ansaurus

Question

Workflow 4.0, WCF and non-"WCF Workflow Service" definitions

Answer 1

+1 A:

Yes it is.

This blog post describes how to use an SVC extension instead of a XAMLX and uses a compiles workflow to do so. The comments add some details how to get rid of the SVC file as well. You need to use the WorkflowServiceHostFactory as the Factory to wire things up. You can also do something similar when self hosting.

Maurice 2010-07-22 13:19:05

Thanks. Checking it out...

Will 2010-07-22 13:25:30

Did help some, but damn there's alot left unsaid.

Will 2010-07-22 19:31:36

Answer 2

+1 A:

I have been trying to figure out the same since yesterday and now I stumbled upon a workaround. There is no template for simple workflow (xaml) in VS 2010 when adding new item. If you create a WCF WF Application, you get xamlx. I created a Workflow Console application instead, that gave me a xaml file which I copied to my working project. Once this was done, hosting was simple using WorkflowServiceHost.

        string uri = "http://localhost:8008/MyService"; 
        WorkflowServiceHost wsh = new WorkflowServiceHost(new Workflow1(), new Uri(uri));
        ServiceMetadataBehavior metadataBehavior = new ServiceMetadataBehavior();
        metadataBehavior.HttpGetEnabled = true;
        wsh.Description.Behaviors.Add(metadataBehavior);
        wsh.AddServiceEndpoint("IService", new BasicHttpBinding(), uri);
        wsh.Open();

2010-07-22 19:21:06

This may seem like a whacked-out question, but is "IService" in your example an actual ServiceContract? I ask because I'm wondering if the contract can be inferred from the workflow definition, or if I have to not only create the workflow but also the interface that defines the contract?

Will 2010-07-22 19:37:58

This is the interface that is visible to client from workflow. You can name it anything instead of "IService", you can but don't necessarily have to declare in any .cs file. Either way from exapmles I have seen there's no real implementation of this interface. The real meat is inside the activity code and what is returned back to client from activity context. You should be able to call implemented contracts from code with in the activities.

2010-07-22 19:58:20

Answer 3

A:

Actually I just figured out that "Activity" template in add new item is xaml so no need to create that "Workflow console application" to get a xaml file.

2010-07-22 19:33:35

A workflow is technically the same as a composite activity which is why there is no separate new workflow template. The only difference is if you run it as is, ie a worklfow, or reuse it on a workflow making it an activity. Its quite common to create a XAML workflow, test it as is and then drop it on a XAMLX workflow service to expose it through WCF.

Maurice 2010-07-23 06:30:50

ansaurus

tags:

views:

answers:

Workflow 4.0, WCF and non-"WCF Workflow Service" definitions

related questions