Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Designer 2007 Bible

20.2. Investigating SharePoint Designer Workflow Files

Whenever you create a workflow by using SharePoint Designer, the workflow files generated in the process are stored in a special document library called Workflows. Unlike other document libraries, this document library doesn't have any forms (for example, DispForm.aspx, EditForm.aspx, etc.) for interaction. You don't really see this library in the SharePoint user interface. However, in SharePoint Designer, you can see the Workflows document library in the Folder Lists task pane. All workflow files associated with a particular workflow are stored in a folder named after the workflow in the Workflows document library. For the CheckDate workflow you just created in the previous exercise, Figure 20.16 shows the files that now appear in the associated workflow folder.

Figure 20.16. Workflow supporting files created by Workflow Designer

Depending on the settings made for the workflow in Workflow Designer, the number of files in the associated workflow folder might change. However, the file with the .xoml extension is the key file that supports workflows.

20.2.1. Workflow markup files

Windows Workflow Foundation allows runtime compilation of workflows that have been created by declaratively specifying the workflow settings in XML files. This means that the workflows don't need to be precompiled and deployed as dynamic link libraries. ...