Adding and Modifying Transitions in Workflow

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After creating a workflow process and adding states, you can add transitions, such as Change, Receive, or Expiry, to connect the new state to existing states in your diagram. In addition, workflow events can be used to trigger scripts, adding automation to your workflow process.

The Workflow Design Surface and toolbox are used to add and modify transitions in the following ways:

• Adding a Transition
• Changing the Transition Type
• Renaming an Event
• Setting a Transition Caption

Adding a Transition

1. Open the Development Environment. Open an existing solution, or use File, New to create a workflow project. The solution, along with any of its projects and existing workflow processes, is displayed in the Solution Explorer.

2. Select the workflow process from the Solution Explorer.

3. From the View menu, select Open, or double-click the workflow process.

4. Select the Transition tool, click the state shape at the start of the transition, and then drag to the state shape at the end of the transition. The transition is created between the two state shapes. Properties, such as name, caption, and type of transition event, can be set in the Property Page or Properties Grid. By default, the transition will be a Change transition type. This means a change to an item will cause the transition.

   If you have multiple states to connect, you can turn on Sticky mode. Press CTRL and click the transition shape, and then drag to create transitions between the states. Press ESC to turn off Sticky mode.

   **Note   **To add one transition into the diagram window multiple times, press and hold CTRL as you choose the shape in the Toolbox. Click in the diagram to place the shape, enter a name if desired, and then click again to add another shape. Choose the Pointer in the Toolbox to stop adding shapes on the design surface.

   **Caution   **If you drag one transition directly over another transition, it might appear that they have merged into one transition; however, both transitions still exist.

Changing the Transition Type

By default, transitions are created with a transition type of Change. The transition type is displayed in the Properties Grid and the Property Page of the selected transition.

The icon associated with each transition gives a visual clue as to the current transition type.

To change the transition type

• On the Workflow Design Surface, select a transition, right-click to display the Property Page, and from the Type drop-down box, select Change, Expiry, or Receive. In addition, you can change the type using the Type property in the Properties Grid.

Renaming an Event

Transition names do not have to be shown to the user. For many applications, it is only important that the workflow author/administrator understand the meanings of the transition names.

As long as a workflow process is in development, you can change the names without repercussions. However, when a workflow process is in production, if you change the name, you potentially are changing the workflow logic.

**Caution   **If you have a workflow process that is in production, do not rename transitions without changing items to a transition value represented on the diagram.

To rename a transition

• On the Workflow Design Surface, select the transition, and enter a new name for the transition in the (Name) property in the Properties Grid.

Setting a Transition Caption

Transition captions also must be unique. However, captions support extended characters such as spaces and non-English characters.

To change a transition caption

• On the Workflow Design Surface, select the transition, and enter a new caption for the transition in the Caption property in the Properties Grid.

See Also

Building a Workflow Process for Exchange Server | Understanding the Workflow Process | Creating the Exchange Folder for the Project | Creating the Project and Workflow Process for Exchange Server | Setting the Project Properties for Exchange Server | Using the Workflow Design Surface | Adding and Modifying States in a Workflow | Copying a Workflow Process for Exchange Server | Deleting a Workflow Process for Exchange Server | Viewing and Printing the Workflow