Web Services in Workflow

Introduction : The Windows Workflow Foundation framework supports Web service interoperability. This includes the ability to expose a Workflow as Web service to ASP.NET clients and to other Workflows. Windows Workflow Foundation supports publishing a Workflow as an ASP.NET Web service on a Web server or server farm running ASP.NET on Internet Information Services (IIS). The Windows Workflow Foundation base activity library contains the WebServiceInputActivity and WebServiceOutputActivity, which enable a Workflow to be used as Web service end points. A Web service receives a request, performs some appropriate processing, and returns a response.

Creating a Workflow Service :

Step 1 : Open Visual Studio 2010.

• Go to File->New->Project.
• Select WCF Workflow Service Application.
• When we click on the OK Button, the following Activities will show.

Define the Service :

Step 2 :  Go to Solution Explorer and right-click.

• Select Add->New Item->Class.
• Class1.cs file open.
• Write the below code.

Code :

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Runtime.Serialization;
using System.ServiceModel;
namespace book
{
    [ServiceContract]
    public interface ibook
    {
        [OperationContract]
        binfo LookupBook(bookSearch request);
    }
    [MessageContract(IsWrapped = false)]
    public class bookSearch
    {
        private String _ISBN
        private String _Title;
        private String _Author;
     public bookSearch()
        {
        }
        public bookSearch(String title, String author, String isbn)
        {

            _Title = title;
            _Author = author;
            _ISBN = isbn;
        }
        #region Public Properties
        [MessageBodyMember]
        public String Title
        {
            get { return _Title; }
            set { _Title = value; }
        }
        [MessageBodyMember]
        public String Author
        {
            get { return _Author; }
            set { _Author = value; }
        }
        [MessageBodyMember]
        public String ISBN
        {
            get { return _ISBN; }
            set { _ISBN = value; }
        }
        #endregion Public Properties
    }
  
    [MessageContract(IsWrapped = false)]
    public class binfo
    {
  private Guid _InventoryID;

        private String _ISBN;|
        private String _Title;
        private String _Author;
        private String _Status;
        public binfo()
        {
        }
        public binfo(String title, String author, String isbn,
        String status)
        {
            _Title = title;
            _Author = author;
            _ISBN = isbn;
            _Status = status;
            _InventoryID = Guid.NewGuid();
        }
        #region Public Properties
        [MessageBodyMember]
        public Guid InventoryID
        {
            get { return _InventoryID; }
            set { _InventoryID = value; }
        }
        [MessageBodyMember]
        public String Title
        {
            get { return _Title; }
            set { _Title = value; }
        }
        [MessageBodyMember]
        public String Author|
        {
            get { return _Author; }
            set { _Author = value; }
  }

       [MessageBodyMember]

        public String ISBN
        {
            get { return _ISBN; }
            set { _ISBN = value; }
        }
        [MessageBodyMember]
        public String status
        {
            get { return _Status; }
            set { _Status = value; }
        }
        #endregion Public Properties
    }
    [MessageContract(IsWrapped = false)]
    public class BookInfoList
    {
        private List<binfo> _BookList;
        public BookInfoList()
        {
            _BookList = new List<binfo>();
        }
        [MessageBodyMember]
        public List<binfo> BookList
        {
            get { return _BookList; }
        }
    }
}

Step 3 : Now we press F6 and Build the solution.

Step 4 : Open the Service1.xamlx File.

• Select ReciveRequest activity.
• Right-click->Properties.
• Select ServiceContract Property.
• Change IService and OperationName.

Step 5 : Go to Variables Control from Workflow Designer.

• Define the Varriable.
• Varriable->Name->Varriable Type->Scope.

Step 6 : Go to ReciveRequest activity.

• Content ->View message.
• Define Message Data and Message Type.

Step 7 : Now we Press F5 then see WCF Test Client template open.

Step 8 : Double-click in Lookup option then give all information about the application data.

Step 9 : Go to Solution Explorer and Right-Click.

• Select Add->New Item->Code Activity.
• Write the below code.

Code :

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Activities;
namespace book
{
    public sealed class lookup : CodeActivity
    {
        public InArgument<bookSearch> Search { get; set; }
        public OutArgument<BookInfoList> BookList { get; set; }
        public InArgument<string> Text { get; set; }
        // If your activity returns a value, derive from CodeActivity<TResult>
        // and return the value from the Execute method.
        protected override void Execute(CodeActivityContext context)
        {
            string author = Search.Get(context).Author;
            string title = Search.Get(context).Title;
            string isbn = Search.Get(context).ISBN;
            BookInfoList l = new BookInfoList();
            l.BookList.Add(new binfo(title, author, isbn, "Available"));
            l.BookList.Add(new binfo(title, author, isbn, "CheckedOut"));
            l.BookList.Add(new binfo(title, author, isbn, "Missing"));
            l.BookList.Add(new binfo(title, author, isbn, "Available"));
            BookList.Set(context, l);
            string text = context.GetValue(this.Text);
        }
    }
}

Step 10 : Drag the lookup activity from Toolbox.

Step 11 : Go to the lookup activity property and change the value.

Step 12 : Press F5 and run the application.