Pro WF: Windows Workflow in NET 3.5 (Expert's Voice in .NET) [Paperback]

Bruce Bukovics (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 26, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1430209755 | ISBN-13: 978-1430209751 | Edition: 1

Windows Workflow Foundation is a groundbreaking addition to the core of the .NET Framework that allows you to orchestrate human and system interactions as a series of workflows that can be easily mapped, analyzed, adjusted, and implemented.

As business problems become more complex, the need for a workflow–based solution has never been more evident. WF provides a simple and consistent way to model and implement complex solutions. As a developer, you focus on developing the business logic for individual workflow tasks. The runtime handles the execution of those tasks after they have been composed into a workflow.

Pro WF: Windows Workflow in .NET 3.5 provides you with the skills you need to incorporate WF into your applications. This book gets you up to speed with Windows Workflow Foundation quickly and comprehensively. The practical aspects of using WF are covered in a lively tutorial style with each workflow concept illustrated in C#. You’ll find detailed coverage of how to customize your workflows and access them in a variety of ways and situations so you can maximize the advantages of this technology.

Pro WF: Windows Workflow in .NET 3.5 is written by an experienced Windows and .NET developer. Rather than simply duplicating the available references on the subject, author Bruce Bukovics leads you through a series of practical WF topics that enable you to gain immediate experience and learn how to use the technology as you progress through the book.

What you’ll learn

• WF basics
• Customizing your workflows
• Accessing your workflows in a variety of ways in a variety of situations
• Using WF with web services and ASP.NET
• Integrating WCF and WF

Who this book is for

Developers encountering WF and .NET 3.5 for the first time in their professional lives.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bruce Bukovics has been a working developer for over 25 years. During this time, he has designed and developed applications in such widely varying areas as banking, corporate finance, credit card processing, payroll processing, and retail automation. He has firsthand developer experience with C, C++, Delphi, VB, C#, and Java, and he rode the waves of technology as they drifted from mainframe to client/server to n-Tier, from COM to COM+, and from Web Services to .NET Remoting and beyond. He considers himself a pragmatic programmer. He doesn't stand on formality and doesn't do things just because they have always been done that way. He's willing to look at alternate or unorthodox solutions to a problem if that's what it takes. He is employed at Radiant Systems, Inc., in Alpharetta, Georgia, as a lead developer and architect in the centralized development group.

Product Details

• Paperback: 852 pages
• Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (June 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1430209755
• ISBN-13: 978-1430209751
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #662,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have been a working developer for over 25 years. During this time, I have designed and developed applications in such widely varying areas as banking, corporate finance, credit card processing, payroll processing, and retail systems.

I have first-hand developer experience with a variety of languages including C, C++, Delphi, Java, VB, and C#. My design and development experience includes everything from mainframe and client/server to widely distributed n-tier and SOA applications. Most recently, I have been immersed in the .NET 3.0 technology stack, leveraging Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), and of course, Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) to help build a new generation of applications.

I consider myself a pragmatic programmer and test-driven development evangelist. I don't stand on formality and don't do things in a particular way just because they have always been done that way. I'm willing to look at alternate or unorthodox solutions to a problem if that's what it takes.

I am currently employed at Radiant Systems, Inc., in Alpharetta, Georgia, as a lead developer and architect in the central technology group.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly the reference I was looking for, October 14, 2008

By 

J. Hopper (Melbourne, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pro WF: Windows Workflow in NET 3.5 (Expert's Voice in .NET) (Paperback)

I make my living as a consultant software architect/programmer and usually self-educate on newer technologies through books like this one. I've often found Apress titles to be of great value and this one does not disappoint. In Pro WF, the author takes a logical textbook approach (introducing what you should expect to learn, teaching the material, reviewing what you should have learned) as he guides you from a broad foundational understanding of the workflow framework and components through advanced topics such as persistence, serialization, web services and wcf integration. What makes this book stand out is that the author does a great job of inserting practical tips that highlight nuances of the framework that someone without prior experience would not intrinsically know.
I'm very pleased with this reference. I think you would be too.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is the book to have for WF, September 7, 2008

By 

T. Anderson (PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pro WF: Windows Workflow in NET 3.5 (Expert's Voice in .NET) (Paperback)

This book is the book to have if you are going to get into Windows Workflow Foundation. There are no other books on WF out on the market that compare to the broad view and depth of this book.

I own the first version of the book and was reluctant to buy this version because there was not too much changing in .NET 3.5. I am glad I did. I like having the most current information on a technology I am working on at my finger tips. And not in electronic format. I have no idea how people can code all day and then read eBooks all night. Plus my other copy was pretty scribbled up with notes.

This version contain two new chapters. One titled Advanced Custom Activities, and the other titled Workflow Service and WCF Integration. Both new chapters contain a lot of valuable in-depth information.

The code samples are very well organized and add a lot of value to this book. However, as the author points out in the beginning of the book, he wrote it to be readable on the beach. Meaning the code is in the book, and you don't have to have it open on a computer to read the book.

The examples are simple yet he uses them to take you down into the weeds.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get into WF. It is a great read!!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource!, July 12, 2008

By 

Techie Evan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pro WF: Windows Workflow in NET 3.5 (Expert's Voice in .NET) (Paperback)

This book provides comprehensive tutorials on how to develop Windows Workflow Foundation applications. I debated whether to deduct one star from my rating because I felt that the example scenarios provided by the author were mostly simplistic and sometimes boring, but decided not to, because the examples do get the explanation across.