Compare workflow types
Applies To: Office SharePoint Server 2007
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Topic Last Modified: 2016-11-14
There are three types of workflows that can be used with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: predefined workflows, SharePoint Designer workflows, and Visual Studio workflows. Predefined workflows meet the requirements of straightforward, collaborative business processes, such as document review and approval. SharePoint Designer workflows are well-suited for more structured sequential processes that require custom logic, such as service requests and asset tracking. Visual Studio workflows work well for complex, structured business processes that require code, such as purchase order processing and fulfillment.
In this article:
Predefined workflows
SharePoint Designer workflows
Visual Studio workflows
Choosing a workflow type
Predefined workflows
Predefined workflows are installed as features and are ready to use immediately after deploying Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. After you activate a predefined workflow for your site collection, you can add the workflow to any list, library, or content type on the site. The following table describes the predefined workflow templates available with Office SharePoint Server 2007.
| Name | Description | Suggested uses |
|---|---|---|
Routing |
Routes a document or list item to one or more users for feedback or approval by using a Web-based form. |
Approval processes, collecting feedback, and aggregating feedback for a document. |
Collect Signatures |
Routes an Office document to one or more users to collect approval by means of digital signatures. Note This workflow must be manually started from an application in 2007 Office system. |
Approval processes that require a digital signature. |
Disposition Approval |
Manages document expiration and retention by allowing participants to decide whether to retain or delete expired documents. |
Records management. |
Three-state |
Designed to work with the Issue Tracking list template, but it can be used with any list that contains a Choice column with three or more values. For more information about using Three-state workflows, see Use a Three-state workflow (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=119648&clcid=0x409). |
Track the status of issues, tasks, and other complex business processes. |
Group Approval |
Routes a document for approval but offers a personalized view of the approval process in which the user is participating. This workflow must be manually installed. |
Approval processes in East Asian markets. |
Translation Management |
Manages the routing of documents for translation to other formats or languages. |
Scenarios in which documents need to be translated into other languages. |
Note
The Disposition Approval, Group Approval, and Collect Signatures workflows are pre-associated with the Document content type, which means that they are automatically available in document libraries.
SharePoint Designer workflows
When you need more complex logic than is provided by the predefined workflow templates, you can use SharePoint Designer to create a custom workflow. SharePoint Designer provides a code-free wizard to establish the processing rules for the workflow. When you create a workflow by using SharePoint Designer, you assign it to a specific list or document library. Therefore, a SharePoint Designer workflow is a single-use template that cannot be associated with other document libraries or lists. However, when you save the parent site as a template, the SharePoint Designer workflows associated with any lists or libraries on the site will also be saved. When you create a new list based on this template, the workflow is automatically deployed for the new site and its lists. For more information about creating SharePoint Designer workflows, see Create SharePoint Designer workflows.
Visual Studio workflows
Using the Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation, you or a developer can create custom workflow templates. Custom workflow templates must be installed as features on the server before they can be used. After they are installed and activated, they can be associated with lists, document libraries, and content types in much the same way as predefined workflows.
For more information about developing Visual Studio workflows, see Workflows roadmap.
Choosing a workflow type
The following table provides guidance for choosing a workflow.
| Business scenario | Suggested workflow type |
|---|---|
Document routing and approval |
Predefined workflow: Routing |
Document approval with signatures |
Predefined workflow: Collect Signatures |
Collect feedback |
Predefined workflow: Collect Feedback |
Manage document expiration and retention |
Predefined workflow: Disposition Approval |
Track issues |
Predefined workflow: Three-State -or- SharePoint Designer workflow |
Publication processes |
SharePoint Designer workflow -or- Visual Studio workflow |
Specification review |
SharePoint Designer workflow -or- Visual Studio workflow |
Weekly status reports |
SharePoint Designer workflow -or- Visual Studio workflow |
Service requests |
SharePoint Designer workflow -or- Visual Studio workflow |
Asset tracking |
SharePoint Designer workflow -or- Visual Studio workflow |
Purchase order fulfillment |
Visual Studio workflow |
Product lifecycle management |
Visual Studio workflow |
The following table compares the features supported by SharePoint Designer and Visual Studio workflows to help you decide which type of custom workflow to use.
| Feature | SharePoint Designer | Visual Studio |
|---|---|---|
Supported workflow hosts |
Windows SharePoint Services, Office SharePoint Server 2007 |
Windows SharePoint Services, Office SharePoint Server 2007, and so on |
Development model |
Wizard interface |
Graphical designer |
Supported workflows |
Sequential |
Sequential, State |
Workflow files |
Markup only: markup file, rules, and supporting files are uncompiled |
Markup file with supporting code compiled into an assembly |
Code behind |
No |
Yes |
Activities supported |
Predefined and custom |
Predefined and code-based custom |
Association forms support |
No |
Yes |
Initiation forms support |
Yes (automatically generated) |
Yes |
Modification forms support |
No |
Yes |
Custom task forms support |
Yes (automatically generated) |
Yes |
Deployment |
Automatically deployed to associated list |
Must deploy as SharePoint feature |
Debugging support |
No |
Yes |