In addition to the errors mentioned above, Fig 3-5 shows New Hire Task Description but this column is not listed in Table 3-2. Is it required for the solution to work?

I thought I was going nuts when I bought this book and the same day got stuck on chapter 3 because I could find Tasks Statuses list I was supposed to have made previously. Funny thing is you can't just turn that field into a text because later on it refers to the statuses that was in that list which we do not know since it never was mentioned on how it was built but continues to use it as if it was a custom list. Thought I would find the code to clear things up too but nope, no code available. :-P

I have already created a number of Sharepoint 2010 apps. I want to go through the examples in this book but even understanding Sharepoint 2010 I am lost in the first example.

If I had a copy of the lists, columns, and workflows I think I could do it.

The author tells me to setup content types. I have done that. Then what about customer lists? Which ones should I create?

The workflow does not tell me which list to use to reference the workflow.

How in the world did they come up with this kind of documentation?

Unless the author gives me some help I am going to really give this thing bad press and instruct viewers not to buy.

I need help right away.

Yeah, looks like a bunch of us is having that issue. I am not really super competent in Sharepoint 2010 like I am with SQL, ASP.NET and C# but i was kind of able to put stuff together but there are a ton of holes that need filling big time.

Having tried the chapter 3 examples and then found this forum I'm just adding my vote to the 'disappointed' column.

I am surprised the Wrox continues to list this book as available and still we have no word from the author, no updated 'errata', no downloadable examples (which might clear up lots of confusion) or for that matter, an updated book (ebook download for those who purchased it?)

Hi, please read here for my plan to address issues and questions in this thread: Author's response to various comments and plans for downloadable content

Regards,

--Paul Galvin

I need a book that helps me learn SharePoint Workflows by providing walk throughs. I have been struggling with Chapter 3 all day and I am not learning workflows. I am going out to find another book. I will certainly choose a different publisher and author. This $50 was a waist and I want it back.

Hi,

i am just now finishing up a detailed errata for Chapter 3 and will be posting a downloadable example for this chapter up on codeplex in the next hour or two.

Having just gone through the chatper step by step, I can understand why you and others have been challenged. Hopefully the errata and the downloadable solution will help you. There's a lot of good content but unfortunately, some things were skipped in the detailed walk-through. Hopefully the errata and downloadable content will solve that for you and others.

--Paul Galvin

Here is the initial draft of the erratta for chapter 3 in case it's useful to you in the short term. I will be submitting this to Wrox and they will likely reformat it and place it up on the book's site as well.

Email me directly at [email protected] if you want to ask me specific questions. I can also send this to you in MS Word format.

(This goes for anyone that wants to contact me directly).


Errata: Chapter 3
• Page 42: Third paragraph: The “Site actions” button is upper left hand corner, not the upper right hand corner.
• Page 42: Same sentence: Select “Site Settings” from the drop-down, not “Site Actions”
• Page 43: For clarity, last row in table 3-1, Additional Settings column \should say: "Create in a group named: General Purpose WF Technical"
• Page 44: For clarity, 2nd paragraph should read: "Create the new content type based off the item content type and name it: HR New Hire" (italics indicates appended text). This is shown in Figure 3-3 shows this, but fig 3-3 is pretty small and it's hard to see it very clearly.
• Page 44: The third bullet near the bottom of the page, “New hire Task Status” should be changed to the following: “New Hire Task Description: Multiple lines of text that will represent the instructions you wish AP, IT and Security to follow when they are assigned one of these tasks.”
• Page 45: Remove the row whose Column Name is New hire Task Status.
• Page 45: Remove the row whose Column Name is New hire Task Due Date.
• Page 45: For clarity, this sentence should be modified: "Create a base task content type named New Hire Base Task. Thew New Hire Base Task includes all of the same columns as the New Hire content type (as per figure 3-2). In addition, add the three additional New Hire Task columns (New Hire Task Due Date, New hire Task Description and New Hire Master ID) that were described at the bottom of page 44.”
• Page 45: last sentence should read: "When you have your base content type, create the three task content types to support the model. These are: New Hire IT Task, New Hire AP Task and New Hire Security Task.
• Page 45: Immediate after the two figures (3-5 and 3-6), Add a new heading labeled “New Hire Task Descriptions.” Create a new content type named New Hire Task Descriptions. The new hire task descriptions content defines just one site column named New Hire Task Description. This site column should be defined as “multiple lines of text.”
• Page 46: Before the Create Workflows Section, there should be Create Lists section. This new section should read as follows:
Now that the site content types have been created, it's time to create new SharePoint custom lists that use these content types. Create three custom lists in your sandbox site named:
1. HR New Hire (backed by the New Hire site content type)
2. New Hire On-boarding Tasks. Back this with all three task types (IT, AP and Security)
3. New Hire Task Descriptions backed by the site content type New Hire Task Description.
• Page 46: For clarity, the sentence before the numbered list should change to: "The Confirm New hire Start Date workflow is attached to the New Hire List”
• Page 49: For clarity, the first sentence in the Change Start Date section should be: "Use a new workflow named Change Start Date to handle the common business scenario when a new hire's start date changes."

I've just completed the CodePlex project here: http://bizsolutionsonsp.codeplex.com/