Microsoft Windows Workflow Foundation 4.0 Cookbook

Get the flexibility of Windows Workflow Foundation working for you. Based on a cookbook approach, this guide takes you through all the essential concepts with recipes you can apply or adapt to your own specific needs.

Key Features

• Customize Windows Workflow 4.0 applications to suit your needs
• A hands-on guide with real-world illustrations, screenshots, and step-by-step instructions
• Explore various functions that you can perform using WF 4.0 with running code examples
• A hands-on guide with real-world illustrations, screenshots, and step-by-step instructions

Book Description

Windows Workflow Foundation 4.0 (WF) is a significant part of .NET Framework 4.0. WF makes workflow technology available to every single programmer that uses the .NET Framework 4.0. It is easy to create long running and distributed programs using WF with the right knowledge. With this book, you will discover that working with workflows is easy. This book provides both step-by-step recipes and relevant background information. It covers all the important aspects of Windows Workflow Foundation 4.0. The best thing about this book is that all recipes are based on real-world experiences of Andrew Zhu. Andrew is a global WF and BizTalk technology support engineer for Microsoft. This book covers everything you need to know, when working with workflows. Get to grips with flow control activities, messaging, and transaction processes with easy to understand steps followed by explanations. You will quickly learn to use collection and custom WF activities and WF services.You will see recipes that illustrate integration of Windows Workflow with other applications such as WPF, ASP.NET, WCF service.Lastly, you will discover how easily you can customize W4 Designer with WF rule engine and others.

What you will learn

• Design and develop WF applications
• Control the workflow of data using arguments and variables
• Create a machine state style workflow using Flowchart
• Explore and use the built-in activities of WF
• Customize persistence and tracking extensions using WF
• Create Windows Workflow as a WCF service
• Host Windows Workflow in other applications (ASP.NET, WPF)
• Create your own independent WF Designer
• Tune WF applications to run steady and fast

Who this book is for

If you find yourself working with Windows Workflow Foundation 4.0 and you have basic knowledge of C#/.NET Framework/ VB and workflow, this book is for you. It will be best if you know both C# and VB, because WF 4.0 expression can only be written in VB (at the time of writing). With this book, you will be able to enhance your applications with flexible workflow capabilities using WF 4.0. To follow the recipes, you will need to be comfortable with .NET Framework, C# programming, basics of SOA, and how to develop them.