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Packaging Your Advanced SharePoint Customizations

Packaging Your Advanced SharePoint Customizations. Neil Iversen Inetium http://justaddcode.com. Solution Basics. At its core, a solution pushes files around The File Bus of SharePoint ‘Farm Safe’ – Works across Front Ends Deployed to the Farm. Solution Life Cycle – High Level. Features.

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Packaging Your Advanced SharePoint Customizations

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  1. Packaging Your Advanced SharePoint Customizations Neil Iversen Inetium http://justaddcode.com

  2. Solution Basics • At its core, a solution pushes files around • The File Bus of SharePoint • ‘Farm Safe’ – Works across Front Ends • Deployed to the Farm

  3. Solution Life Cycle – High Level

  4. Features • Deployable unit of functionality • Used to customize SharePoint • Extensively used by SharePoint itself • Stored in the Hive • 12\TEMPLATE\FEATURES • Each feature in its own directory

  5. Feature Lifecycle

  6. Types of Features • Content Type • Custom Action • Delegate Controls • Events • Feature Stapling • Field • Lists (Templates and Instances) • Module • Workflow

  7. Why do I need this fancy packaging? • You need something that isn’t available in the OOB Features • The OOB Features do/don’t do something you need • You are deploying something outside of SharePoint • And you still care about change control

  8. Individual Developer Environments • Developers build functionality into features/solutions Developer Merge Developer Alice Developer Bob Developer Charlie Stage Prod

  9. Feature Receivers • Executes code when the state changes • Key to our ability to make drastic changes • “If you can code it you can do it” • Allows for extremely powerful code to get added • While still being easily deployable • Overrides • FeatureInstalled, FeatureUninstalling • FeatureActivated, FeatureDeactivating • Example • <Feature Id="0a7e1ca9-ee71-4407-80a0-b5b57f4f6f5d" Title=“My Feature Reciever" Scope="Site" ReceiverAssembly=“MyAssembly, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=e35a4d2663eae0ae" ReceiverClass=“MyAssembly.MyFeatureReciever" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">

  10. Feature Receivers – Getting Context • Getting Context • Retrieving the Current Scoped Object • SPFeatureReceiverProperties • SPFeatureReceiverProperties.Feature.Parent • Cast to the appropriate type • Scope: Web • SPWeb web = (SPWeb)properties.Feature.Parent; • SPSite site = (SPSite)properties.Feature.Parent

  11. Scopes • Farm • Web App • Site • Web Indexer Database WFE B WFE A Extranet WFE http://sitecollection http://external http://sitecollection/deptA http://external/clientA http://sitecollection/deptB

  12. Demo: Our first Custom Feature

  13. Feature Receivers - Debugging • Based on Deployment/Activation Method • Stsadm • Runs as currently logged in user • Debug/Console.WriteLine • System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Launch(); • Web Interface • Runs as App Pool user • Need to use logger (EventLog, or some Logging code) • Attach to w3wp.exe • DLL Deployment • Overwrite Existing DLL • iisreset • stsadm –o activatefeature -force

  14. Testing Your Code • Unit Testing Features • Pretty straight forward if you Develop on a SharePoint environment • Probably want to ignore your abstraction violations (SharePoint mocks are tough) • Always test Farm/Scope safety • Need a multi server environment • Can you make it part of your build?

  15. Feature Object Model • SPFarm.FeatureDefinitions • SPSite.Features • SPWeb.Features • SPFeature • SPFeatureDefinition

  16. Demo: Exploring the Feature OM

  17. Feature Properties • Configuration for your Feature • Allow different values for Dev/Test/Prod • Combine with scoped property bags to set configurations • Example <Properties> <Property Key=“MyKey" Value=“123" /> <Property Key=“DBServer" Value=“prodsql001" /> </Properties>

  18. Demo: Working with Properties

  19. Manually Activating Features • Why? • Evade chaining restrictions (at your own peril) • Working with Hidden Features • Manage Stages of a Site with a Web Part • Creating a ‘Suicide Feature’

  20. Manually Activating a Feature • Get your Context • Ex: SPWeb • Find the Feature Collection • Ex: SPWeb.Features • Find the Feature’s Guid • Ex: Guid featureGuid = new Guid(“0a7e1ca9-ee71-4407-80a0-b5b57f4f6f5d”) • Activate! • Ex: SPWeb.Features.Add(featureGuid)

  21. Demo: Manually Activating Features

  22. Feature Properties • Configuration for your Feature • Allow different values for Dev/Test/Prod • Combine with scoped property bags to set configurations • Example <Properties> <Property Key=“MyKey" Value=“123" /> <Property Key=“DBServer" Value=“prodsql001" /> </Properties>

  23. Demo: Working with Properties

  24. Dependencies and Features • Your Feature might need to assume another feature is already active • Make several smaller features, then wrap them into a single feature that is dependant on them • Dependencies can only be one level deep • Example • <ActivationDependencies> <ActivationDependency FeatureId="52890518-036f- 4027-babd-f4c7df3ee429" /> <ActivationDependency FeatureId="6d276cfc-1c84- 46cc-8566-500e66213e06 " /> </ActivationDependencies>

  25. Dependency Limitations • Feature Chains • Limited to one visible feature • Dependencies can’t be triggered at a higher scope • Ex: Farm Feature can’t depend on a Web Feature • Features can’t be automatically activated at different scopes • Ex: Web Feature can’t activate a Farm Feature

  26. Feature Dependency Dependant Parent

  27. Hidden Feature

  28. Hidden Feature – Activate Child 1. 2.

  29. Hidden Feature - Deactivate 2. 1.

  30. Hidden Feature - Deactivate 3. 1. 2.

  31. Demo: Dependencies are Tasty!

  32. Putting it Together • Problem: Modifying the web.config in a Farm Safe manner • Solution: SPWebConfigModification and Features • SPWebConfigModification is Farm Safe • Scoping does become an issuee

  33. Not for the faint of heart!

  34. Demo: Farm Safe Web.config

  35. Getting a little crazy • What about non-SharePoint assets? • Databases, other web sites, … • Is there an advantage? • Depends on reason for creating the Feature • Most common is Devs can’t touch Prod

  36. Other Interesting Approaches • Manually Deploy across a Farm • Create your own Timer Jobs • Manually add them to the different WFEs • PowerShell ‘Feature’ • Execute PowerShell via a Feature • PowerShell v2 Scripts • Has ability to execute remote commands

  37. Demo: Deploying SQL Components

  38. Your Feedback is Important Please fill out a session evaluation form and either put them in the basket near the exit or drop them off at the conference registration desk. Thank you!

  39. Questions?

  40. Thanks! Neil Iversen Inetium http://justaddcode.com

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