Workflow Logic Widgets

Workflow Logic Widgets

This is a high level overview of the types of Workflow Logic Widgets available. Click on the name of the widget to get details and examples.

Return to About Workflow Conductor Widgets

See also an Alphabetical List of Workflow Conductor Widgets.

Workflow Settings

Workflow Settings

sa08WorkflowSettings.jpgThe Workflow Settings in Conductor Studio allows you to set properties for the entire workflow.

Workflow Title (Required): Enter a name for the workflow. This name is displayed wherever this workflow is referenced within SharePoint.

Workflow Description: This is an optional setting that allows you to add a short description of the workflow. It is displayed in Conductor Studio, and also in the list of workflows for a list or library.

Start Options: Select a start option for the workflow, from the list of workflow start options available in SharePoint. The default is Allow this workflow to be manually started by an authenticated user with Edit Items Permissions.

NOTES:

  • The Start options Start this workflow when a new item is created and Start this workflow when an item is changed cannot be used if a workflow initialization form exists for the workflow. See Workflow Forms for more information.
  • The option Start this workflow to approve publishing a major version of an item is not available for Simple Publishing workflows. It is only available for Solution Deployment workflows. If the list or library is not configured to use major and minor versioning, this start option will be disabled, as seen in the screen shot below.
    StartOptions.png
  • Start options only apply to workflows published to the list, site, or site collection; they do not apply to workflows published as site workflows.

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: After entering or updating any of the settings listed above, click Apply to save your changes.


sa08WorkflowSettingsWF.jpgWorkflow Forms: You can create a workflow initialization form that collects additional information from the user when a workflow is started. Data collected via this form is stored in parameters that can later be used by the workflow using a Workflow Variable lookup. For more information about creating a workflow initialization form, see Create a new workflow initialization form.

This is an optional workflow setting.

NOTE: You can access the initialization Form Builder from the Workflow Conductor Studio ribbon also.
init form in menu1.png


sa08WorkflowVars.jpgWorkflow Variables: Variables store data while the workflow is running. They can be accessed and manipulated by widgets, and some widgets may require that a variable be created to store results. The contents of workflow variables are accessed using a lookup when the workflow runs.

To create a variable, click Add Variable to open the Workflow Variables form. Enter a Name for the variable, select a data Type, and optionally define a Default Value. Click Add to add the new variable to the workflow. Be sure to click Save Changes to save the variables you add. If you later want to delete a variable, return to the Workflow Variables form and click the button next to the variable.

NOTE: You can access the Workflow Variables form from the Workflow Conductor Studio ribbon also.
init form in menu1.png

sa08WorkflowVarsCreateLink.jpgWorkflow variables can also be added directly from widgets that use variables, using the Create new variable link. This link opens the Workflow Variables form.

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: After adding, updating, or deleting variables using the Workflow Variables Form, always click Save Changes in the Workflow Variables form or your changes will not be saved.

How to configure the Workflow Reports Web Part

How to configure the Workflow Reports Web Part

Overview of Workflow Conductor Web Parts

WFCreportsWP top grah.pngThe Workflow Reports Web Part allows you to create reports about workflows run in the current site or site collection. The report is displayed graphically, with a summary list below the chart.
WFCreportsWP bottom chart.png

At run time, you can define reporting periods, filter by workflow status, and print report results using the controls at the top of the web part. See How to use the Workflow Reports Web Part for more information on how to use this web part from the end user perspective.

The Workflow Reports Web Part is available in the Web Part Gallery after Workflow Conductor is installed. Users with the Add and Customize Pages right can add the Web Part to a page. (The Add and Customize Pages right is included by default in the Design and Full Control permissions.)

NOTE: If you don’t see the web part in the gallery, check to make sure the site collection feature shown below is activated in your site collection.

WFC web parts site collection feature.png

Add the web part to a web part page. If you do not know how to add a web part to a page, read the topic How to add a web part to a Web Part page.

To configure the web part once it is on the page, follow these instructions:

Workflows Setting
Workflows: Select the scope of workflows to display. By default, the Web Part will display workflows for the Current Site. You can also select to display workflows in the Site Collection. WFCReportsWP tool pane-top.png
Display Settings:

Enter a fixed Height and Width in pixels for the report.

NOTE: This setting impacts the graph and also the list below the chart.

WFCReportsWP tool pane-displau.png
Page Settings: Select the number of items to display per page and the maximum number of items to include in the list. The more items displayed, the longer the page will take to load. WFCReportsWP tool pane -paging.png
Default Reporting Interval Select a default reporting interval for the Web Part. The default (None) will show the last week of data. The reporting can be changed at run time, if needed. WFCReportsWP tool pane-bottom.png

For tips on how to use this web part, see How to use the Workflow Reports Web Part

Workflow Versioning

Workflow Versioning

After you deploy a workflow, you may want to make a change to it and deploy a new version. As long as you saved the workflow as a workflow template when you created it in Conductor Studio, you can update the template, save it, and publish a new version at any time. When you edit a template, you are not editing the actual workflow.

You are prompted several times during the workflow creation process to save your workflow template. Simply click Save when you are prompted to do so and give the template a name. This template is what you will use to create a new version of the workflow.

NOTE: Workflow templates are saved in the Conductor database and can be accessed by clicking Open in the Workflow Conductor Studio ribbon.

Workflow versioning is handled differently depending on how the workflow was deployed. Click on the link below that applies to the workflow deployment method configured in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel to learn how to create a new version of workflows deployed using that method:

Top

Versioning for Simple Publishing Workflows

To create a new version of a workflow published using a Simple Publishing option (i.e., Publish to List, Publish to Site, Publish to Site Collection, or Publish as Site Workflow), follow these steps:

Step Action Result
1. Open Workflow Conductor Studio from the list ribbon of the list where the workflow runs. In Conductor Studio, go to Workflow > Open and open the workflow template used to publish the workflow the first time.
2. Make the required changes to the workflow and save the changes. When the Save dialog appears, be sure to check Overwrite existing files so the existing template is updated with your changes.

save workflow.png

NOTE: This saves changes to the template, but doesn’t impact the currently running workflow.

3.

Publish the updated template. Workflow Conductor Studio detects that there is already a published workflow with the same name and will ask if you want to overwrite it.

Select Publish to publish the new version and overwrite the old one.

wf exists as published.png

Instances of the old workflow version that are in progress will continue to run until they are complete. New instances of the workflow will run as the new workflow version.

NOTES:

  1. Simple Publishing workflows cannot overwrite Solution Deployment workflows. However, Simple Publishing workflows can overwrite other Simple Publishing workflows of the same type. The table below shows which Simple Publishing workflows can be overwritten.
  2. If you check the option to automatically associate the workflow with the current list when you publish the new version to the site or site collection, the copy of the workflow of the same name that is associated to the list where Studio was started will be updated with the new workflow version. Workflows of the same name associated to other lists in the site (or other sites) will not be updated. If you do not check the auto-associate option, the existing workflow association for the current list will continue to use the old workflow version, but any new associations you add will use the new workflow version.
4.

If you click Workflow Settings from the list ribbon, you will see the version history of workflows.

Clicking the Remove a workflow link will allow you to remove the old versions, if desired.

wf settings showing versions.png
5.

On the Remove a workflow page, you will see that only the most recently published version of the workflow is marked Allow. The older versions are marked No New Instances.

To remove an old version, mark the Remove button and click OK.

remove workflows1.png

NOTES:

  1. Always make sure that there are no workflows in progress before removing an old version. Removing a workflow will terminate any in progress workflows. To be safe, always mark workflows with No new instances and wait for in progress workflows to complete before removing a workflow.
  2. You can remove a workflow from a SharePoint list and still have the template available in the Workflow Conductor Template Gallery.

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Versioning for Solution Deployment Workflows

The Solution Deployment method deploys workflows as farm solutions. If you want to deploy a new version of a workflow solution, you have two options:

  1. Deploy the new version with a different name.
    If you do not need to use the same workflow name, edit the workflow template and give the workflow a new name. Deploy the workflow with the new name. You can disable the old version to prevent users from starting new instances of it and remove the old workflow when you don’t need it anymore.

