Sample custom workflow

We will see how you do a custom workflow. We all know how to do things with a normal workflow. Still in some instances, built in wizard of workflows are not able to cater our need. In that case we need to do a code to be executed as a part of the workflow.  

Pl check below code. This shows you a skeleton of a workflow code. If you notice, what we really do is reading some attributes from the context and do whatever we need to do. In fact, idea is quite similar to construction of a plug-ins.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Activities;
using System.ServiceModel;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Workflow;

namespace CustomWFtest
{
 public class SetAccountOffice : CodeActivity
 {
  protected override void Execute(CodeActivityContext executionContext)
  {
    IWorkflowContext context = executionContext.GetExtension<IWorkflowContext>();

    if (context == null)
    {
        throw new InvalidPluginExecutionException("Failed to retrieve workflow context.");
    }

    IOrganizationServiceFactory serviceFactory = executionContext.GetExtension<IOrganizationServiceFactory>();
    IOrganizationService service = serviceFactory.CreateOrganizationService(context.UserId);
    OrgOrionDatamodel orgSvcContext = new OrgOrionDatamodel(service);

    try
    {
        throw new Exception("testing exception .. primary ID is : " + context.PrimaryEntityId);
       
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        throw ex;
    }
    finally
    {
        context = null;
    }
  }
 }
}

Context gives you some attributes from the triggering point of the workflow. Our sample just throw an exception with primary Id. Use the intellisense to check what other attributes we got in the context and decide how you go with it.

Check below illustration to know what other references we use in this class library project (same as plug-in). Microsoft.Xrm.sdk.workflow dll is the new one we need to add. As same as plug-in development, you must sign the assembly (right click the project > properties > Signing > create .snk file).

Once you do the code, build the dll and register through the plug-in registration tool.

Then you can start workflow wizard to do the needful.  Now, within the wizard, you can see our newly registered DLL with custom workflow name as under “Add Step”. Now you can easily add it as a step.

You can see, in our sample, the exception with primary ID of the record. (go to system jobs and check)

If you wisely study you may realize context we used within the code contains the data relevant to this triggering entity and etc. Hope you understand “context” is the link in between the workflow and your code. Once you understand this, sky is the limit for actions you can do within the code.