing Methods to Detect Dependency     269 Using the External RuleSet Application     271 Downloading the External RuleSet Application     271 Running the Sample Workflow     272 Uploading Rules to the External Database     273 Adding the Custom Policy Activity to the Toolbox     275 Preparing the Workflow to Use External Rules     275 Configuring the Workflow to Use External Rules     276 Running the Workflow with External Rules     277 Summary     278 Workshop     278 Quiz     278 Answers     279   Part IV Intermediate and Advanced Features HOUR 13 Learning to Track Workflows     283 Tracking Architecture      284 Tracking and Business Activity Monitoring     285 TrackingProfileDesigner SDK Sample     286 Reviewing the TrackingSolution     286 Opening the TrackingProfileDesigner and Loading a Workflow     288 Tracking Workflow Level Events     289 Tracking Activity Level Executed and Completed Events     290 Uploading and Examining the Profile and Running the Workflow     292 Additional Tracking Functionality     294 Manually Updating Tracking Profile and UserTrackingRecords     298 Adding User Tracking Data     299 Retrieving and Saving the TrackingProfile to a File     299 Manually Modifying and Uploading a Tracking Profile     300 Workshop     304 Quiz     304 Answers     305   HOUR 14 Working with Roles     307 Explaining Roles     307 Describing the Role Solution     308 Setting up an ASP.NET Role Provider     308 Updating the Host     311 Updating the Workflow     312 Adding Level2Role Support     315 Adding Level2Role Support to the Workflow     315 Adding Level2Role Support to the Code-Beside     315 Running the Solution with Level 2 Support     316 Summary     317 Workshop     317 Quiz     317 Answers     317   HOUR 15 Working with Dynamic Update     319 Applying Dynamic Update: Outside and Inside     320 Applying Dynamic Update from the Inside     321 Applying Dynamic Update from the Outside Unplanned     324 Explaining Dynamic Update from the Outside Planned     326 Updating Rules Dynamically     327 Selecting Which Version to Run     329 Changing Declarative Rule Conditions with Dynamic Update     329 Changing a RuleSet Rule via the CodeDom     332 Dynamic Update: Exploring Workflow Changes Sample     337 Summary     340 Workshop     341 Quiz     341 Answers     341   HOUR 16 Working with Exceptions, Compensation, and Transactions     343 Creating the Project     344 Basic Exception Handling     344 Modeling the ExceptionWorkflow     345 Adding a Workflow-Level FaultHandlers Activity     345 Handling the Exception     348 Configuring Visual Studio Debugger to Not Trap CLR Exceptions     349 Hierarchical Exception Handling and the Throw Activity     350 Updating the Exception Workflow     350 Catching Exceptions in the IfElse Activity     351 Handling Exceptions in the IfElse Activity     352 Use the Throw Activity     353 Reconfiguring the Throw Activity     353 Activity Handlers Elements and Views     354 Cancellation Handlers     355 Performing Preliminary Setup     355 Modeling the CancellationWorkflow     356 Adding the Cancellation Handler     356 Compensation Overview     357 Performing Preliminary Setup     358 Registering the SQL Persistence Service     358 Modeling the CompensationWorkflow     359 Adding the Compensation Handler     359 Adding a FaultHandlers Activity to the Workflow and Rerunning the Workflow     361 Adding a Compensate Activity to the Fault Handler     361 Moving the Throw Activity into the CompensatableSequence Activity     362 Transactions     363 Performing Preliminary Setup     363 Model and Configure the TransactionWorkflow     364 Running the SQL Script to Create the TestTransaction Database     365 Running the Workflow     365 Summary     366 Workshop     367 Quiz     367 Answers     368   HOUR 17 Learning Advanced Hosting     369 Exploring WorkflowRuntime Events     370 Workflow Events Sample Application     371 Running the AdvancedHostingForms Project     372 Runtime Services     375 Loading Service     377 Workflow Queuing Service     378 Building the Scheduling Service Project     379 Modeling and Configuring the Workflow     379 Updating the Host to Run Three Workflows     380 Running the Workflow with the DefaultWorkflowScheduler Service     381 Updating the Host to Use the ManualWorkflowSchedulerService     381 Running the Workflow with the ManualWorkflowSchedulerService     382 Modifying the Workflow to Use Delay Activities     383 InvokeWorkflow Activity     384 InvokeWorkflow Project: Host Prematurely Exits     385 InvokeWorkflow Project: Host Waits     387 InvokeWorkflow Project: Synchronous Calls and Parameters     387 Summary     394 Workshop     394 Quiz     394 Answers     395   HOUR 18 Working with Web Services and ASP.NET Hosting     397 Creating the Solution and Projects     398 Creating a Workflow and Publishing It as a Web Service     398 Creating Dependency Properties     398 Modeling and Publishing the Workflow     399 Creating the Interface to Produce the WSDL     399 Configure the WebServiceInput Activity     400 Configuring the IfElse Activity     401 Configuring the WebServiceOutput Activity     402 Publishing the Workflow as a Web Service     403 Calling a Web Service from a Workflow     404 Creating Dependency Properties     404 Modeling the Workflow     404 Finishing Configuring the InvokeWebService Activity     405 Running the Basic Workflow Solution     406 