  2. Remove the old version before deploying the new version.
    If you want to use the same name for the new workflow version, you must first retract and remove the existing workflow solution. Instances of the workflow that are in progress will be terminated when the workflow is removed.

For more information, read KB.12500 – HOWTO: Deploy a New Version of a Workflow Conductor Workflow Solution in the Bamboo Knowledge Base.

NOTE: Solution Deployment workflows can overwrite Simple Publishing workflows of the same name directly from Conductor Studio. You do not need to remove the existing published workflow before deploying the new workflow solution.

Workflow Conductor Studio: workflow diagram pane

Workflow Conductor Studio: workflow diagram pane

Overview of the Workflow Conductor Studio

WFDiagramPane.pngThe center section of Conductor Studio is the workflow diagram pane, where widgets are dropped to create the workflow path.

To add a widget to a workflow, drag it from the widget pane to the workflow diagram pane and drop it to the desired location in the workflow.

Widgets can be dropped before or after any other widget, and in some cases they can even be dropped inside another widget. When a workflow runs, widgets are executed from top to bottom. While some workflows may be a straight sequence of a few steps, certain widgets can be used to create workflows with more complex paths (for example, the Conditional Branch widget).

Rel4StudioShortcutMenu.jpg

  1. If you see a red warning icon on the upper right corner of the widget, this indicates that the properties option of the widget needs attention. This option is available beginning with Release 4.0; prior to that release, you do not see a warning icon and need to manually check the widget properties to ensure it is ready for use.

  2. Right-click on the widget to view the menu where the Properties option is located.

  3. Actions you can take with widgets:

To copy, cut, paste or delete a widget, right-click it in the workflow diagram pane and select the option from the shortcut menu.

  • Copy and Cut copies the widget to the clipboard retaining any properties you have already configured for the widget.
  • Paste a widget that you cut or copied by right-clicking in the desired location in the studio dialog and select Paste. (The Paste option is disabled if the properties are not completed.)
  • Delete removes a widget from the workflow studio.

See Also:

Workflow Configuration List

Workflow Configuration List

The Workflow Configuration List is part of the Workflow Start Feature optional component for users who have Workflow Conductor installed along with SharePoint Knowledge Base Solution Accelerator, or users who wish to use out-of-the-box SharePoint

Workflow Deployment

Workflow Deployment

Configuring WF Conductor General Settings

publish menu area in conductor studio.jpgUse this page to define the options that will appear in the Publish menu of the Workflow Conductor Studio.

There are two workflow deployment methods available: Solution Deployment and Simple Publishing. For a detailed explanation of both methods, see About Workflow Deployment Methods. The Workflow Conductor Studio menu screen shot above shows the options available if the Simple Publishing Method is used and all the publishing scope options are checked.

NOTE:

  • Prior to Workflow Conductor release 2.x, Solution Deployment was the only deployment method available. The Simple Publishing method was added in R2.0.
  • If you upgrade Workflow Conductor from version 1.6.x or earlier to 2.0 or higher, the deployment method will be set to Simple Publishing with the Publish to List option checked.

Simple Publishing Method

Wf deployment options.jpg

Simple Publishing is the default selection and often the preferred method. The available publishing scope options are:

  • Publish to List. Allows workflows to be published to a single list. When publishing is complete, the workflow is associated with the list. To use the same workflow in another list, publish the workflow template again to the new list.
  • Publish to Site. When you publish a workflow to a site, it can later be associated with any list in the site. See Associating a site workflow with a specific list for more information. During the publishing process, you can decide to associate the workflow with the current list.

    Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: When publishing to the site, be sure to choose all the start options that other may want to select when associating the workflow to a new list. Start options that are not selected when publishing occurs will not be available when the workflow is later associated with another list.

  • Publish to Site Collection. Publishing to a site collection is similar to publishing to a site, but the scope is larger; the workflow can be associated with any list in any site in the site collection.

    Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: When publishing to the site collection, be sure to choose all the start options that other may want to select when associating the workflow to a new list. Start options that are not selected when publishing occurs will not be available when the workflow is later associated with another list.

  • Publish as Site Workflow. TBD

Solution Deployment Method

A workflow solution is deployed to the current SharePoint web application, activated as a site collection feature, and can be associated with any list in the site collection. You can choose to deploy workflows immediately with this method. However, since workflow solution deployment requires that the application pool be recycled, administrators may want to schedule this activity when fewer users will be impacted. See About Workflow Deployment Methods for more information.

NOTE: In order to use the Solution Deployment Method to deploy workflows using Workflow Conductor on Windows Server 2008, you must disable User Account Control (UAC) Admin Approval Mode or turn off UAC. UAC is a security component that allows an administrator to enter credentials during a non-administrator’s user session to perform occasional administrative tasks. Simple Publishing Method does NOT require a modification to UAC. See Configuring UAC for Workflow Conductor for more information.

To minimize end user impact, select Schedule workflow deployment and configure a deployment frequency, Start Time, End Time, and Deployment Delay to schedule workflows for deployment instead of deploying them immediately.

Wf deployment options-sched.jpg

NOTE: If multiple workflows are scheduled for deployment, the application pool will be recycled after each workflow is deployed. A Deployment Delay of “0” minutes will allow SharePoint to control the solution deployment schedule. To add a mandatory delay between each solution deployment and associated application pool recycle, enter a specific number of minutes. Workflows that were not deployed during the specified Start and End times will be deployed during the next scheduled window.

To view a list of workflows scheduled for deployment or to deploy scheduled workflows manually, go to the Workflow Solution Management section in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel.

Workflow Error Reporting

Workflow Error Reporting

Configuring WF Conductor General Settings

sa08CPGeneralSettingsErrorReporting.jpgSelect the user who will receive an E-mail message when a workflow error occurs.

By default, Report errors to the workflow initiator is checked, so only the workflow initiator will be notified. You can choose to notify the workflow initiator, the workflow designer and/or any user, Active Directory group, or list of E-mail addresses.

Icon-Warning IMPORTANT:

  • Workflow Initiators are the users who start a workflow manually or create/modify an item that may trigger an automatic workflow to start.
  • If the workflow starts automatically, the Workflow Initiator may not be aware of the workflow and may be confused if they receive an email about a workflow error. You may decide to send workflow error emails to the Workflow Designer or specific users instead.

Icon-Tip Use the following syntax tips to enter lists of users:

  • Enter user accounts in the format DOMAINUser
  • Enter group names with square brackets (i.e., [Group Name])
  • Separate multiple entries with a comma.

See Also:

Create a New Workflow Initialization Form

Create a New Workflow Initialization Form

If you need to collect information from a user in an initialization form when a workflow is started, add a Workflow Initialization Form to your workflow in Conductor Studio. The Workflow Form is made up of one or more fields. Each field is stored in a workflow parameter, which can be used by the widgets in the workflow. Workflow parameters, like workflow variables, appear in the lookup list for Workflow Variables.

NOTE: Workflows with an initialization form must be configured with a manual Start Option to allow users the opportunity to complete the required form fields. When workflows start automatically, users don’t see the initialization form.

To create a new initialization form, follow these steps:

Step Action Result
1. In the Workflow Conductor Studio, click the Add Field button in the Workflow Settings tab.

sa08WorkflowSettingsForms.jpg

initform option in SFC sutdio menu.jpg Alternatively, click the Init Form option in the Variables section of the main menu.

The Form Builder is displayed. The Form Builder allows you to add fields to the initialization form presented to the user when the workflow starts. It also allows you to edit, delete, or rearrange fields once the initialization form is created.

blank form builder.jpg

2.

To add a field to the initialization form, click Add. The Forms Settings dialog appears.

Enter the Field Name and Description.

NOTES:

  1. Field names cannot include special characters. Spaces are OK.
  2. The field name will be displayed to end users on the form; it will also be the name for an associated variable created for the workflow.

Select the Information Type for the new field. Depending on your choice of type, other information may be needed. See Information Types used on Workflow Initialization Forms for more information.

Requiring values for fields on the Initialization Form is a new feature in Workflow Conductor R3.5. Previous releases did not include this feature.

r35FormSettings.jpg
3. Click Finish to save your field. The Form Settings dialog will close.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 to add more fields, as needed.
5.

