Windows Workflow Foundation

This class will teach you all about Windows Workflow Foundation (Windows WF). The course begins by explaining why Windows WF exists and what problems it is designed to solve. Next an architectural overview of the many aspects of Windows WF is given to help you understand the “big picture” of the technology. Then its time to dive in and start learning the details of how to construct and host your own workflows and the activities that comprise them.

A Workflow is an object graph of “work steps” known as activities. The workflow determines the sequence in which those steps are executed. However, the actual work is performed by the reusable activities themselves. It is this formal separation of “flow control” from “business processing” that is the key to understanding the power and importance of the workflow development paradigm. The workflow development paradigm, as it pertains to both systems and humans will be explored in depth using both pure code as well as the rich Visual Studio hosted development tools that come with Windows WF.

Once the fundamentals of how to create, host and extend custom workflows is understood, we dive deeper to explore some of the more advanced aspects of the technology. From activity property binding, to the built-in persistence and tracking capabilities of the workflow runtime, to using the business rules engine and rehosting the workflow designers in your own applications – the rich world of Windows WF will be presented in a highly approachable manner using real-world examples.

Finally, as you learn the technical aspects of working with Windows WF, you will also understand how Windows WF technology fits with the rest of the Microsoft stack. As the .Net world becomes even richer with the release of .Net 3.0 and Office 2007, understanding how and when to best apply Windows WF technology to create the next generation applications will become a valuable asset. Essential Windows Workflow Foundation for C# Developers will provide you this important insight.