Another way of manipulating workflows in SharePoint 2013 is
to make use of the visual designer, with which you can view workflows
in a graphical, flow-chart–based layout that some users might find more
intuitive than the text-based editor. This visual layout uses Visio
2013 and supports dragging and dropping workflow tasks onto a process
diagram.
SharePoint offers a way of editing workflows by using a flow-chart
look and feel, based upon integration with Visio 2013. This makes it
possible for complex workflows to be displayed and edited by using
simple visual designers. Here are some of the features and tools that
you can take advantage of when editing your workflows:
-
The Shapes pane shows the Actions, Conditions, and Components that you can add to a workflow.
-
The visual designer area is where you can edit your workflows by using Visio shapes.
-
You can use the Save buttons to save, publish, or validate your work.
-
By clicking the SharePoint Designer Properties link that are
available on each object, you can configure Actions, Conditions, and
Components.
Tip
The visual designer option within SharePoint 2013 is only
functional if you have an installed copy of Visio 2013 (Professional
Edition).