To re-arrange the order of the Input Fields (parameters) on the form, highlight one and click Move Up or Move Down. The field will move one position with each click.

To delete/remove a field, highlight it and click Remove.

highlight field to move position.png
6. When finished adding or re-arranging fields, click Close to save and close the Initialization Form.

The next time you open the Initialization Form, you will see the information you entered previously.

NOTE: There can be only one Initialization Form per workflow.

6. When your form is complete, click Close to close the Form Builder. Your form will be saved.

See Using the Workflow Initialization Form or Modify a Workflow Initialization Form for more information.

Workflow does not start automatically

Workflow does not start automatically

If you are logged in as the System Administrator and workflows configured to start automatically won’t start, try logging in as a different user.

Check the user who is starting the workflow.

The Sys Admin account should be able to start the workflow manually. The automatic start is a limitation.

NOTE: It doesn’t matter who creates the workflow, just who runs it. Also, this is an issue with all workflows, not just those created/deployed with Workflow Conductor.

Workflow initialization form

Workflow initialization form

If you need to collect information from a user in an initialization form when a workflow is started, add a Workflow Form in Conductor Studio. The Workflow Form is made up of one or more fields. Each field is stored in a workflow variable, which can be used by the widgets in the workflow. See the example at the end of this section for more information about using Workflow Form variables.

NOTE: Workflows with an initialization form must be configured with a manual Start Option to allow users the opportunity to complete the required form fields. The only supported Start Options are Allow this workflow to be manually started by an authenticated user with Edit Items Permissions and Require Manage List Permissions to start the workflow.

To create a Workflow Initialization Form:

Step Action Result
1. Click the Add Field button in the Workflow Settings tab. This will display the Form Builder. The Form Builder allows you to add fields to the initialization form presented to the user when the workflow starts. Use this same form to edit, delete, or rearrange fields once the initialization form is created. FormSettingsP1.jpg
2.

In the Form Builder page:

  • Click Add to add a new field to the initialization form.
  • Select a field and click Modify to modify the settings for an existing field.
  • Select a field and click Delete to delete an existing field from the form.
    Select a field and click Move Up or Move Down to rearrange the order of the field on the form.
sa08FormBuilder.jpg
3.

When you click Add or Modify, complete the following in the Forms Settings pages:

Page One:
* Field Name: Enter a name for the field in the initialization form. The name can contain spaces, but not other special characters. This name will also be the name of the variable in the workflow, which can be used by workflow widgets.
* Description: Optionally, enter a Description for the field. This text will appear below the field in the initialization form.
* Information Type: Select a data type for the form field. Supported data types are:

  • Single line of text
  • Multiple lines of text
  • Number
  • Date and Time
  • Choice
  • Yes/No

Click Next to proceed to the second page of the Forms Settings.

FormSettingsP1.jpg

Page Two:

  • Optionally, enter a Default Value for the form field. You may have different options for default values depending on the data type selected in the previous page. The screenshot below shows Default Value options for a Date and Time field.
  • Click Finish to complete the initialization form field settings and return to the Form Builder.
FormSettingsP2.jpg

See Example Using Initialization Form

Can I reuse a workflow somewhere else?

Can I reuse a workflow somewhere else?Can I reuse a workflow somewhere else?

Yes. If Workflow Conductor is configured to use the Solution Deployment method (the default for Workflow Conductor 1.6 and earlier), workflow solutions are deployed as features at the farm level, activated at the site collection level, and automatically associated with a particular list. A workflow can be activated on a different site collection or associated with a different list using standard SharePoint settings.

If Workflow Conductor is configured to use the Simple Publishing method (the default for Workflow Conductor 2.0 and higher), workflows published to the site or site collection can be associated with a different list. Workflows published to a specific list can be associated only with that list.

Workflows can also be saved as templates that can be reopened, edited, and deployed or published to a different location. Templates can be exported and imported into other SharePoint farms where Workflow Conductor is installed. If you associate a workflow to a different site and widget properties in your workflow are configured with specific list or site names, your workflow will still work if a list or site with the same name exists in the new location.

Workflow Conductor Studio 4.0

Workflow Conductor Studio 4.0

WFstudio4.0.jpgWorkflow Conductor provides a simple, yet powerful way to automate and manage your business processes. A simple drag-and-drop interface lets designers easily create and deploy complex workflows without the need for custom coding. Conductor Studio is the Workflow Conductor interface that allows you to create, edit, and deploy new workflows or workflow templates.

The image has been edited to better display the configuration options.

If using a version prior to Release 4.0, see the differences in layout of Workflow Conductor Studio before Release 4.0.

Step Action Result
1. Workflow Conductor Ribbon The Workflow Conductor ribbon replaces the list ribbon when you open the Workflow Conductor Studio. Detailed information about the options on the menu ribbon are illustrated here.
2. Search Searching.pngWith the many widgets we offer in Workflow Conductor, you have an option now to find a particular widget using a search tool.

As you begin typing a widget name in the search box, the corresponding widgets will display as shown here.

3. Widgets The widget pane contains a list of categories and widgets used to design a workflow. You can optionally change which widgets appear in which category from the Configuring WF Conductor Categories page of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel in SharePoint Central Administration.
4. Workflow Diagram Pane The center section of Conductor Studio is the workflow diagram pane, where widgets are dropped to create the workflow path. The diagram pane is described in more detail here.
5. Widget Properties When you right-click a widget, you can see its properties. This dialog opens to display the properties of the currently selected widget. You can read an overview of the widget pane and the common widget properties here, but keep in mind each widget has its own unique properties so if you are working on a specific widget and want to get an understanding of the properties for that widget, find the widget in the Alphabetical List of Workflow Conductor Widgets.
6. Workflow Settings The settings option is now located within the Ribbon; it contains general settings for the workflow, including the title and description, workflow start options, and workflow variables. You can read more in depth information about workflow settings here.

To start Conductor Studio, first make sure that the account you are using has the Design or Full Control permission level for the list or library. Then, navigate to a list or library and click the Create or Edit Workflows button in the List or Library tab of the Tools ribbon.

CreateWF.jpg
NOTE: Administrators can further restrict who can design workflows in Conductor Studio using the Workflow Designers settings in Central Administration > Workflow Conductor. If you are a SharePoint Designer but do not have the Create or Edit Workflows option in the Tools ribbon, contact your SharePoint administrator.

If you are using Workflow Conductor Studio prior to Release 4.0, the studio layout has changed; see prior release of the studio interface here.

Also see: Upgrading Workflow Conductor from a previous version

Conductor Studio Logging

Conductor Studio Logging

Configuring WF Conductor General Settings

sa08CPGeneralSettingsLogging.jpgSelect the level of logging you would like the Conductor Studio to perform during workflow design.

This log level selection only affects logging during Design time. Logging performed when a workflow runs is based on settings that are configured for each widget in the workflow.

The options are:

  • All
  • General Info
  • Debug Info
  • Warnings
  • Errors

Selecting Errors will log the least information. As you go up the list (i.e., to Warnings and then Debug Info), more information will be logged.

Icon-Warning IMPORTANT: Selecting All will write all possible log information to the database, and will increase the amount of database activity. This may result in performance issues. You may want to set logging to this only temporarily, when you are debugging a particular issue.

See Also:

Workflow Conductor Studio: ribbon menus

Workflow Conductor Studio: ribbon menus

Overview of the Workflow Conductor Studio

Menus in the Workflow Conductor Studio Ribbon

With SharePoint 2010, Microsoft introduced the concept of a fluid ribbon which changes based on what you are doing within a list or library. Prior to the ribbon interface in SharePoint 2007, list and library activities are conducted in menu options. The options within the ribbon are very similar even though the look has changed a little with the ribbon. We include both images below.

