Windows Workflow using Sharepoint Designer

Ginger

Hi

I am looking through Sharepoint Designer 2007 and I am designing a new workflow. The workflow is very similar to a combination of the Translation Library Workflow and the Three Tier Workflow.

The idea is a simple, have a list of languages in a list, read it and copy the file a number times (based on number of languages), and assign a translation task. Once the file has been translated a second task is initialised to allow the approver to approve it and then it gets moved via a web service to an external site.

Thats the design anyways. I am just looking at the SPD at the moment, and for the life of me I cant find a looping structure within the workflow options.

I can and probably will write this in code but I was just looking at this for demo purposes and also as a quick way to get sample workflow principles working.

So any ideas people?

FindingNemo

I know NOTHING about sharepoint, but, since you're such a helpful contributor, I said I'd google it (which I'm sure you've done ) ..
however, is this site useful...it talks about looping and options that need to be set in designer...

http://weblog.vb-tech.com/nick/archive/2006/09/04/1753.aspx

FindingNemo

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms580283.aspx

search for loop in the article as well

Ginger

Ah but you see thats in VS2005/2008. I was asking about the Sharepoint Designer.

I am very aware how to loop within the Workflow designer projects of 200X. My issue was there a looping structure within the SPD.

You can design workflows in a couple of ways and the most common are the SPD and using VS200X with SharePoint WF and WWF. The latter is the route that I will be taking I think. I just was wondering because I couldnt find any info on looping within SPD and for that would seem a bit weird, because it does have conditional branching etc.

FindingNemo

Matt Groves - SharePoint blogger - Matt's blog will focus on SharePoint and other IW, collaborative and internet technologies from Microsoft and the community.
Workflows
SharePoint designer will allow the creation of looping workflows (the "validate this workflow" check doesn't pick it up). So you can create a workflow that does the below:

Step1 – where STATUS = draft, set STATUS to pending
Step2 – where STATUS = pending, set STATUS to draft
Round and round it will go!!

Add some email to get spammed!

Step1 – where STATUS = draft, set STATUS to pending
Step2 – email someone
Step3 – where STATUS = pending, set STATUS to draft

Ginger

Thats a hack!! A hack I tell you!

Its an infinite loop too at that point..

Hmmm so there is no definate looping structures within the designer. Oh well, to code I go. I must admit I just had a look at the first one or two hits on google last night, and thought I would post as well

FindingNemo

Ginger wrote: »

Thats a hack!! A hack I tell you!

Its an infinite loop too at that point..

Hmmm so there is no definate looping structures within the designer. Oh well, to code I go. I must admit I just had a look at the first one or two hits on google last night, and thought I would post as well

yeah, tough sh1te mate :-)

You cannot loop. If you want to perform an action on say all items in a list or all child items for a parent, you simply cannot do it unless you know how to lookup each item in the list at design time and have an action for each of those items.
Workaround: Use Events or a Visual Studio 2005 workflow.

Ginger

Will be using the 2008 workflow stuff. I just wanted to do a quick and dirty one last night for a demo.. but hey thats not the case anymore.