How To... Create and debug a state machine workflow in SharePoint 2010 using Visual Studio 2010 and c# Part 1

Part 1 Creating the Visual Studio 2010 solution for our workflow

This is Part 1 of 4 for creating a state machine workflow using SharePoint 2010 with Visual Studio 2010 and c#. To read the introductions please click here.
Let’s get started and create our workflow using Visual Studio 2010.
We will now create our Visual studio solution and do a little bit of spring cleaning in the solution to make it easier to work with.
Creating the VS project.

• Load up Visual Studio 2010
• Select new project
• Select c#
• Select SharePoint
• Select SharePoint 2010
• Select the state machine workflow template
• Call the project DevJobsStateWorkflow

• Then click the ok button.

The SharePoint customization wizard will now appear

• Select the URL for your team site (where your DevJobs libray exists)
• Select Deploy as a farm solution. (sandboxed solution should be greyed out)
  
  
  
• Click next

On the ‘specify the workflow name for debugging’ screen:

• Change the workflow name to DevJobsStateWorkflow
• Select List workflow
  

• Click next.

Select the lists you will use whilst debugging:

• Select DEVJobs in the library or list to associate yr workflow.
  
• Click next.
  On the specify the conditions for how your workflow is started screen
• Check a user manually starts the workflow
• Check the workflow starts when an item is created.

• Click Finish.

The solution will now be created. That’s the simple bit done ;-)

Solution Tidy up – Time for a Spring Clean

By default our project will name the workflow as workflow1 everywhere which is meaningless, useless and generic for all new workflows. So let’s give it a semi meaningful name for our simple solution.

Let us start by renaming the workflow to be called ‘WorkFlowDevJobs’

• Right click WorkFlow1 and rename to WorkFlowDevJobs
  
  

• Open the WorkFlow1.cs class file and go to code view
• Perform a global replace for Workflow1 replacing with WorkFlowDevJobs.
• Press CTRL+Shift+H for the replace in files dialog

• Select the replace all option
• Rebuild the solution and make sure no errors occur. If you do get errors run for the hills before your computers epto plasmatic computer core overheats and explodes ;-) just trying to make this semi interesting ;-)
• The solution should be error free – Save then Close the solution.
  

Click here for Part 2