Item Description
Workflow:

Workflow.jpg

  • New: Starts a new workflow. If you have a workflow already in progress, you will be prompted to save it.
  • Open: Opens the Conductor Studio template gallery, where workflow templates are stored. See the Workflow Conductor Templates section for more information.
  • Save: Saves the workflow you are currently building.
  • Print: Prints the workflow diagram pane.
  • Import/Export: Imports or exports workflows to an .xoml file. XOML files can be used to transfer workflows between instances of Workflow Conductor.
Settings

Beginning with Release 4.0, you will find the Workflow Settings in the ribbon; the options remain the same:
Settings.png
Releases prior to 4.0
Variables.jpg

  • Settings: Prior to WFC 4.0, the settings was a tab and has now moved into the ribbon menu.
  • Init Form: Click Init Form to create or edit a workflow initialization form. See Workflow Forms or Modify a Workflow Initialization Form for more information.
  • Variables: Click Variables to create or edit workflow variables.
Deploy/Publish:

Captions.jpg

Publish.jpg
Allows you to deploy the current workflow to the farm, list, site, site collection, or as a site workflow, depending on the workflow deployment method configured in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel. If you have not yet saved your workflow, you will be prompted to do so.

View:

View.jpg
View allows you to zoom in or out in the workflow diagram pane.

  • Zoom In/Zoom Out: Increases or decreases the size of the workflow diagram pane.
  • View Standard: Returns the workflow diagram pane to the default size (100%).
Help:

Help.jpg

  • Help: Displays a link to the Online Documentation.
  • Troubleshoot: Checks that Workflow Conductor is properly configured.
  • About: Displays version information for Workflow Conductor.
Close:

Close.jpg

Closes Conductor Studio and returns to the list or library.

See Also:

Workflow Conductor Template Versions

Workflow Conductor Template Versions

After you deploy a workflow, you may want to make a change to it and deploy a new version. As long as you saved the workflow as a workflow template when you created it in Conductor Studio, you can update the template and create a new version at any time.

You are prompted several times during the workflow creation process to save your workflow template. Simply click Save when you are prompted to do so and give the template a name. This template is what you will use to create a new version of the workflow.

NOTE: Workflow templates are saved in the Conductor database and can be accessed by clicking Workflow > Open in Conductor Studio. When you edit a template, you are not editing the actual workflow. You can delete a workflow from SharePoint and still have the template in the Conductor database.

Workflow versioning is handled differently depending on how the workflow was deployed. Click on the link below that applies to the workflow deployment method configured in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel to learn how to create a new version of workflows deployed using that method:

Overview of Workflow Conductor Templates

Overview of Workflow Conductor Templates

Return to Workflow Conductor

open option on menu R4.jpgWhenever you save a workflow in the Workflow Conductor Studio, you create a template. Templates are accessed via the Workflow Conductor Template Gallery which is displayed when you click Open in the Workflow Conductor Studio ribbon (shown here).

By default, a workflow you save is a template only you can see and it is displayed in the My Templates tab of the Workflow Conductor Template Gallery (shown below). There are three other tabs in the gallery that you may see: Shared Templates, Featured Templates and Manage Templates.

WF Template Gallery - just top.jpg

You can choose to share a template you create with other workflow designers. Template managers can decide to feature templates created by any designer. They are the only users who see the Manage Templates tab.

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: Templates become associated workflows once they are published or deployed. They can be published or deployed to a list or library, a site, or a site collection. They can also be used to create a Site Workflow.

Workflow templates are stored in the Workflow Conductor content database. Workflow template uniqueness is defined by

  • the template name and
  • the designer OR the status (i.e., Shared, Featured).

existing shared template with the same name.jpgYou can name your template anything, even if other designers have templates with the same name. A workflow called Send Email created by Tom is different than one saved as Send Email by Joan. If Tom shares his Send Email template, Joan will see an error (shown here) if she tries to share hers.

Tom won’t be able to re-share his template unless he removes the original shared template from the Shared Templates tab. Any designer can decide to share their template, but only the designer who shared the template or a template manager can remove a shared template.

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: Saving or editing a workflow template does not affect any associated workflows published or deployed from it.

What can you do with a template?
Save it Save a partially finished workflow and finish it later. See Saving workflow templates for details.
Find it Use the filtering and sorting features of the Template Gallery to find the template you need. To determine which template was used to publish a workflow, see How to determine who published a workflow and when.
Edit it To save time, modify an existing workflow template, save it with a new name, and publish it to a new list. See Saving workflow templates for more information.
Share it

Only the workflow designer (and template managers) can see templates that he/she creates. Allow other designers to use your templates by sharing them. Other designers will not be able to modify the shared template, but they can open it and save it with a different name. This will save time over creating a workflow from scratch.

Icon-Tip If you work on a team with multiple workflow designers, it is good to share your template before publishing it.

Feature it Template managers can choose to feature templates. Featured templates can be opened just like shared templates, but because template managers control the Featured Templates tab, these templates are more secure. See Featured workflow templates for details.
Export it Export a template to store it on your PC and transfer it to another SharePoint farm. See Exporting or Importing workflow templates for more information.
Delete it If a template is no longer needed, you can delete it. See Deleting workflow templates for details.
Manage it Templates are managed by template managers from the Templates tab of the Workflow Conductor Template Gallery or by any SharePoint Administrator with access to the Manage Templates page of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel in SharePoint Central Administration.

Where to find the Workflow Settings

Where to find the Workflow Settings

Overview of the Workflow Conductor Studio

The Ribbon contains general settings for the workflow, including workflow start options, workflow variables and optional fields to be completed when the workflow is started.

Ribbon.png Workflow Settings: Beginning with WFC 4.0, you will find the Settings menu located in the Ribbon. Prior to that release, it was a tab on the right side of the workflow studio.

Init Form: Use the form to collect information workflow parameters, which can be used by the widgets in the workflow.

VariablesStore information to be used in the workflow later.

See Also:

How to Use the Widget Pane

How to Use the Widget Pane

Overview of the Workflow Conductor Studio

WidgetToolpane.pngWidget_Pane.pngThe widget pane is the left section of Conductor Studio, which contains a list of the widgets used to design a workflow. These are divided into several categories based on the type of action a widget performs.

To expand a category and view the widgets in it, click on the category name.

To add a widget to a workflow, drag it from the widget pane to the workflow diagram pane. As you drag the widget to the diagram pane, you will see anchors around the widget appear.

As shown in this quick video demonstration, when you move the widget close to an anchor point, the dialog shows a blue dot in a dotted box on the area where it will appear if you drop it there.

Given the number of widgets that Bamboo includes within Workflow Conductor, starting with Release 4.0, we offer a search box so you can quickly find a widget by typing its name. You’ll notice the interface with this release looks a little different, but all of your widgets are still grouped in the same categories.

See Also:

Workflow Association in MOSS or WSSv3

Workflow Association in MOSS or WSSv3

Once you deploy a workflow or publish it to a list, it is automatically associated with the list or library where you created it. Depending on how your workflow was deployed or published, it may also be available to associate to other lists or libraries in the site or site collection. If your workflow configuration is generic enough, you may not need to modify the workflow at all for it to run with other lists.

Icon-Tip To see how to associate a workflow in SP2013/SP2010, see Associating a site workflow with a specific list.

To associate an existing workflow with a different list or library:

Step Action Result
1. In the list or library, click the Settings menu, and then click Document Library Settings or List Settings. sa08ListSettings.jpg
2. In the Permissions and Management section, click Workflow settings. sa08ListSettingsWFSettings.jpg
3. In the Change Workflow Settings page, click Add a workflow.

sa08AssociateWorkflow.jpg

NOTE: If you have never previously added a workflow to this list or library, you will bypass this screen.

4.

Select the workflow from the Workflow list. The following Conductor workflows are displayed in the list of available workflows:

  • Workflows deployed using the Solution Deployment method that are activated as a feature in the site collection.
  • Simple Publishing workflows published to the same list, the site, or the site collection.
sa08AddWorkflowSettings.jpg
5. Give the workflow a name unique to this list (this does not have to match the workflow name), select the Task and History lists the workflow will use (if you don’t want to use the default), define your desired Start Options, and click OK. Your workflow is now associated to the current list or library and is listed as an available workflow for list items.

See Also:

Workflow Conductor General Settings

Workflow Conductor General Settings

To change Workflow Conductor global settings, go to Central Administration > Workflow Conductor Control Panel, and then click General Settings. You should review and update each setting listed here after you install Workflow Conductor.

