Loading (well, reloading) workflows that include Visual Basic expressions in a WCF hosted service is not as straightforward as one might expect. If you have created your XAML workflow based on an ActivityBuilder or a DynamicActivity then the Visual Basic settings aren’t configured automatically.
There may be occasions when you’ll want to save the XAML version of a workflow (root activity) while persisting it. In my case this is normally to ensure that when I persist a workflow and later want to reload it, I’ve got the exact workflow structure I started with. This article discusses how to do just that.
One of the clear advantages of using Visual Studio for editing workflows over a custom implementation is the readily available auto-completion features of the IDE. A similar style of auto-completion can be added to your re-hosted workflow designer by implementing your own ‘editor service’ and publishing it to the workflow designer control.
The basic re-hosted workflow designer solution described in re-hosting the workflow designer article provides a baseline for a bespoke application that can be used for designing workflows, but without some further enhancements it is quite limited. By default it will only allow you to create and edit workflows that use the Framework’s built-in set of activities.
The basic re-hosted workflow designer solution described in this article provides a baseline for a bespoke application that can be used for designing workflows, but without some further enhancements it is quite limited. A relatively straightforward addition to a re-hosted workflow designer is visual debugging.
In Windows Workflow 4, basic re-hosting of Microsoft’s Workflow Designer WPF control is a simple task. Microsoft has provided a set of controls that can be inserted directly into your own application. This article will guide you through creating your own workflow editor application by re-hosting the System.Activities.Presentation.WorkflowDesigner WPF control.