How to create a SharePoint State Machine Workflow: Part 5 - Add workflow history logging

Here in Part 5, We'll add history logging to the workflow. This is really useful as it allows the user to see messages about the status of the workflow, such as who approved it or rejected it. This part assumes you have completed part 4.

1. add this function to the code:

    Private Function GetUserObject(ByVal accountID As String) As SPUser
        If accountID.IndexOf("\") > 0 Then
            Dim user As SPUser = Me.workflowProperties.Web.SiteUsers(accountID)
            Return user
        Else
            Dim user As SPUser = Me.workflowProperties.Web.SiteUsers("OSS\" + accountID)
            Return user
        End If
    End Function

2. go back to the design surface and double-click InitialStateActivities to drill down into it

3. drag and drop a LogToHistoryListActivity activity between onWorkflowActivated and setStatePeerReviewerApproval1
   and set the following properties:
   a. name: hlogWorkflowStarted
   b. EventId: WorkflowStarted
   c. HistoryDescription: Workflow started.
   d. HistoryOutcome: create property hlogWorkflowStarted_HistoryOutcome
   e. UserId: create property hlogWorkflowStarted_UserId

4. double-click the onWorkflowActivated activity to be taken to its code stub

5. copy and paste the following code to have 1. the workflow's originator assigned to the UserId property of the
   logToHistory activity, and 2. the instructions entered by the originator assigned to the HistoryOutcome property:

      'assign workflow's executor to the LogToHistory activity's user id
      Dim executor As SPUser = GetUserObject(workflowProperties.Originator)
      hlogWorkflowStarted_UserId = executor.ID

      'assign the instructions to the HistoryOutcome property
      hlogWorkflowStarted_HistoryOutcome = "Instructions: " & initform.txtInstructions

6. go back to the design surface and double-click InitiatorApprovalInitialization to drill down into it

7. drag and drop a LogToHistoryListActivity activity below createInitiatorApprovalTask
   and set the following properties:
   a. name: hlogInitiatorApprovalTaskCreated
   b. EventId: TaskCreated
   c. HistoryDescription: Initiator approval task created. Awaiting approval.
   d. UserId: 0

8. go back to the design surface and double-click InitiatorApprovalActivities to drill down into it

9. drag and drop a LogToHistoryListActivity activity between ifInitiatorApproved and setStatePeerReviewerApproval
   and set the following properties:
   a. name: hlogInitiatorApproved
   b. EventId: TaskCompleted
   c. HistoryDescription: Initiator approved.
   d. HistoryOutcome: create property hlogInitiatorApproved_HistoryOutcome
   e. UserId: create property hlogInitiatorApproved_UserId

10. click on the onInitiatorApprovalChanged activity and set the following property
    a. Executor: create property onInitiatorApprovalChanged_Executor

11. double-click onInitiatorApprovalChanged activity to be taken to its code stub

12. copy and paste the following code to have the task's executor assigned to the UserId property of the
    logToHistory activity:

      'assign task's executor to the LogToHistory activity's user id
      Dim executor As SPUser = GetUserObject(onInitiatorApprovalChanged_Executor)
      hlogInitiatorApproved_UserId = executor.ID

      'assign the task's comments to the HistoryOutcome property
      hlogInitiatorApproved_HistoryOutcome = "Comments: " & onInitiatorApprovalChanged.AfterProperties.ExtendedProperties("txtComments").ToString

13. go back to the design surface and double-click PeerReviewerApprovalInitialization to drill down into it

14. drag and drop a LogToHistoryListActivity activity below createPeerReviewerApprovalTask
    and set the following properties:
    a. name: hlogPeerReviewerApprovalTaskCreated
    b. EventId: TaskCreated
    c. HistoryDescription: Peer Reviewer approval task created. Awaiting approval.
    d. UserId: 0

15. go back to the design surface and double-click PeerReviewerApprovalActivities to drill down into it

16. drag and drop a LogToHistoryListActivity activity between ifPeerReviewerApproved and setStateFinalState
    and set the following properties:
    a. name: hlogPeerReviewerApproved
    b. EventId: TaskCompleted
    c. HistoryDescription: Peer Reviewer approved.
    d. HistoryOutcome: create property hlogPeerReviewerApproved_HistoryOutcome
    e. UserId: create property hlogPeerReviewerApproved_UserId

17. drag and drop a LogToHistoryListActivity activity between ifPeerReviewerRejected and setStateInitiatorApproval
    and set the following properties:
    a. name: hlogPeerReviewerRejected
    b. EventId: TaskCompleted
    c. HistoryDescription: Peer Reviewer rejected.
    d. HistoryOutcome: create property hlogPeerReviewerRejected_HistoryOutcome
    e. UserId: create property hlogPeerReviewerRejected_UserId

18. click on the onPeerReviewerApprovalChanged activity and set the following property
    a. Executor: create property onPeerReviewerApprovalChanged_Executor

19. double-click onPeerReviewerApprovalChanged activity to be taken to its code stub

20. copy and paste the following code to have the task's executor assigned to the UserId property of the
    logToHistory activity:

      'assign task's executor to the LogToHistory activity's user id
      Dim executor As SPUser = GetUserObject(onPeerReviewerApprovalChanged_Executor)
      hlogPeerReviewerApproved_UserId = executor.ID
      hlogPeerReviewerRejected_UserId = executor.ID

      'assign the task's comments to the HistoryOutcome property
      hlogPeerReviewerApproved_HistoryOutcome = "Comments: " & onPeerReviewerApprovalChanged.AfterProperties.ExtendedProperties("txtComments").ToString
      hlogPeerReviewerRejected_HistoryOutcome = "Comments: " & onPeerReviewerApprovalChanged.AfterProperties.ExtendedProperties("txtComments").ToString

21. go back to the design surface and double-click PeerReviewerApprovalActivities to drill down into it

22. drag and drop a LogToHistoryListActivity activity between hlogPeerReviewerApproved and setStateFinalState
    and set the following properties:
    a. name: hlogWorkflowCompleted
    b. EventId: WorkflowCompleted
    c. HistoryDescription: Workflow completed.
    d. UserId: 0

Posts in this series:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Create the initiation form
Part 3: Create the task form
Part 4: Create the state machine workflow
Part 5: Add workflow history logging
Part 6: Add task notification emails