General Settings

Workflow Conductor Log File Archiving

Workflow Conductor Log File Archiving

Configuring WF Conductor General Settings

sa08CPGeneralSettingsArchive.jpgDefine how Workflow Conductor handles log archiving for the Workflow Conductor Studio log files. By default, Workflow Conductor installs a SharePoint timer job that will run weekly and will delete any Conductor Studio log entries in the Conductor database that are older than one month.

If you would like to change this behavior, the following options are available:

  • Archive Location: You can save archived log file data to a location on your server by entering a directory name. The directory you enter must already exist on your system, and the Central Administration application pool user must have permissions to write to the directory.

  • Archive Log Entries Older Than: Select a filter for Conductor to use to delete log file entries from the database. You can delete entries older than 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months. The default is 1 month.

  • Archive Schedule: Select a schedule for the timer job to run. By default, it will run weekly.

  • Start Day/Time/Minute: Depending on what archival schedule you selected, you may also configure a day, time, and/or minute for the timer job to start.

General Settings

Workflow Conductor Log Viewer

Workflow Conductor Log Viewer

sa08LogViewer.jpgThe Conductor Log Viewer displays log messages from the Conductor database. The Log Viewer can display messages generated from Conductor Studio (Design time log) or from workflows (Run time log), and can show messages for the current site, for all sites in the Web application, or for the entire Farm.

The level of detail for Conductor Studio design time logs is based on the Workflow Conductor Studio Logging setting in the Workflow Conductor General Settings page. The level of detail for workflow run time logs is based on the Logging Level selected for each widget in the workflow. See Widget Properties Tab for more information.

NOTE: If you leave the default Errors Logging Level setting for all widgets in your workflow and your workflow runs with no errors, you will not see anything in the Run time log view in Log Viewer. This is normal behavior.

The Conductor Log Viewer Web Part is available in the Web Part Gallery after Workflow Conductor is installed. Users with the Add and Customize Pages right can add the Web Part to a page. The Add and Customize Pages right is included by default in the Design and Full Control permissions.

Configure the Log Viewer Web Part

To use the Web Part:

Step Action Result
1. Select Run time log (the default) to view the workflow logs in the Conductor database related to issues that occur when a workflow executes. The level of detail for workflow run time logs is based on the Logging Level selected for each widget in the workflow. See Widget Properties for more information.
2. Select Design time log to view the Conductor Studio logs in the Conductor database related to issues that occur in the Workflow Conductor Studio. The level of detail for Conductor Studio design time logs is based on the Workflow Conductor Studio Logging setting in the Workflow Conductor General Settings page.
3. Select a scope for the log view: Current Site, Web Application, or Farm.
4. Use the paging links at the bottom of the window to view additional log entries.
5. Click the Export to Excel button to export the current view of log entries to Excel.
6. If sorting is allowed by the Web Part Properties: Click on a column name to sort log entries.
7. If filtering is allowed by the Web Part Properties: To filter log entries, enter a string in the filter box below the column name, click the filter icon, and select a filter criteria. You can apply one filter at a time. To remove a filter, click the filter icon and select No Filter. sa08LogViewerFilter.jpg
8. If grouping is allowed by the Web Part Properties: Drag a column name to the area above the columns to group log entries. You can group by multiple columns. To change grouping order, drag the column name to a different position. To remove a grouping, drag the column name away from the grouping area. sa08LogViewerGroupBy.jpg

See Also:

Field Lookup

Field Lookup

Using Lookups in Workflow Studio

SA08ExternalLookup.jpgField Lookups (formerly “External Lookups”) are similar to Current Item Field lookups, but they allow designers to specify fields from other items, not just the one the workflow was started on. The other item could be in another list on the same site, in other lists in a different site, or even in a list on a site in another site collection.

To configure a Field Lookup, click lookup icon.png to open the Add Lookup – Webpage Dialog and then perform these simple steps:

Step Action
1.

First, select the Site Collection, a Site in that site collection, and a List in that site where the item you want to lookup resides.

NOTE: If you are building a site workflow, use specific site collection/site/list references instead of the “Current” site collection/site/list.

2. Next, select a field in that list to return (the Lookup Field). If the lookup field you select is a SharePoint Person or Group column, you can also choose how to display the user information when the lookup is expanded.

See Notes below.

3.

Finally, specify the item in the list to use, since the workflow does not know about it like it knows the “current” item. Select a Filter Field in the list that you want to use as a matching (or “key”) field, and specify the value that the filter field must have in order for the item to be a match. You can either type something explicitly in the Equals field, or you can insert a lookup to some other value, such as a matching property in the current item.

NOTE: Display options for Person or Group columns are not available if you insert a lookup from the User Lookup form (sa08userlookupbutton.jpg). This is because widget properties that use the User Lookup form require the information to be in a specific format, which Conductor sets automatically.

As an example, this screenshot shows a Conditional Branch Widget configured only to perform an action if the current item is newer than an item with the same Name in a list called Published Documents. A Field Lookup retrieves the Created date field from a list where the Name of the list item matches the Name of the current item.
sa08ExternalLookupEx.jpg

NOTE: If the Field Lookup returns more than one item when the widget runs, the first matching item found is used.

Icon-Tip You can use a lookup in place of an actual Site Collection, Site, List, or Field name by selecting the –Other [Site Collection/Site/List/Field]– option. Once you use a lookup for one Field Lookup form field, all other form fields subordinate to that will require a lookup or explicitly-entered value. Since lookup values are not known until the workflow runs, Workflow Conductor will fill in the actual values then.

sa08ExternalLookupEx2.jpgAs another example, this shows a Field Lookup configured to retrieve the Created by column value from a list and list item that are created during the workflow. Since the list name and the list item ID are both workflow variables and not known until the workflow runs, lookups or specific values are used to populate these values.

NOTE: The display format for the Created by field cannot be set; Workflow Conductor will not know it is a Person or Group field until the workflow runs.

Notes:

  • When specifying criteria for a Field Lookup that is a SharePoint Person or Group column configured to allow multiple values, the SharePoint column values must be listed in the exact order specified in the lookup criteria. For example: If the criteria is a Person or Group column matching User1; User2, SharePoint column values entered as User2; User1 will not match.

  • When specifying criteria for a Field Lookup that is a SharePoint Choice column configured to allow multiple values, you cannot select the values like you can for single Choice columns. You must enter them as text or a lookup to text in the format Value1, Value2 (the space after the comma is required). The values must be entered in the same order they appear in the SharePoint column.

See also:

Widget URL References

Widget URL References

URL references are special references that allow you to include a hyperlink in an e-mail body with a different display name than the URL (e.g., Bamboo instead of http://www.bamboosolutions.com). URL references are supported in task e-mail templates, in the Send Email widget Body property, and in the Request Approval Widget and Request Feedback Task Description properties.

URL references must be typed into the e-mail Body or Task Description rich text field, and must be in the following format:

[_URL(http://url.com), _Text(Text to display)]

Both the _URL and the _Text properties of the URL reference support lookups as all or part of the property. Below are some examples of valid URL references. Lookups are noted in purple; you can insert a lookup anywhere you see the lookup icon (Icon-Search) or the Add Lookup (Button-AddLookup) button.

Availability of specific lookups will vary between Conductor Studio and the e-mail template editor.

Hyperlink to specific URL
[_URL(http://www.bamboosolutions.com) ,_Text(Bamboo)]Bamboo

Hyperlink to document
(Click here for more information)
[_URL({Reference:List URL (Absolute)}/{CurrentItem:Name}) ,_Text({CurrentItem:Name})] Sample Document

Hyperlink to item DispForm.aspx page

[_URL({Reference:Item URL}) ,_Text({CurrentItem:Name}) Properties] Sample Document Properties

Hyperlink to SharePoint Workflow Status page
[_URL({Reference:Workflow Status URL}) ,_Text(Click to view workflow status)] Click to view workflow status

See also:

Where are workflows stored in SharePoint?

Where are workflows stored in SharePoint?

After you create a workflow, you may want to locate the .XOML files associated with it perhaps to copy it and store in another site.

