Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Himanshu Agrawal

Stephen Christopher Siciliano

Balasubramanian Shyamsundar

Prabir Krishna Shrestha

Jonjo Twist

Prashant Kumar

Joon Y Chung

Jesse Francisco

Charles Lamanna

Ilya Grebnov

Merwan Vishnu Hade

Kevin Kaiwon Lam

Vivek Bapuji Dalvi

Alok Jain

Daniel Joseph Kappes

Nitish Kumar Meena

Priti Sambandam

Fnu Suresh Kumar Koorella

Anurag Dalmia

Ganesh Krishnamurthi

A workflow development system is described that provides a developer with a search utility for finding steps for inclusion in a workflow. The system also automatically generates a meaningful name and/or graphical representation for a workflow. The system also provides a graphical user interface that represents output parameters of a first workflow step as user-interactive objects. These objects can be interacted with to cause the objects to be inserted into a data entry element that is used to specify a value for an input parameter of a second workflow step. When executable logic representing the first and second workflow steps is generated, the insertion of the objects into the data entry element has the effect of causing the value of the input parameter of the second workflow step to be defined to include the values of the output parameters that correspond to the inserted objects.

Workflow development system with ease-of-use features

A workflow development system is described herein that includes a graphical user interface (GUI) that is configured to selectively and dynamically allocate relatively more of a display area to a particular one of a plurality of different, simultaneously-displayed workflow step representations than is allocated to the other workflow step representation(s) to facilitate user interaction the particular workflow step representation. Such allocation may be carried out in response to user interaction with the particular workflow step representation or in response to a determination that a user is otherwise focused on the particular workflow step representation. In embodiments, the workflow step representations represent different workflow steps in a series of workflow steps. In further embodiments, the workflow step representations represent different workflow steps that may be performed depending upon the evaluation of a condition.

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for developing user applications that include workflows, and in particular, for developing the user applications and workflows in parallel. A first user interface is provided on a display screen that enables a graphical user interface (GUI) of a user application to be configured. Controls are enabled to be selected for inclusion in the GUI of the user application. Workflow logic is enabled to be associated with a control included in the GUI. A second user interface is provided on the display screen concurrent with the first user interface. The second user interface enables the workflow logic to be generated. Steps are enabled to be selected for inclusion in the workflow logic. Each step is configured to operate on data entered via the GUI and/or data of another step of the workflow logic.

Parallel front end application and workflow development

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for developing workflows. An input control may be rendered in association with the rendered representation of a workflow step corresponding to an input parameter. A developer is enabled to interact with the input control to select a parameter value for the input parameter. A workflow is enabled to be developed that includes a push notification workflow step configured to issue a push notification when encountered in the work flow and to wait for a response before enabling the workflow to continue. A workflow saved in a user folder is enabled to be selected for insertion into further workflows. A subscription workflow step may be selected for inclusion in a second workflow that is configured to wait for output information from a subscribed-to workflow before enabling the second workflow to continue.

Intelligent flow designer

Optimized execution order results (e.g., from a Rete algorithm graph) are correlated with a production ordering selected by a user, thereby more accurately modeling the user's understanding of how productions relate to one another during execution in a rule system. An execution report shows in the user-selected order for each of the rules, whether the rule was executed, the inputs matched to partial conditions of the rule, and partial condition evaluation results. User rule management experience is also enhanced in other ways. For example, a graphical user interface permits user selection of a schema xpath, bulk selection of XML schema nodes to define vocabulary used in rules, if-then-else rules, rules with embedded SQL, marking rules as active or not, receiving multiple kinds of input from a single text input box, locally executing rules, importing rules authored elsewhere, iterating over a collection of objects, and validating rules against vocabulary data types.

Optimized execution order correlation with production listing order

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for developing, debugging, and growing workflows. Embodiments enable the developer to test the workflow in place in a workflow designer that displays input/output parameter values for each workflow step during the test run. The developer is enabled to toggle the workflow step(s) between a development mode, where the developer may edit input parameter values, and a test mode, where the developer is displayed (but cannot edit) the input parameter values and is displayed the output parameter values at each workflow step. A record of workflow runs of a workflow is also maintained. The developer is also enabled to transition a workflow from being a business application to a robust software application having additional functionality. The workflow logic generated is transported between a visual workflow designer and a full-blown code editor.

Debugging a flow

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Himanshu Agrawal