If you are using a workflow to send emails to users and want to include a direct link to the ‘edit item’ view of the current item, include a link like this:

For document libraries:

http://servername/Test%20Doc%20Lib/Forms/EditForm.aspx?ID=1

For lists:

http://servername/Test%20Doc%20Lib/EditForm.aspx?ID=1

If you want a link to the ‘view properties’ screen, replace EditForm.aspx by DispForm.aspx.

Today I was facing the question of how to allow members of a Sharepoint site to pick specific recipients while initiating a workflow.

Using Sharepoint Designer 2007 it is possible to show a workflow initiation form to collect information to be used in the workflow, but it does not come with an option to pick certain recipients. A workaround this problem is to insert a variable in the ‘Initiation’ settings of a workflow. The type of this variable should be set to ‘single line of text’ and in the workflow action where you are sending the e-mail, you set the recipient to be looked up from the ‘workflow data’ and then select the variable name you defined in the workflow initiation settings.

After finishing the workflow you will have 3 files that together make up the workflow. One file ends with .aspx, this is your initiation form (which is shown to the user when the workflow is started). We are going to edit this form to include the people picker, but remember, if you edit the initiation settings of the workflow again, the form will be overwritten, so save this action to the last, after the workflow is finished.

• Open the .aspx file of the initialization form
• Include the following code on the top of the page (before <asp:content id=”content2″…)

<asp:Content ID="content1" runat="server" ContentPlaceHolderID="PlaceHolderAdditionalPageHead">
<script type="text/javascript">
function SetPeopleValues(txtbox, pplbox)
{
txtbox = 'ctl00_PlaceHolderMain_InitiationForm_' + txtbox;
pplbox = 'ctl00_PlaceHolderMain_InitiationForm_' + pplbox + '_downlevelTextBox';
var people = document.getElementById(pplbox).value;
document.getElementById(txtbox).value = people;
}
</script>
</asp:Content>

• Copy the following code before the textbox that you want to complete with the people-picker (By clicking on the box in the split-viewer the curser goes to the associated place in the code)

<SharePoint:PeopleEditor
ID="pplPicker"
runat="server"
AllowEmpty="True"
Rows="1"
MultiSelect="False"
onvaluechangedclientscript="SetPeopleValues('ff1_1', 'pplPicker')">
</SharePoint:PeopleEditor>

• AllowEmpty= specifies if the field is required or not
• Rows defines the size of the people picker field
• MultiSelect defines if multiple recipients can be selected
• Give the ID of the copied code a unique name
• Update the line “SetPeopleValues (‘…’,’…’) with the registration name of the textbox (of the type ffX_1) and with the chosen ID name
• Including style=”visibility:hidden” as a parameter on the text field hides the field