Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Prashant Kumar

Stephen Christopher Siciliano

Jonjo Twist

Himanshu Agrawal

Balasubramanian Shyamsundar

Prabir Krishna Shrestha

Srivatsan Kidambi

Alok Jain

Aditya Makarand Desai

Shefy Manayil Kareem

Anand Rengasamy

Bryan Dickens

Prabir K Shrestha

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.

Techniques are described herein that are capable of modeling a lifetime of a hybrid software application using an application manifest. For instance, workflows and input-output information may be received (e.g., from an independent software vendor). The workflows are configured to implement respective heterogeneous software products that are included in a hybrid software application. The input-output information specifies inputs of the heterogeneous software products and a mapping between output(s) of first heterogeneous software product(s) and input(s) of second heterogeneous software product(s). Operations that are to be performed to execute the workflows are determined based at least in part on the inputs and the mapping. A lifetime of the hybrid software application is modeled by generating an application manifest that defines the lifetime based at least in part on the operations.

Modeling lifetime of hybrid software application using application manifest

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

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Prashant Kumar