Beginning SharePoint 2013 Development

VISIO PROFESSIONAL, SHAREPOINT DESIGNER, AND WORKFLOW

In SharePoint 2010 the ability to do iterative workflow development was introduced; for example, between a business analyst using Microsoft Visio and a SharePoint power user using SharePoint Designer. Having these two tools (each one more specifically suited to a particular role for a process design participant) enabled a seamless way to divide the labor when creating automated business processes for SharePoint. The business analyst, as the process owner, knowing the organic nature of the process, could use Visio to describe it. The power user, as the SharePoint subject matter expert (SME), could then import the flow, embellish it with the SharePoint-centric nuances and business logic, publish and test it, and return the Visio file for further enhancements by the analyst. This tool support for synergistic process design continues with SharePoint Designer 2013 and Visio Professional 2013, but is enhanced.

As with Visio 2010, Visio Professional 2013 sports a Microsoft SharePoint 2013 Workflow template. This template consists of three stencils: Actions, Conditions, and Components, as shown in Figure 15-2.

FIGURE 15-2

The Visio shapes in each of these stencils essentially match one-for-one with their counterpart construct in SharePoint Designer 2013. In typical Visio manner you simply drag and drop the shapes you want on the drawing ...