More Details On WF/WCF in .NET 4.0

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Steve Martin, a director of product management for CSD, has a blog post containing more information on the work that we are doing for the next versions of WF and WCF that we will release as a CTP at PDC.  He also introduces "Dublin," the name for our efforts around creating a manageable and scalable host for WF and WCF applications, something that I know a few customers would be interested in. 

For you WF and WCF fans, there some more information about some of the features that you'll hear more about at PDC.  I think for customers who are using either today, you'll see something on the list below that gets you interested.  And, if you're not using WF or WCF today, I think there are a few things that might make you interested. We think that the features we're introducing (especially in WF, which is close to my heart) will make it easier to use WF, in more places, and by more people.  Let us know what you think.  What's exciting in the list below, what do you want to hear more about, is there something else you'd like to see on the list?

 

WF Features

Significant improvements in performance and scalability

· Ten-fold improvement in performance

New workflow flow-control models and pre-built activities

· Flowcharts, rules

· Expanded built-in activities – PowerShell, database, messaging, etc.

Enhancements in workflow modeling

· Persistence control, transaction flow, compensation support, data binding and scoping

· Rules composable and seamlessly integrated with workflow engine

Updated visual designer

· Easier to use by end-users

· Easier to rehost by ISVs

Ability to debug XAML

 

WCF Features

RESTful enhancements

· Simplifying the building of REST Singleton & Collection Services, ATOM Feed and Publishing Protocol Services, and HTTP Plain XML Services using WCF

· WCF REST Starter Kit to be released on Codeplex to get early feedback

Messaging enhancements

· Transports - UDP, MQ, Local in-process

· Protocols - SOAP over UDP, WS-Discovery, WS-BusinessActivity, WS-I BP 1.2

· Duplex durable messaging

Correlation enhancements

· Content and context driven, One-way support

Declarative Workflow Services

· Seamless integration between WF and WCF and unified XAML model

· Build entire application in XAML, from presentation to data to services to workflow