Randy Williams, MOSS MVP Senior Consultant Synergy Corporate Technologies

Session Overview SharePoint Technologies Developing Apps on SharePoint Deploying Apps on SharePoint Features Site Definitions Code Access Security Troubleshooting

SharePoint Technologies.NET 2.0 Framework ASP.NETADO.NETSecurity.NET 3.0 Framework Workflow WSS & MOSS UI Windows API OS.NET SharePoint API … Web Services SharePoint UI Custom Solutions 3rd Party In house WSS Object Model MOSS Object Model

Custom SharePoint Solutions Developers build solutions on SharePoint just like Microsoft did Multiple ways to build a solution –Use SharePoint UI (webs, lists, libraries) –Office Products MS Access, Excel, InfoPath –SharePoint Designer –Visual Studio

SharePoint Designer Best tool for customizing SharePoint –Master/site pages –CSS –Web parts (e.g. Data View Web Part) –Custom Workflow Risk exposure is isolated & limited Typically done directly on production server

Visual Studio Best tool for building applications –Features, site definitions, web parts, custom field types, complex workflow Risk exposure is high Done in a development environment –Recommend local development Staged deployment into test and production environments

How to deploy applications? One answer: SharePoint Solutions Single file (.wsp) that contains all configuration, files, and code Solution lifecycle –Add, Deploy, Retract, Delete STSADM (all four) Central Admin (all but add) Insist the development team build them

SharePoint Solution Randy Williams Synergy Corporate Technologies

Features Snap-in functionality Dozens are built in to product Web parts, pages, workflow, menu commands, list templates, others Feature scope –Farm, Web app, Site collection, Web Feature lifecycle –Install, Activate, Deactivate, Uninstall

Feature Lifecycle Randy Williams Synergy Corporate Technologies

Site Definitions Blueprint for newly created web sites –Defines navigation, features, master page, lists Stored in 12\Template\SiteTemplates Developers can create custom ones Fantastic 40 Site definitions vs site templates

Web Parts Developed using Visual Studio Personalization Where to place assembly? –Bin folder or Global Assembly Cache Recommended ways to deploy –Using a SharePoint Solution –Via a Feature

Custom Field Types Supplement to built in types Developers define –How to collect information (input) –How information is processed (validation) –How to store in content database –How to display (output) Issues to consider

Event Handlers (Receivers) Developers can enhance how changes are made Before and after events Events exist for items, lists, webs, Features, and others Common item event operations include –Add, Update, Delete, Check-In/Out

Code Access Security (CAS).NET technology to secure code based on origin Based on concept of trust Bin folder for web application – partially trusted Global Assembly Cache – fully trusted Level defined in web.config –WSS_minimal, WSS_medium

CAS Guidelines Do not deploy assemblies to GAC unless they are genuinely trusted –Custom/3 rd party code should be tested Be cautious about elevating trust in web.config –Definitely avoid Full trust It is difficult, but developers can create custom CAS policies

web.config XML file for SharePoint configuration One per web application Useful sections to know – – & –

web.config Tour Randy Williams Synergy Corporate Technologies

Troubleshooting Tips “An unexpected error has occurred” Event Viewer – Application log SharePoint logs –ULS Log viewer Resetting application pool Try to reproduce in test environment

Troubleshooting Randy Williams Synergy Corporate Technologies

Questions? My blog –