  • Open SharePoint Designer on the site collection and navigate to the All Files folder.

  • Within that folder resides a sub-folder called “WorkflowsConductor”.

  • When you click on that folder, you’ll see all the workflows you’ve created both from Workflow Conductor and workflows you create from SharePoint out of the box.

Where to locate PowerShell scripts from the Run PowerShell Widget in Workflow Conductor

Where to locate PowerShell scripts from the Run PowerShell Widget in Workflow Conductor

After you create a workflow, you may want to locate the .XOML files associated with it perhaps to copy it and store in another site. If you have installed Workflow Conductor, you can view the scripts by opening the workflow template in WFC studio. If you have removed the product and need to recover the contents of a PowerShell widget (the script), the workflows are stored in the content database the same way out-of-the-box SharePoint workflows are stored.

  • Open SharePoint Designer on the site collection and navigate to the All Files folder.

  • Within that folder resides a sub-folder called “WorkflowsConductor”.

  • When you click on that folder, you’ll see all the workflows you’ve created both from Workflow Conductor and workflows you create from SharePoint out of the box.

  • Choose the Workflow Conductor workflow you want to recover the PowerShell script from and you will see 3 files

  • Export the .xoml file to your desktop (You can’t edit it in SP Designer)

  • Open the .xoml file in a text editor such as Notepad

  • Search for “PowerShellScript=”

    • The text after that is the contents of your PowerShell script
  • It is in HTML, you will need to convert it to plain text. You can do that with this website.

Then you’ll see the script as you pasted it.

Why is my site unavailable momentarily when a workflow is deployed?

Why is my site unavailable momentarily when a workflow is deployed?Why is my site unavailable momentarily when a workflow is deployed?

If Workflow Conductor is configured to use the Solution Deployment method, your site may be temporarily unavailable when the workflow is deployed from Conductor Studio. Workflow solutions are deployed as features using the Microsoft recommended WSP deployment method, just like a Visual Studio workflow. This automatically recycles the application pool, which makes the site temporarily unavailable. In most cases, this is nearly instantaneous and should only be noticeable if a Web page is loaded in the few seconds after the deployment. Administrators can schedule this deployment and the associated application pool recycle to occur at a scheduled time using the Workflow Deployment Schedule options in the Workflow Conductor Control Panel General Settings page. Application pool recycling does not occur when using the Simple Publishing deployment method.

Current Item Field Lookup

Current Item Field Lookup

Using Lookups in Workflow Studio

Add Lookup dialog.pngCurrent Item Field lookups allow the workflow designer to assign the value of a field in the current item to a widget property. The current item is the item that triggered the workflow. To specify a field, select it in the list and click Add.

display user as.png
If the field you select is a SharePoint Person or Group column, you can also choose how to display the user information when the lookup is expanded.

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: Current Item Field lookups are not valid for site workflows.

sa08CurrentItemEx.jpgAfter choosing a field and clicking Add, a {CurrentItem:Field} placeholder is inserted into the widget property. When a widget using a Current Item Field lookup is reached during a workflow, Conductor retrieves the field from the item the workflow was started on and replaces the lookup with the current value for that field.

For example, if you set the To: property of a Send Email widget to use the Modified By field of the current item, the widget would send an e-mail to the user who most recently modified the item.

NOTE: Display options for Person or Group columns are not available if you insert a lookup from the User Lookup form (Icon-UserLookup), as you would in the example described above. This is because widget properties that use the User Lookup form require the information to be in a specific format, which Conductor sets automatically.

See also:

What happens if my workflow encounters an error when it runs?

What happens if my workflow encounters an error when it runs?What happens if my workflow encounters an error when it runs?

By default, Workflow Conductor will stop the workflow with a status of “Errored”. With Workflow Conductor Release 1.1 or higher, you can also choose to continue running the workflow by advancing to the next widget. This is a choice in the Workflow Conductor Studio Widget Properties tab for each widget.

workflow error in email.jpgWhen a workflow errors, an email containing the details of the error will be sent to the Workflow Initiator by default.

If you would rather the error email go to the Workflow Designer or some other person, configure the Workflow Error Reporting section of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel General Settings page in SharePoint Central Administration.

What is a Widget?

What is a Widget?

widgets.jpgWidgets are what we call the customized activities that we built for Workflow Conductor. They are modular bits of functionality that act as building blocks for creating custom workflows.

For more information about using widgets to build a workflow, see How to Use Workflow Conductor Widgets.

What is a reusable workflow?

What is a reusable workflow?

Within the Workflow Conductor, a reusable workflow is a published workflow that can be re-used without opening the Workflow Conductor Studio. It is not a workflow template, as any template can be re-used to publish a workflow to a list.

Since the Workflow Conductor is available only to site Designers or designated Workflow Designers, it is useful for others to be able to associate a Workflow Conductor workflow with a list.

A Workflow Conductor workflow is reusable if it has been published to a site or site collection.

See Associating a site workflow with a specific list for more information.

Wait for Field Change Widget

Wait for Field Change Widget

The Wait for Field Change widget pauses the workflow until the value of a field in the current item or an item in another list meets a defined condition.

sa08LimitationIcon.jpg Widget Limitations:

  • When waiting for a SharePoint Person or Group column configured to allow multiple values, the SharePoint column values must be listed in the exact order specified in the widget. For example: If the widget is waiting for the Person or Group column to change to User1; User2, SharePoint column values entered as User2; User1 will not match.
  • When waiting for a SharePoint Choice column configured to allow multiple values, you cannot select the values in the widget like you can for single Choice columns. You must enter them as text or a lookup to text in the format Value1, Value2 (the space after the comma is required). The values must be entered in the same order they appear in the SharePoint column.

Widget Properties:

Column Description
Wait for Field (Required) Click the sa08EllipsisIcon.jpg button to select a field and desired condition. You can monitor a field in the current item, or a field in an item in another list in the current site, site collection, or another site or site collection. See the sections below for instructions to configure the widget for each case.
To monitor a field in the current item:
Select Select Current Item Fields (the default).
Field Select a field in the current item to monitor.
Operation

Specify a condition for the field. Available choices vary by field type, and include:

  • Equal To
  • Not Equal To
  • Contains
  • Does Not Contain
  • Greater Than
  • Less Than
Value Specify a value that the selected field must match in order for the workflow to proceed.
To monitor a field in another item:
Select Select External List Lookup. To monitor an item in another list in the current site, select a list in the List box. To monitor an item in a list in another site or site collection, make the desired selections in the Site Collection and Site boxes and then select a List.
Field Select a field to monitor.
Filter Field/Equals To identify the specific item in the list that you want to monitor, select a Filter Field and enter a match criteria in the Equals box, either by typing one or by adding a lookup using the Add Lookup icon (add lookup button). If more than one item matches the criteria, the first item returned is monitored.
Operation

Specify a condition for the field. Available choices vary by field type, and include:

  • Equal To
  • Not Equal To
  • Contains
  • Does Not Contain
  • Greater Than
  • Less Than
Value Specify a value that the selected field must match in order for the workflow to proceed.
Loop every N Minutes When monitoring for changes to items in a list other than the current list, Conductor must periodically check the item for changes. Enter a number of minutes between checks. A value of 0 will check the item at the next Workflow timer job interval.
Click Apply to save the widget settings.

Example of Wait for Field Change

Return to Workflow Logic Widgets List

See Also:

What are lookups and why would I use them?

What are lookups and why would I use them?

A lookup is a placeholder for a value that is not known until the workflow runs. Lookups can be used in many widget properties instead of defining a specific value.

When a widget uses a lookup, it retrieves the value stored in that location when the workflow runs (more specifically, when that widget runs). This allows a workflow to use a current value for an item so it can behave dynamically based on real-time data.

For more information about using Lookups, see Using Lookups in Workflow Studio.

What features need to be activated when deploying WF Conductor to a new web app on my farm?

What features need to be activated when deploying WF Conductor to a new web app on my farm?

A workflow cannot be used until it is deployed to SharePoint. To deploy a workflow, click the Publish menu in the Conductor Studio menu and select a deployment or publishing option. Several things happen when you deploy a workflow:

  • First, Conductor checks to see whether the workflow is fully configured.

