Beginning WF: Windows Workflow in .NET 4.0

by Mark Collins

Overview

Windows Workflow Foundation is a ground-breaking addition to the core of the .NET Framework that allows you to orchestrate human and system interactions as a series of workflows that can be easily mapped, analyzed, adjusted, and implemented.

As business problems become more complex, the need for a workflow-based solution has never been more evident. WF provides a simple and consistent way to model and implement complex problems. As a developer, you focus on developing the business logic for individual workflow tasks. The runtime handles the execution of those tasks after they have been composed into a workflow.

Beginning WF demonstrates, in an eminently readable and accessible style, how Microsoft's Workflow Foundation (WF) technology can be used in a wide variety of applications.

• Loaded with lots of simple yet demonstrative sample projects
• Very hands-on with practical "how-to" information
• Indexed by feature so specific questions are easily answered

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781430224860
Publisher:	Apress
Publication date:	05/05/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	500
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Mark Collins has developed software for more than 25 years, mostly using the Microsoft stack. He has served many roles including development manager, architect, team lead, database administrator, and project manager. He has extensive experience in retail (point-of-sale and inventory) and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. Mark currently serves as a senior software engineer for a non-profit organization, providing a custom CRM, mail processing, and fulfillment system.

Table of Contents

Building a Simple Workflow.- Coded Workflows.- Flowchart Workflow.- Designing Workflows.- Passing Arguments.- Replicated Activities.- Exception Handling.- Extending the Built-In Activities.- Communication.- Send and Receive.- Communicating with the Host Application.- Web Services.- Workflow Extensions.- SQL Persistence.- Extensions.- Tracking.- Transactions.- Transactions with Persistence.- WorkflowServiceHost.- Advanced Topics.- Compensation, Confirmation, and Cancellation.- Collections.- Interoperability with Workflow 3.5.- Policy.