Getting Started With Workflows:
To Develop Custom Workflows, The two templates that you should install are the “Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation” and the SharePoint 2007 SDK.
The following are the links to download these templates:
1. Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation
2. SharePoint 2007 SDK Templates
After these two building blocks are installed, you can begin to build custom workflows.
Workflow Objects
Before you learn how to design and develop workflows, it is important to understand the three objects that you will be creating: Templates, Associations, and Instances.
Workflow Templates
Workflow templates are actually called Features and are what you will develop in Visual Studio 2005. Templates (or Features) define the workflow itself, how information is processed through the workflow, and any forms (.aspx or InfoPath forms) that are required by the workflow. Workflow templates are then installed on the server and associated with a site collection.
Workflow Associations
After a workflow template has been installed on your SharePoint server, it must be associated with a document library or a list. This means that items that are added to the list are assigned the workflow process defined by the template, assuming that the specified criteria have been met.
Workflow Instances
Workflow instances are the physical running instances of the workflow processes that have been associated with a list. They are different from associations because associations define the process that is to be assigned to list items, whereas a workflow instance is similar to an objected instance of an association that is dehydrated and rehydrated as the workflow process advances.
Workflow Input Forms
When you design a workflow template, you can create four different types of input forms including an Association form, an Initiation form, a Modification form, and a Task edit form. These forms make it possible for a developer to design and implement a custom workflow template that interacts with users. Note that these forms are optional when you create a workflow template. You can add any one of these form types to a workflow template and omit the other three. You can also supply all four types of workflow input forms if you have a scenario that calls for it.
Association form:
A custom workflow association form allows the developer to prompt the user for parameterization data when a new workflow association is created. A workflow association form is presented to the user as a final step when creating a workflow association. Note that the workflow association form can also be used by those who want to make modifications to parameterization data within an existing workflow association.
Initiation form:
A custom workflow initiation form allows the developer to prompt the user for parameterization data when a new workflow instance is created from a workflow association. Note that workflow initiation forms can be used only when the workflow association allows users to start the workflow instance manually. When a workflow association is configured to start workflows automatically, it is not possible to prompt the user with a workflow initiation form.
Modification form:
Once a workflow instance has been started, there might be a need for the user to change some of its properties on the fly, such as who should approve the item or document in question. The workflow modification form is intended for this purpose. A developer can add a link to the Workflow Status page, making it possible for the user to navigate to the modification form for a particular workflow instance. Using the modification form, the developer can allow the user to perform whatever types of modifications make sense.
Task Edit form:
Forms Created or Displayed for a perticular task,when a task is created.
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