This document discusses the capabilities of SharePoint 2013 workflows for automating business processes, including a comparison of SharePoint Designer and Visual Studio for workflow development. It provides examples of simple and complex workflows, detailing the features of each development tool and outlining steps for creating workflows using Visual Studio. Additionally, the document includes resources for further learning about SharePoint 2013.

1. Workflow in SharePoint
2013
Workflow allow you to automate your business processes
MJ Ferdous
SharePoint Architect | Trainer | Speaker Organized by:
SharePoint Experts Community
Sponsored by: Microsoft

2. Agenda
• SharePoint Workflow
• A Real Example of Workflow
• SP Designer VS Visual Studio
• SharePoint Designer 2013
• Develop Workflow using SharePoint Designer
• Demo: Developing SharePoint Designer 2013 Workflow
• Create Workflow using Visual Studio 2012

3. SharePoint Workflow
• Workflows in SharePoint 2013 allow you to model and automate
your business processes.
• These business processes can be as simple as a document approval
process with a single approver
• as complex as customer-facing product catalog using web service calls
and database support
• as formidable as virtually any structured business process, full of
conditions, loops, user inputs, tasks, and custom actions.

4. A Real Example of Workflow
These business processes can be as simple as a document approval
process with a single approver. Let’s consider this scenario:
For Example: A bank account opening process requires one person
(Manager) review and approval on Application document. If It
Accept by Manager then document are ready for opening a
document and notify team otherwise it will go to initiator to update
document.
The process will continue until the document is approved.

5. SP Designer VS Visual Studio
Feature / Requirement SharePoint Designer Visual Studio
Allows rapid workflow
development
Yes Yes
Enables reuse of workflows
A workflow can be used only by
the list or library on which it was
developed. However, SharePoint
Designer provides reusable
workflows that can be used
multiple times within the same
site.
A workflow can be written as a
template so that after it is
deployed, it can be reused and
associated with any list or library.
Allows you to include a workflow
as part of a SharePoint solution or
app for SharePoint
No Yes
Allows you to create custom
actions
No. However, SharePoint Designer
can consume and implement
custom actions that are created
and deployed by using Visual
Studio.
Yes. However, be aware that in
Visual Studio, the underlying
activities, not their corresponding
actions, are used.

6. SharePoint Designer 2013
• Improved Visual Designer
• Visio Designer Integration into SharePoint
• Allow switch between design mode and sentence-style mode
• Editable properties helper
• Stage and Loops
• Designer supports cut/ copy / paste / undo / redo / select-all
• Calling REST Web Service
• Improved email editor (rich formatting)

7. SharePoint Designer 2013

8. Demo

9. Create Workflow using Visual Studio
2012
• Open Visual Studio 2012 and create a new project.
• In the New Project dialog box, choose Templates, Visual C#, Office
SharePoint, SharePoint Solutions, and SharePoint 2013 Project, as
shown below
• Select deploy as a sandbox solution

10. Create Workflow using Visual Studio
2012
• With the project created, choose Add New Item on the Project
menu, and then choose Workflow under the Office SharePoint item

11. Create Workflow using Visual Studio
2012
• In this sample I choose to use a List Workflow:
• In the next step I selected the Document list, this is the list, where the
Workflow will be available
• In the next step I choose to create a new task and history lists:

12. Create Workflow using Visual Studio
2012• After this step you can start creating your Workflow.
• In the Toolbox, you can see the activities that you can use in your Workflow, you just need to drag
them to your WF design.

13. Create Workflow using Visual Studio
2012• For Example: writes to history list the message “WFSample End Author:” + username

14. References
• SharePoint 2013 Books - A comprehensive list –
• http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/14579.sharepoint-2013-
books-a-comprehensive-list.aspx
• Best Example of SharePoint 2013 public-facing sites
• http://www.topsharepoint.com/sharepoint-2013-websites
• Training Videos
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/sharepoint/fp123606

15. Contact me
email: ferdouscs@gmail.com
Cell: +880 1715015093
Thank You