Initiation Element (WorkflowConfig)

Applies to: SharePoint 2016 | SharePoint Foundation 2013 | SharePoint Online | SharePoint Server 2013

Contains workflow initiation information, such as the workflow initiation form and the data fields on the initiation form.

Definition

<Initiation URL="Text"
</Initiation>

Elements and attributes

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Child elements

Parent elements

Remarks

The initiation form specified should contain a data field for each Field Element (Field) element defined in the Fields Element (WorkflowConfig) section of the workflow configuration file. If a data field is not present, the default value is used when the workflow starts.

After the workflow has been associated with a specific SharePoint list, the contents of the URL attribute are stored in the InstantiationUrl property of the SPWorkflowTemplate and SPWorkflowAssociation objects for the workflow.

Applications created to work as a declarative rules-based, code-free workflow editor can use the AssociateWorkflowMarkup(String, String) method of the websvcWebPartPages Web Service to create a workflow template and associate it to a SharePoint list specifying a workflow markup file, a workflow configuration file, and optionally, a workflow rules markup file.

For more information about creating an application that can act as a declarative rules-based, code-free workflow editor, see Creating Declarative, No-Code Workflow Editors.

Example

The following example Initiation element contains a URL attribute that specifies the location of the workflow initiation form to use for this workflow.

The element also contains a Fields element, which in turn contains a Field element that defines the single data field on the initiation form. Note that the Parameters element contains a corresponding Parameter element, with a matching Name attribute value that specifies the data type of the Field element.

This example has been edited for clarity.

    <Initiation
        URL="Workflows/Notify Me/Notify Me.aspx">
      <Fields>
        <Field
          Name="Reason_for_Review"
          …
          DisplayName="Reason_for_Review"
          …
        >
          <Default>Standard review of new documents</Default>
        </Field>
      </Fields>
      <Parameters>
        <Parameter Name="Reason_for_Review" Type="System.String" />
      </Parameters>
    </Initiation>

See also

• Workflow configuration schema reference
• Workflow Development for Windows SharePoint Services
• Office SharePoint Designer Overview