UPDATE: Workflow Conductor is now available in our online store. Download your free 30-day trial copy today!
Creating a workflow using Workflow Conductor™ is really simple. Conductor runs within SharePoint, and its controls are integrated alongside the native Sharepoint workflows. To create a new workflow in Workflow Conductor (or to edit an existing one), just navigate to the list where you would like to use the workflow, and select "Create or Edit Workflows" from the drop-down menu.
This will launch the Workflow Conductor Studio interface. On the left-hand side, you will see a listing of all the available widgets or activities you can use to create your workflow. There are several categories you can expand/collapse to see the full range of what is available. Simply drag and drop the widgets you want from the left side into the designer window in the middle to create your workflow. You can drop subsequent widgets above or below (or in some cases, even inside) the widgets you have already placed. To copy or delete a widget, simply right-click on it. You can paste a copied widget the same way.
When dropping a widget in the center window (or when selecting an already dropped one), you will see the settings for that widget appear in the panel on the right side of the page. Each widget has some common properties (e.g., Display Name) and some unique ones. Settings marked with a red asterisk are required fields. When you are done changing settings, click "Apply" to save the changes for that widget. Some property settings will have a button with an icon next to them. These buttons allow you to do things like select users from a list, create rich text, or use data lookups instead of "hard coding" values.
The right pane also has settings for creating variables to use in a workflow, defining what data should be collected via forms when a workflow is run/associated, and the workflow name/description.
At any time, you can choose to "Save" a workflow, which creates a template that you can reuse later. You can also export a workflow as an XOML file for later use elsewhere. Once you are ready to deploy your workflow, just select the tab labeled "Publish" at the top of the page and click "Deploy". Once the workflow is deployed, it will be available for use alongside the native SharePoint workflows.
We'll be posting some walkthroughs shortly that will give examples for each of the steps mentioned above, as well as articles on Conductor's workflow management/reporting capabilities, how the different widgets work, and much more! So, stay tuned to Bamboo Labs for the latest news on WorkflowConductor, and make sure to give us your feedback when you try it out!
More information on Bamboo Conductor:
Posted
Dec 07 2009, 05:05 PM
by
Jeff Tubb
Jeff Tubb is Principal Product Manager for Bamboo's Tools and Technologies Group, which focuses on new services and technolgy platforms for SharePoint, including Bamboo's Workflow Conductor, MashPoint, and Cloud Parts products.