Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Stuart B Kolodner

Alexander H Malek

Phillip David Allen

Charles W Parker

Robert J Mauceri, Jr

Michael A Angiulo

A workflow schedule authoring tool enables a user to author a workflow by arranging building blocks in a particular order. Building blocks may correspond to events, conditions or actions. Each building block is associated with source code that defines an action to be taken when the building block is processed. The order of the building blocks determines the workflow schedule process. The building blocks allow a user to establish logic conditions for how the tasks in the workflow schedule are executed. A building block may require a user to input parameters before the building block may be executed. The workflow schedule is associated with an event such that the workflow schedule triggers when the event occurs. The building blocks simplify workflow schedule authoring because the user does not need to write any code.

Workflow schedule authoring tool

Methods, systems, apparatus, and computer-readable media are provided herein for declarative data binding and data type propagation in a remote workflow schedule authoring system. According to one method, a user interface is provided for binding a parameter in a workflow action rule to a data value provided by a data source. The user interface may include a control for specifying a data source and a data field to which the parameter should be bound. The parameter is bound to the data source and data field selected using the user interface. If the data type of the selected data source is identical to the data type of the parameter, an internal lookup may be performed to retrieve the data value. Otherwise, the data type of the parameter may be propagated to the data source during lookup of the data value.

Declarative data binding and data type propagation in a remote workflow schedule authoring system

A spell check or a find and replace editing operation is implemented on a plurality of documents on a web and is initiated from a single dialog box. The user is provided the option of selecting either all documents on the web site or alternatively, specifying each of the plurality of documents on which the editing operation is applied. A summary review or list of documents is created by opening successive files on the web site and identifying those for which the selected editing operation is applicable. Once the summary review list of files is completed, the user has the option of reviewing one or more of the files on the list to control how the editing operation is completed. For example, in a spell check editing operation, a file reviewed by the user is opened to the first apparently misspelled word and the user is given the option of changing the word, ignoring it, or moving to the next apparently misspelled word, if any. This review process can selectively be deferred for one or more of the files in the list until a later time.

Growing community of inventors

Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Stuart B Kolodner