Create a SharePoint workflow programmatically

Question

I am working on a copy of a SharePoint 2007 site for a client.

I would like to be able to automate as much of the update process as I can with minimal disruption to the client's system when the updates are ready for production.

To that effect, I was wondering if anyone knows how to automate creating a SharePoint workflow (created using SPD 2007) in another SharePoint server/site.

Perhaps I haven't searched enough yet, but I have not discovered if there is a way to do this with web services, which I believe would be my preference.

I do not believe I have the ability to use STSadm on this, as the hosting for the SharePoint site is separate.

I think I can export the workflows in a personal web package and I'll admit, I haven't experimented with this yet on workflows, but my current experience with other exports, such as lists, is that guids seem to get messed up between sites. Even if this is not an issue, I'm not sure if there is a way of automating the import process (without STSadm).

I'm hoping not to have to work through a long list of manual procedures (that could accidentally get missed) when implementing these changes on the target production site.

My preference is to be able to create some sort of update batch or application that will make the changes quickly and that I can test before implementing on the production system.

This entails quite a few things, but for now, I'd like to focus on getting workflows into the target system.

Any suggestions on where to get started would be welcome.

Answer 1

SharePoint Designer workflows are not portable between sites. (Reference) ¹

For your situation, I would recommend taking the Visual Studio workflow route. Take a look at this tutorial: How to Create Custom SharePoint Workflows in Visual Studio 2008. The key for you is how you will associate it to lists.

The other option is to create a custom Workflow Activity (2007 has less options that 2010). You will still have to create the workflow using SharePoint Designer and add your custom activity to it in each site.

_{1. Yes, there is the "hack way" of trying to do it by copying the XML and changing the GUIDs... but it is error prone and difficult.}

Answer 2

SharePoint 2010 gives more flexibility for workflows and thus the first @Kit Menke statement isn't true for readers using SP2010 (i see that this is tagged as sharepoint2007, but i'm making it clear for readers using SP2010)

However, if you publish a workflow template to a SharePoint site collection, you can download that template as a WSP file and then deploy it to other site collections.

Read more about Workflow deployment process (SharePoint Foundation 2010)