Sharepoint workflow changes missing

Scenario:
Recently I developed a Sharepoint designer workflow and it worked fine, now after few days i made small changes to it but it didn't apply the changes in the site collection.

1. Opening WF in SharePoint Designer shows all the new changes
2. Workflow was published without any errors
3. Tried creating new items and ran WF but still see the missing changes

Solution:
After searching about this issue, I found some valuable information

http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepointdesigner/archive/2007/03/27/tip-clearing-the-spd-workflow-assembly-cache.aspx

If you are building a workflow activity on WSS/SharePoint Foundation for SPD you may have to update your activity DLL regularly (say to fix bugs or alter behaviors). Sometimes when you do this, SPD won't recognize your changes to the activity and instead appear to be using the 'old' DLL. Depending on what you've changed in the activity on the server, SPD may not allow you to use this activity at all. This is due to a mismatch between the server's activity and the SPD client's cached activity. To fix this problem its a good idea to clear your SPD activity cache whenever you update your activities DLL on the server.

To clear the SPD activity cache:

1. Close SPD.

2. Open "My Computer".

3. Go to %System Drive%\Documents and Settings\%user%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\WebSiteCache (If you are running Vista, that path is different - look for %System Drive%\Users\%user%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WebSiteCache).

4. Go to a directory that looks similar to the name of the website you were connecting to. (Alternatively, you can just delete all these directories and everything should work when you boot SPD).

5. Delete the assembly with the name similar to the one you are changing.

6. Boot SPD.

7. You can now work with your updated activity. Once done publish to see the new changes.

Restricting edit on approved items after approval

Scenario:
I got this question again , on how to ensure a form / document is locked after it has been approved. ( After some sort of workflow is done ).

Solution:
One of the solution is to declare the item as a record. This can be done in many ways but easiest no code solution is using 'SharePoint Designer Workflow'. As it support an activity to declare an item as record as shown.



Note : You can define record declaration settings at the top-level site in your site collection. Record declaration settings govern how records are treated, such as whether they can be edited or deleted, what metadata is applied to the record, and what a record’s retention policy is. Record declaration settings specify restrictions that should apply after an item is declared as a record, user roles allowed to declare records and if record declaration is available to all site users.

Steps:
Step 1 : Ensure Site Collection level feature 'In-place record management' is activated.

Step 2 : Navigate to site collection settings and check for 'Record Setting' link.



Step 3 : Here's default settings , but you can opt for the one you want and save.

Step 4 : Once In-place record management is enabled @ root level , you can navigate to list/library setting to modify it @ list/library level.

SharePoint Designer Workflow publish error

Scenario:
I was working on a small POC Workflow but as there were new ideas I keep adding more steps to my workflow.

Workflow was saving fine and was not getting any error when I do error validation
but All of sudden started getting below error when Publishing my WF.

Error were found when compiling the workflow. The workflow files were saved but cannot be run.

Advanced: Unexpected error on server associating the workflow



Possible Reason(s):
As I was not getting any error while error validation using SPD, I realized its something to do with SPD --> Web Application communication.

Another thing I noticed that I was able to publish small Workflow but I was getting error on only big once. So I guess it was request size / timeout related issue.

Solution:
Increase the web application execution time

Steps:
1. Navigate to web.config file of the WebApplication
Usually its @ C:\inetpub\wwwroot\wss\VirtualDirectories\xxxx\web.config

2. Look for this

<httpRuntime maxRequestLength="51200" />

3. Replace with

<httpRuntime maxRequestLength="51200" executionTimeout="300" />

That's all

Error copying reusable workflow

Scenario:
SharePoint has reusable workflows newly introduced in SP2010. Using SPD you can also modify existing workflows to fit your requirements.

Today I asked my collegue to work on a task which required to reuse an OOTB workflow. But when she click on 'Copy & Modify' button from the ribbon. She keep getting following errors:

This workflow is readonly. Would you like to make a copy of this workflow to open or edit ?


On saying Yes , you get 'Server could not complete your request.For more specific information, click the Details button.'


Solution:
SharePoint will continue to be popular for its weird error message. As in this case.. no error message :)

One of the reason this can happen is if you are working on a sub-site of site collection.

Switch to RootWeb of the site collection and using SharePoint Designer try copying the Workflow, it will work.

Sharepoint Designer file check in issue

Scenario:
I was working on a new site collection master page and was able to save the file without an issue but when I tried check in the file . I got the following error

Error : Can not perform this operation.The file is no longer checked out or has been deleted?

Solution:

I couldn't find out the exact reason but sometimes the SPD check in and out are not in sync with content DB.

So choices are :

Navigate the document library directly using Browser you are getting this problem and Check In using Browser ( SharePoint UI ) itself.

OR

Navigate the Content and Structures page and then go to the library you are getting this problem and Check In using Browser ( SharePoint UI ) itself.

Tip for creating master page using sharepoint designer

Scenario:
I haven't explored Sharepoint Designer that much in past, in-spite of the fact that its offers great webparts and editing functionality. On top of it , its free now. So while working on a new master page using SPD , I discovered 2 new things.

Tip 1:
SPD offers special toolbar for Master page for easy management

-- SPD > View Menu > Toolbars > Master Page

now its very easy to find any Content Placeholder

Tip 2:
Also another option SPD offers is to list all the Content Placeholders

-- SPD > Format > Master Page > Manage Content Region