Workflow Foundation 4.0

Now getting more technical with Alex, we start learning about the new framework and tools.

But first we do an excursion to other workflow tools existing: K2 blackpearl, skelta BPM.NET (looks interesting, 100% embeddable, designer), Aspouse.Workflow for .NET, AddFlow for .NET (looks depricated?!), Nintex Workflow 2007 (runs only in SharePoint).

(source: msdn.microsoft.com)

What’s new: new designer, new runtime, clearer data flow, new activities (no state-chart style yet, but new FlowChart), more activities, XAML only (no XOML), better WCF integration (WorkflowServiceHost, xamlx files for IIS activated workflows, threading based on ThreadPool, Rules and Expressions (as activities, no stand-alone engine yet, no forward-chaining (yet?), no vocabulary support), different programming models (WorkflowElement and WorkflowElement<T> as base type, with return value), bookmarks (set workflow to named idle state: aec.CreateNamedBookmarkus(“bm”, resumeCallback) and workflowInstance.ResumeBookmark(“bm”);), asynchronous operation: aec.SetupAsyncOperationBlock(); t = new Task(…), t.Start(); asyncContext.CompleteOperation(cb).

Backwards compatiblity: WF3 runs under .NET 4.0 (WF3.0), old activities incompatible with WF4.

Now let’s go hands-on.