  • If there is missing or invalid configuration information, Conductor Studio will display an error message with the details.

  • If there are any unsaved changes to your workflow, Conductor will prompt you to save the workflow as a template. Templates can be modified and redeployed as new or updated workflows later.

  • The workflow is then deployed to SharePoint according to the Workflow Deployment option you selected.

If the workflow is deployed using the Solution Deployment method (Publish > Deploy):

The workflow is compiled and deployed as a farm solution to all Web applications in the farm where Workflow Conductor is installed.
The workflow is added and activated as a site collection feature in the current site collection.
The workflow is associated to the list or library where you launched Conductor Studio, with the Start Options you configured in the workflow.

If the workflow is published using the Simple Publishing method (Publish > Publish to List):

  • Conductor checks to see if an existing workflow with the same name already exists. If so, you will be asked if you want to overwrite the existing workflow. This is the best way to create a new version of a workflow. For more information about overwriting published workflows, see Workflow Versioning.

  • The workflow is published to the SharePoint list and is automatically associated to the list or library where you launched Conductor Studio, with the Start Options you configured in the workflow.

NOTE: Workflows deployed using the Solution Deployment method are farm solutions, so the application pool will be recycled when the workflow is deployed. As a result, sites may be temporarily unavailable. You can control when this deployment and application pool recycle happens by scheduling workflow deployment in the Workflow Deployment settings in Central Administration > Workflow Conductor Control Panel > General Settings.

sa08StartWFfromProps.jpg

sa08StartWFfromItemMenu.jpgThe workflow is now ready to be used, and is displayed with other available workflows under the Workflows option for an item in that list or library.

All the .wsp solutions associated with the WF Conductor are deployed globally (to the 12, 14 or 15 hive), so there is nothing more to do for them when provisioning new web apps.

When you provision a new web app:

  1. Go to the Web Application Features and activate the feature called “Bamboo Workflow Conductor Web.config Modifications Vx.x”. It will make changes to the web.config programmatically. The changes support AJAX/Telerik and workflow publishing.

  2. Go to the site collection(s) where you want to use Conductor, and activate the four features below:

  • Bamboo Workflow Conductor Feature Manager
  • Bamboo Workflow Conductor Studio
  • Bamboo Workflow Conductor Web Parts
  • Bamboo Workflow Conductor Widgets

Versioning for Simple Publishing Workflows

Versioning for Simple Publishing Workflows

To create a new version of a workflow published using a Simple Publishing option (Publish to List, Publish to Site, Publish to Site Collection, or Publish as Site Workflow):

  1. In Conductor Studio, go to Workflow > Open and open the workflow template.
  2. Edit the workflow template and save it with the same name.
  3. Publish the updated template.
  4. Conductor will detect that there is already a published workflow with the same name and will ask if you want to overwrite it. Select the Overwrite option to publish the new version.

Instances of the old workflow version that are in progress will continue to run until they are complete. New instances of the workflow will run as the new workflow version.

NOTE: Simple Publishing workflows cannot overwrite Solution Deployment workflows. However, Simple Publishing workflows can overwrite other Simple Publishing workflows. The table below shows which Simple Publishing workflows can be overwritten.

New workflows… Can overwrite existing workflows of the same name…
Published to List Published to List
Published to Site Published to List or Site*
Published to Site Collection Published to Site Collection*
Published as Site Workflow Published as Site Workflow

* If you check the option to automatically associate the workflow with the current list when you publish the new workflow version, the copy of the workflow of the same name that is associated to the list where Studio was started will be updated with the new workflow version. Workflows of the same name associated to other lists in the site (or other sites) will not be updated. If you do not check the auto-associate option, the existing workflow association for the current list will continue to use the old workflow version, but any new associations you add will use the new workflow version.

Versioning for Solution Deployment Workflows

Versioning for Solution Deployment Workflows

Saving workflows as templates allows you to conveniently open a saved workflow and make changes to it. If you have Workflow Conductor 2.0 or higher configured to use the Simple Publishing method, simply publish the workflow with the same name. You will be prompted to overwrite the existing version. Workflow instances already running will continue to run under the old version, and new workflow instances will automatically run with the new version.

If you have Workflow Conductor 1.6.1 or earlier or Workflow Conductor 2.0 or higher configured to use the Solution Deployment method, you cannot deploy another workflow with the same name to the same Web application. To deploy a new version of a workflow, you can either deploy it with a different name and remove the previous version from the list, or you can retract and remove the previous version from the Web application before deploying the updated version with the same name.

After you deploy a Workflow Conductor workflow solution, you may want to make a minor change to it and deploy a new version. However, once a workflow solution is deployed to a web application, you cannot deploy another workflow with the same name to the same web application. The Solution Deployment method deploys workflows as farm solutions. To deploy a new version of a workflow, you have two options:

  1. Give the workflow a new name when deploying it in Conductor Studio.
  2. Retract and remove the workflow from the web application
    See Detailed Instructions for Retracting and Removing the Existing Workflow from the Web Application.

NOTE: Solution Deployment workflows can overwrite Simple Publishing workflows of the same name directly from Conductor Studio. You do not need to remove the existing published workflow before deploying the new workflow solution.

See also:

Using the Workflow Initialization Form

Using the Workflow Initialization Form

sa08_2010WorkflowForm.jpgThis screenshot shows an initialization form requesting two pieces of information from a workflow initiator. This form is displayed each time this workflow is run manually on an item in the list or library.

NOTE: Workflow initialization forms are shown only when a workflow starts manually.

When the workflow initiator completes the fields and clicks Start Workflow, the workflow will continue as long as all the required fields have values. Alternatively, if the workflow initiator clicks Cancel without completing the initialization form, the workflow will not run.

The information collected from the user in the form above is stored in two workflow parameters, which can be used by the widgets in the workflow. In this example, the Due Date initialization form field above is used to set the Due Date on a Request Feedback widget.

sa08_2010WorkflowFormLookup.jpg

See: Create a new workflow Initialization Form or Modify a Workflow Initialization Form for more information.

Using the Workflow Start Feature

Using the Workflow Start Feature

Applies to

  • Workflow Conductor R3.5 or newer
  • SharePoint 2010 and SharePoint 2013

Overview

The Workflow Start Feature allows custom workflow start buttons to be added to the item ribbons within SharePoint lists/libraries. The workflow buttons will display configurable names and launch any desired workflow associated with the current item. Users simply highlight an item in the list and click the button to start the workflow on the selected item.

Configuring the Workflow Start Feature

Step Action
1.

WF Start Feature.jpgOn the site where you wish to use the Workflow Start Feature, navigate to Site Actions > Site Settings > Site Actions: Manage Site Features. On the Features page, locate the Workflow Start Feature (it’s usually at the bottom of the list).

WF Start Feature a.jpg

Click Activate to activate the Workflow Start Feature for the site.

NOTES:

  1. This is a site feature, not a site collection feature.
  2. If you don’t see the Workflow Start Feature listed on the Manage Site Features page, check to make sure that the Bamboo.StartWorkFlow.wsp solution is deployed to your web app and the Bamboo.StartWorkFlow.wsp site collection feature is activated for your site collection.
2.

configurinh WF button.jpg
Activating the site feature creates a new list called Workflow Configuration List in the site. Configure a new item ribbon button by adding an item to this list. Find a description of the columns below:

  • Ribbon Section Name: Enter a name for the section of the ribbon that will contain the workflow button. This is a required field.
  • Workflow Button Name: Enter a name for the button that will be displayed in the ribbon. This is a required field.
  • Tooltip Title: Enter the tooltip title that will appear when the end user hovers the cursor over the button. The Tooltip has a title that appears with bold text and a description that appears with normal text. See the screen shot shown in Step 3 below.
  • Tooltip Description: Enter the text that will appear in a tooltip for the button. A tooltip appears when the end user hovers over the button with the cursor.
  • Associated Workflow: Choose the list and the workflow that will be associated with the button for items in that list.
3.

wf button with tool tip title and description.jpgOnce an item is added to the Workflow Configuration List, a button will appear in the item ribbon for the appropriate list. It will be grayed out unless an item is selected in the list.

