MOSS Development/Customization Training

In April 2010, my manager Pradeep Thekkethodi asked me to conduct a Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Development training to upgrade the skills of our colleagues with .NET experience. The idea was to quickly bring the developers up to the speed for SharePoint Development and Advance Customization with SharePoint Designer 2007 and Visual Studio 2008. This training was held in our company Orion Systems Integrators Inc. This training was attended by 12 professionals.

I joined hands with my colleague Pramod who is a SharePoint Architect and we came up with a following course outline:

Module 1: SharePoint Object Model – 2 Hrs - Pramod
• SharePoint Object Model – Farm, Web Application, Site Collection, Sites and Site elements
• Navigation, Access control and security, Site directory, Site columns, Content types
• Lists and Views, Search, Extra-net Usage

Module 2: Site Tools – 2 Hours – Tahir
• Create custom lists
• Create custom default views for lists
• Create custom web pages and web part zones
• Insert and configure web parts
• Connect web parts to filter data

Module 3: Master Pages – 2 Hours – Tahir
• Understand the structure of master pages.
• Modifying Master Pages
• Creating a Custom Master Page
• Creating a Custom Cascading Style Sheet
• Creating a Web Page from a Master Page
• Understand the purpose and use of Cascading Style Sheets.
• Attach and customize master pages.
• Create content pages from master pages.

Module 4: Forms and Data – 4 Hours – Tahir
• Creating a Formatted View
• Creating a Merged Data Source
• Creating a Custom Data View Page
• Applying Conditional Formatting
• Create and customize Data Views.
• Use conditional formatting to identify data changes.
• Create custom data sources
• Create linked and merged data sources

Module 5: Automating Business Processes - 4 Hours – Tahir
• Implementing Workflows Using Workflow Designer
• Create a SharePoint Designer Workflow
• Using Conditions and Actions
• Verifying and Deploying a Workflow
• Describe Workflows in SharePoint and SharePoint Designer
• Create a workflow through Workflow Designer
• Add conditions and actions to a workflow.

Module 6 and 7: Web Part Development – 4 Hours – Tahir
(Prereq: ASP.NET, C# & SharePoint)
• Creating, deploying and debugging ASP.NET Web Parts in WSS
• Writing CAML to retrieve and store data.
• Deploying WebPart

Module 8: Event Handlers – 4 hrs – Tahir
• List Event Handlers
• Deployment

Model 9: Logical Architecture, Performance Optimization and Tuning – 2 Hours – Pramod
• Client Side Performance issue
• Server side performance issues

Model 10: Best Practices, Information Architecture, Governance Planning - Pramod
• Best Practices for SharePoint implementation and Designing

Update a List Column using JQuery with SharePoint WebServices

Scenario: Click on the image in data View to update the Status on an item.
PreReq: A list with choice column Status (0,1,2).
0 represents Not started,
1 represents In Progress and
2 represents Completed.

You need two libraries:
1. JQuery (jquery-1.4.2.js)
2. SPServices (jquery.SPServices-0.5.6.min.js)

Add following code in your page in the head, or where ever you want to:

<script type="text/javascript" src="Scripts/jquery-1.4.2.js"></script>  
<script type="text/javascript" src="Scripts/jquery.SPServices-0.5.6.min.js"></script>  
  
<script type="text/javascript">  
  
function UpdateStatusCode(divId, waitMessage, ID, StatusCode)  
  {  
    
   //alert(divId +" "+ waitMessage +" "+ ID + " " + StatusCode);  
   if (confirm ("Are you sure you want to update the status of the selected event?"))  
   {  
    StatusCode = StatusCode + 1;  
      
    if (StatusCode < 3)  
    {  
     $(divId).html(waitMessage).SPServices({  
     operation: "UpdateListItems",  
     listName: 'Events',  
     ID: ID,  
     valuepairs: [["Status", StatusCode]],  
     completefunc: function (xData, Status) {  
      var out = $().SPServices.SPDebugXMLHttpResult({  
       node: xData.responseXML,  
       outputId: divId  
      });  
        
      window.location = RefreshPageURL('Default.aspx');  
  
      }  
     });  
    }  
    else  
    {  
     alert('This event is already completed.');  
    }  
   }  
  }  
</script>  

Place the following div where you want to display the status column in the DataView Webpart. XSL in the <div> will display the relevant image and click event on the div will call the UpdateStatusCode() function to update the value on StatusCode column via JQuery and then page will get refreshed to show the right image based on the updated value.

<div id="div+{@ID}" onclick="UpdateStatusCode('div'+{@ID}, 'Updating', {@ID}, {@Status});">  
<xsl:if test="@Status = '0'"><img src="images/NotStarted.png"></xsl:if>  
<xsl:if test="@Status = '1'"><img src="images/InProgress.jpg"></xsl:if>  
<xsl:if test="@Status = '2'"><img src="images/Completed.jpg"></xsl:if>  
</div>  

JQuery makes life easy :o).

SharePoint WebPart Custom Properties

Add the following piece of code (to create the custom property Password for your custom WebPart) in your WebPart class. Now the property will get displayed under Parameters section in the Property panel of the WebPart as displayed in the screenshot below.

private string _strPassword;


[Browsable(true),
Category("Parameters"),
DefaultValue(""),
WebBrowsable(true),
Personalizable(PersonalizationScope.Shared),
WebDisplayName("Password"),
Description("Network Password")]
public string strPassword
{
    get
    {
        return _strPassword;
    }
    set
    {
        _strPassword = value;
    }
}

Now Access strPassword anywhere in the code to access the value provided by the user.