Additional Workflow Topics     407 Working with SOAP Faults     407 Exploring Generated Project and Cookie Usage     410 Exploring the WebServiceInvokeActivity.WebServiceProxy Property     412 Learning ASP.NET Hosting     413 Opening the Existing Solution and Creating the ASP.NET Project     413 Instantiating the WorkflowRuntime     414 Creating the ASP.NET Web Form     415 Starting the Workflow Instance     416 Running the ASP.Net Hosted Workflow     418 Summary     418 Workshop     418 Quiz     418 Answers     419   HOUR 19 Learning WF-WCF Integration     421 Overview of Windows Communication Foundation     421 WF and WCF Overview     422 Hosting a Workflow in WCF Using Existing Interface and Receive Activity     424 Creating the Solution and Projects     425 ABCs of WCF and WF Specific Bindings     426 Exploring the ContractsAndWorkflows Project and Bindings     427 Creating the WCF Endpoint and Host     431 Creating the Console Application Client     434 Hosting a Workflow in WCF: Configuring Receive Activity and Updating Interface     437 Modifying the Interface     438 Configuring the Receive Activity     438 Rebuilding the Client     441 Accessing WorkflowRuntime from WorkflowServiceHost     442 Performing Preparatory Work     443 Retrieving the WorkflowRuntime     443 Running the Project     444 Connecting to a WCF Endpoint from WF     445 Updating the Workflow     445 Summary     448 Workshop     449 Quiz     449 Answers     449   Part V Custom Activities HOUR 20 Creating Basic Custom Activities     453 Custom Activity Conceptual Overview     453 Improve on Out-of-the-Box Activities     454 Create Domain-Specific Activities     454 Custom Control Flow Patterns     454 Custom Activity Technical Overview     455 Basic Custom Activity Overview     456 Creating the Solution and Projects     456 Creating the Solution and Projects     457 Creating the Customer Custom Activity     457 Setting the Base Activity     457 Overriding the Execute Method     458 Adding the Custom Activity to a Workflow     459 Updating the Customer Activity to Receive Input     460 Updating the Customer Activity to Retrieve Information from a Database     462 Adding Existing Custom CreditCheck Activity     465 Adding Event Handlers to Activities     469 Creating Compound Activities     470 Creating and Modeling the Compound Activity     470 Configure the IfElse Activit     471 Configuring the CheckCredit Activity in the CompoundCreditCheck Activity     472 Configuring the Customer Activity in the CompoundCreditCheck Activity     472 Creating a New Sequential Workflow     473 Modeling the Workflow with the CompoundCreditCheck Activity     473 Activity Programming Model     475 Designer Components     475 Creating an Activity Designer Theme     476 ToolboxBitMap Class     478 Adding Graphic as Image and Associating Class     479 Adding the Activity to the Toolbox Across Projects     480 Creating the VSContent File     480 Creating the VSI file     480 Workshop     482 Quiz     482 Answers     482   HOUR 21 Creating Queued Activities     483 Exploring Activity Life Cycle Topics     484 WorkflowQueue     484 ActivityExecutionContext     485 Overview of Samples     486 Creating the Solution and Projects     486 Creating a Basic Custom Queued Activity     487 Performing Preliminary Custom Activity Setup     487 Override the Initialize Method     487 Override the Execute Method     489 Adding Code to the QueueItemAvailable Handler     490 Override the Uninitialize Method     492 Updating Host to Send Data to the Queue     492 Running the Workflow     493 Custom Activity Queued from Service     493 Creating the CustomerQueuedFromService Service     494 Creating the CustomerQueuedFromServiceActivity Custom Activity     498 Updating the Host to Use the New Service     503 Summary     504 Workshop     505 Quiz     505 Answers     505   HOUR 22 Creating Typed Queued and EventDriven-Enabled Activities     507 Creating a Custom Activity that Accesses a Typed Service     507 Preliminary Project Setup     508 Adding the CustomerEventArgs File     508 Modifying the CustomerQueuedFromTypedServiceActivity Custom Activity     09 Modifying the CustomerQueuedFromTypedService Service     510 Updating the Host to Use the Typed Service     513 Creating an EventDriven Activity     513 Creating the CustomerEventDrivenActivity Custom Activity     514 Workshop     522 Quiz     522 Answers     523   HOUR 23 Creating Control Flow Activities Session 1     525 Control Flow Activity Conceptual Overview     525 Creating the Solution and Projects     527 Creating the Control Flow Activity     527 Creating Nonexecuting Control Flow Activity     527 Adding Single Child Activity Execution     529 Executing All Child Activities     532 Designer Hierarchy Overview     535 Adding Parallel Execution Option     536 Adding Cancellation and Early Completion     542 Creating GeneralControlFlowBranch and Adding a Condition     545 Summary     549 Workshop     549 Quiz     549 Answers     549   HOUR 24 Creating Control Flow Activities Session 2     551 Enhancing the GeneralControlFlow Activity     551 Adding a Custom Designer     552 Adding ToolBoxItem     554 Adding Custom Validation     556 Adding Attached Properties and the ActivityCondition Type     561 Reviewing Activity Life Cycle Artifacts     568 Implementing Compensation     570 Summary     572 Workshop     572 Quiz     572 Answers     572   Index     575