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Workflow Actions Schema Overview

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You can build powerful and robust workflows to automate most common business scenarios by using a declarative, code-free workflow editor such as Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007. However, sometimes it is necessary to build workflows around very complex and unique business requirements that cannot be accommodated by the default list of conditions and actions provided by Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

In order to allow a code-free editor to work with more complex business logic, you must create customized workflow objects and deploy them to the server that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. After you have deployed your customized workflow objects, the new actions and conditions will be visible to the workflow editor.

For more information about how to create custom actions and conditions, see the white paper "Importing Custom Actions into Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007." This article is available in the SharePoint Server 2007 SDK: Software Development Kit (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=6D94E307-67D9-41AC-B2D6-0074D6286FA9&displaylang=en) download and is installed in the following location:

C:\Program Files\2007 Office System Developer Resources\Documentation\White Papers\ImportingCustomActionsIntoSharePointDesigner.doc

For information about creating code-free workflow editors, see Creating Declarative, No-Code Workflow Editors.

The Workflow Actions Schema contains the following elements:

<WorkflowInfo Element (WorkflowActions)>

   <Conditions Element (WorkflowActions)>

      <Default Element (WorkflowActions)>

      <Condition Element (WorkflowActions)>

   <Actions Element (WorkflowActions)>

      <Default Element (WorkflowActions)>

      <Action Element (WorkflowActions)>

   <RuleDesigner Element (WorkflowActions)>

      <FieldBind Element (WorkflowActions)>

         <Option Element (WorkflowActions)>

   <Parameters Element (WorkflowActions)>

      <Parameter Element (WorkflowActions)>

Remarks

XML schema definition files are commonly used to validate XML structure and syntax. However, in the case of Action and Condition elements, the information that is normally contained in an XSD file, and is easily readable, is contained within Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 internal code.

Example

Description

The following XML example demonstrates how to construct an .ACTIONS file so that Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 can correctly display Action and Condition elements to a declarative, rules-based, code-free workflow editor.

Note

Elements in the following code sample have been edited for readability.

Code

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<WorkflowInfo>
   <Actions Sequential="then" Parallel="and">
      <Action 
         Name="Get Manager from Active Directory"
   ClassName="FindManagerActivity.FindManager"
   Assembly="FindManagerActivity, Version=1.0.0.0,   
            Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=ec457ebe7d96977c"
   AppliesTo="all"
   Category="Extras">
   <RuleDesigner Sentence="Get Manager information for %1 
            (Output: %2 %3 %4 %5 %6) ">
      <FieldBind 
               Field="AccountName" 
               DesignerType="SinglePerson" 
               Text="this user" 
               Id="1"/>
<FieldBind 
               Field="ManagerAccountName" 
               DesignerType="ParameterNames" 
               Text="ManagerAccountName" 
               Id="2"/>
<FieldBind 
               Field="ManagerEmailAddress" 
               DesignerType="ParameterNames" 
               Text="ManagerEmailAddress" 
               Id="3"/>
<FieldBind 
               Field="ManagerDisplayName" 
               DesignerType="ParameterNames" 
               Text="ManagerDisplayName" 
               Id="4"/>
<FieldBind 
               Field="Outcome" 
               DesignerType="ParameterNames" 
               Text="Outcome" 
               Id="5"/>
<FieldBind 
               Field="SearchSuccessful" 
               DesignerType="ParameterNames" 
               Text="IsSuccess" 
               Id="6"/>
   </RuleDesigner>
   <Parameters>
      <Parameter 
               Name="AccountName" 
               Type="System.String, mscorlib" 
               Direction="In" />
<Parameter 
               Name="ManagerAccountName" 
               Type="System.String, mscorlib" 
               Direction="Out" />
<Parameter 
               Name="ManagerEmailAddress" 
               Type="System.String, mscorlib" 
               Direction="Out" />
<Parameter 
               Name="ManagerDisplayName" 
               Type="System.String, mscorlib" 
               Direction="Out" />
<Parameter 
               Name="Outcome" 
               Type="System.String, mscorlib" 
               Direction="Out" />
<Parameter 
               Name="SearchSuccessful" 
               Type="System.Boolean, mscorlib" 
               Direction="Out" />
   </Parameters>
</Action>
   </Actions>
</WorkflowInfo>

See Also

Concepts

Workflow Development for Windows SharePoint Services

Creating Declarative, No-Code Workflow Editors

Office SharePoint Designer 2007 Overview