The button shown here is the one configured in Step 2 above. Notice the tooltip that appears to end users when they hover over the button; the Tooltip Title and Tooltip Description is displayed.

NOTE: There is no configuration option for the icon that is displayed. It is the same for all workflow buttons.

4. To start the workflow, select an item in the list and click the button.

Using the Template Gallery

Using the Template Gallery

Overview of Workflow Conductor Templates

open option on menu R4.jpgAccess the Template Gallery by clicking Open on the Workflow Conductor Studio main menu.

The Workflow Templates dialog appears. The contents of this dialog will vary for each logged in workflow designer.

template gallery with four tabs.jpg

For more information about each area of the gallery, see the table below:

Area Description
Filtering/Sorting Access the menu associated with any of the header columns to sort or filter the list using the contents of that column. To filter on a particular string (i.e., task) enter the string in the Filters box as shown below. The list of templates will be filtered as you enter text.

filtering task R4.jpg
Bottom Border
bottom border of gallery.jpg

1. Use the Page Control to navigate from one page to the next in order to see all available templates. Click the Refresh icon (refresh icon R.jpg) to refresh the display. Refreshing is most useful on the Shared, Featured and Manage template tabs since content on those tabs can be updated by other users.

2. The note on the bottom right corner will show you how many templates are available on the current tab and displayed on the current page.

3. The note in the bottom band of the gallery tells you how many templates in total are available on the farm. For template managers, this is the number of templates displayed on the Manage Templates page.

My Templates

This tab is displayed by default when the Template Gallery opens (see screen shot above). It lists all the templates created by the logged in user. Sometimes, several pages of templates can be displayed.

Click the + in the Sharing column to share the template.

Click the X in the Delete column to delete the template. Acknowledge the warning message (shown below), and the template will be deleted.

delete warning R4.jpg

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: Once a template is deleted, it is gone for good.

Shared Templates

shared temp tab.jpg

The Shared Templates tab shows all the templates that have been shared. The Created By column indicates who shared the template and the Last Edited columns shows when it was shared.

If you are the user who shared the template or a template manager, an X appears in the Sharing column. Clicking the X for a particular template will display a confirmation message (shown below). Clicking OK will delete the shared template.

delete shared template.jpg

Icon-WarningIMPORTANT: Once a shared template is deleted, it is gone for good. However, the original template may be in the original designers My Templates tab, although it may no longer be exactly the same as the deleted shared template.

Featured Templates

featured templ2.jpg

The Featured Templates tab shows all the templates that have been featured. No information about the original designer or the date last edited is shown, but it can be found by template managers from the Manage Templates tab (see below). It is not possible to remove any featured templates from this list through this interface.

Add or remove templates from the Featured Templates list via SharePoint Central Administration and the Template Management page of the Workflow Conductor Control Panel.

Manage Templates

Manage Templates.jpg

The Manage Templates tab is displayed only for template managers. It shows all the templates available on the farm.

Overview of symbols and collumns:

  • A + will appear in The Shared column if the template is shared.
  • A + will appear in the Featured column if the template is featured.
  • The user shown in the Created By column is the user who created, shared, or featured the template.
  • The date shown in the Last Edited column is the date and time the template was saved, shared, or featured.

Using the Collect Data from User Widget in a Workflow Published to a Site or Site Collection

Using the Collect Data from User Widget in a Workflow Published to a Site or Site Collection

Collect Data From User

When a workflow is published to a site or site collection, users can associate it with other lists/libraries in the site or site collection without opening the Workflow Conductor Studio. This is one of the main benefits of publishing workflows these ways.

However, a side effect of this practice is that the user can change things about the workflow, including the name of the workflow tasks list used for the workflow association.

assocate site wf to new list.jpg

To ensure that a different workflow task list doesn’t impact your Collect Data from User widget, follow these practices when referencing values entered into the Collect Data form:

Step Action
1. do not assume.jpgDon’t assume that the workflow tasks list will be the default list configured in Central Admin (typically Workflow Tasks, as shown here).
2. Instead, use the Easy Reference variable Workflow Task List Name.

lookup to other wf tasks list1.jpg

Using Lookups in Workflow Studio

Using Lookups in Workflow Studio

Using Workflow Conductor Widgets

R4 Lookup dialog with num1.jpgWhen you configure a Workflow Conductor widget, most widget properties can be defined either by typing or choosing a specific value, or by using a lookup. A lookup is a placeholder for a value that is not known until the workflow runs.

Lookups can be used in many widget properties instead of defining a specific value. When a widget uses a lookup, it retrieves the value stored in that location when the workflow runs (more specifically, when that widget runs). This allows a workflow to use a current value for an item so it can behave dynamically based on real-time data. Using a lookup in place of an actual value makes your workflow more flexible and reusable.

You can insert a lookup anywhere you see the lookup icon (Icon-Search) or the Add Lookup (R4 Add Lookup button.jpg) button. When you click the icon or button, the Add Lookup form is displayed. The Add Lookup form allows you to select from various lookups, references, and variables available in the workflow, item, list, site, and even other lists and sites in this site collection or other site collections.

Click on a topic below which describes each type of lookup and gives examples of how to use them.

  1. Current Item Field
  2. Field Lookup (formerly “External Lookup”)
  3. Easy Reference
  4. Workflow Variables

User Interaction Widgets

User Interaction Widgets

This is a high level overview of the types of User Interaction Widgets available. Click on the name of the widget to get details and examples.

Return to About Workflow Conductor Widgets

See also an Alphabetical List of Workflow Conductor Widgets.

User & Group Management Widgets

User & Group Management Widgets

This is a high level overview of the types of User and Group Management Widgets available. Click on the name of the widget to get details and examples.

Return to About Workflow Conductor Widgets

See also an Alphabetical List of Workflow Conductor Widgets.

Upgrading your Workflow Conductor Configuration Database

Upgrading your Workflow Conductor Configuration Database

Upgrading Workflow Conductor from a Previous Release
Step Action
1.

Before you upgrade the Configuration Database, you need to uninstall the program that created the database in the first place. To do that, on the SharePoint WFE Server where you originally installed this component, go to Start > Control Panel and click Uninstall a program from the Programs area.
30to35UninstallProgram.jpg

30to35UninstallProgram1.jpgRight click the program called Workflow Conductor Configuration Database and select Uninstall from the menu that appears. Wait for the program to uninstall before proceeding.

NOTE: This doesn’t uninstall your database, it just uninstalls the program used to create/update your database.

2. 35ConfigDBInstallStep1.jpgNow, you need to install the new version of the program you just uninstalled. Highlight the Configuration Database component in the Components section of the Workflow Conductor Setup program. When a component is selected, information specific to it is displayed on the right side of the interface. Verify the Location of Install Files and Required Installation Permissions displayed there. See Required Permissions for Creating or Upgrading your WF Conductor Configuration Database for more information.

When ready, click Install. The installation program starts and the Welcome page is displayed.

3. 35ConfigDBInstallStep2.jpgSelect the installation folder. This is the location of the program that will be used to upgrade your existing Configuration Database.

When ready, click Next.

4. 35ConfigDBInstallStep3.jpgOn the Confirm Installation page, click Next.
5.

35ConfigDBInstallStep4a.jpgBy default, this page will display a “.” in the SQL Server name and instance box. Unless your database is on the SharePoint WFE server where you are running the install, replace this with the name of the SQL server.

Since you are upgrading your Workflow Conductor to a new release, click Use Existing since your Configuration Database should already exist.

35ConfigDBInstallStep4b.jpgWhen you choose Use Existing, a drop down selection box displaying all the existing databases that exist in the SQL Server instance you entered will be displayed. Select your existing Workflow Conductor Configuration Database from the list.

NOTE: Do NOT click the Create New button.

Choose the Authentication method the program should use to access the database.

When ready, click Finish.

35ConfigDBInstallStep4c.jpgA message at the bottom of the dialog will indicate that the upgrade is in process.

6. 35ConfigDBInstallStep5.jpgWhen the process is complete, the Installation Complete page will be displayed. Click Close to exit the program.