SharePoint 2007 Web Service: Get Items

Use lists.asmx to get the items through a desktop application

Below is the C# function to call the lists.asmx MOSS Web Service to get list items from a list/document library.
Add reference to lists.asmx to your project and use the following code:

private void GetItems(string strListName)
{

try
{
    #region Connect to URL

    this.m_objWSSListService.Url = this.cmbURL.Text.Trim('/') + "/_vti_bin/lists.asmx";

    string sDomain = string.Empty;
    string sUserName = this.txtLogin.Text.Trim();
    if (sUserName.IndexOf("\\") > 0)
    {
        sDomain = sUserName.Split("\\".ToCharArray())[0];
        sUserName = sUserName.Split("\\".ToCharArray())[1];
    }

    this.m_objWSSListService.Credentials = new System.Net.NetworkCredential(sUserName, this.txtPassword.Text.Trim(), sDomain);

    #endregion

    string sListName = strListName;
    string SourceDocumentURL = "";
    string strTempLocation = "C:\\Temp\\";
    string strFileName = "";

    System.Xml.XmlNode xnListSchema = m_objWSSListService.GetList(sListName);

    //get the Data from the List
    System.Xml.XmlDocument xdListData = new System.Xml.XmlDocument();
    System.Xml.XmlNode xnQuery = xdListData.CreateElement("Query");
    System.Xml.XmlNode xnViewFields = xdListData.CreateElement("ViewFields");
    System.Xml.XmlNode xnQueryOptions = xdListData.CreateElement("QueryOptions");

    System.Xml.XmlNode xnListData = m_objWSSListService.GetListItems(sListName, null, xnQuery, xnViewFields, null, xnQueryOptions);


    if (!Directory.Exists(strTempLocation))
    {
        Directory.CreateDirectory(strTempLocation);
    }

    foreach (XmlNode outerNode in xnListData.ChildNodes)
    {
        if (outerNode.NodeType.Equals(System.Xml.XmlNodeType.Element))
        {
            foreach (XmlNode node in outerNode.ChildNodes)
            {
                if (node.NodeType.Equals(System.Xml.XmlNodeType.Element))
                {
                    MessageBox.Show(node.Attributes.GetNamedItem("ows_Title").InnerText);
                }
            }
        }
    }

}
catch (System.Exception ex)
{

    this.WriteLog(ex.ToString());
}

}

SharePoint 2007 Web Service: Create Folder in Document Library

Use lists.asmx to create folder in a document library through a desktop application

Below is the C# function to call the lists.asmx MOSS Web Service to create folders in a document library.
Add reference to lists.asmx to your project and use the following code:

private void CreateFolder(string strPath, string strListName)
{

try
{
#region Connect to URL

this.m_objWSSListService.Url = this.cmbURL.Text.Trim('/') + "/_vti_bin/lists.asmx";

string sDomain = string.Empty;
string sUserName = this.txtLogin.Text.Trim();
if (sUserName.IndexOf("\\") > 0)
{
    sDomain = sUserName.Split("\\".ToCharArray())[0];
    sUserName = sUserName.Split("\\".ToCharArray())[1];
}

this.m_objWSSListService.Credentials = new System.Net.NetworkCredential(sUserName, this.txtPassword.Text.Trim(), sDomain);

#endregion

System.Xml.XmlDocument xmlDoc = new System.Xml.XmlDocument();
System.Xml.XmlElement Batch = xmlDoc.CreateElement("Batch");

Batch.SetAttribute("OnError", "Continue");
Batch.SetAttribute("ListVersion", "0");
string strBatch = "<method id="1" cmd="New">";
strBatch = strBatch + "<field name="ID">New</field>";
strBatch = strBatch + "<field name="FSObjType">1</field>";
strBatch = strBatch + "<field name="FileRef">" + strPath + "</field></method>";

Batch.InnerXml = strBatch;
XmlNode ndReturn = this.m_objWSSListService.UpdateListItems(strListName, Batch);
if (ndReturn.FirstChild.FirstChild.InnerText != "0x00000000")
{
    this.WriteLog(ndReturn.InnerText);
}

this.WriteLog("Create Operation - List:" + strListName + " - Folder: " + strPath);


}
catch (System.Exception ex)
{
this.WriteLog(ex.ToString());
}

}

SharePoint 2007 Web Service: Download Documents

Use lists.asmx to download the documents from a document library through a desktop application

Below is the C# function to call the lists.asmx MOSS Web Service to download the documents from a document library.
Add reference to lists.asmx to your project and use the following code:

private void DownloadDocumnts(string strListName)
{

try
{
    #region Connect to URL

    this.m_objWSSListService.Url = this.cmbURL.Text.Trim('/') + "/_vti_bin/lists.asmx";

    string sDomain = string.Empty;
    string sUserName = this.txtLogin.Text.Trim();
    if (sUserName.IndexOf("\\") > 0)
    {
        sDomain = sUserName.Split("\\".ToCharArray())[0];
        sUserName = sUserName.Split("\\".ToCharArray())[1];
    }

    this.m_objWSSListService.Credentials = new System.Net.NetworkCredential(sUserName, this.txtPassword.Text.Trim(), sDomain);

    #endregion

    string sListName = strListName;
    string SourceDocumentURL = "";
    string strTempLocation = "C:\\Temp\\";
    string strFileName = "";

    System.Xml.XmlNode xnListSchema = m_objWSSListService.GetList(sListName);

    //get the Data from the List
    System.Xml.XmlDocument xdListData = new System.Xml.XmlDocument();
    System.Xml.XmlNode xnQuery = xdListData.CreateElement("Query");
    System.Xml.XmlNode xnViewFields = xdListData.CreateElement("ViewFields");
    System.Xml.XmlNode xnQueryOptions = xdListData.CreateElement("QueryOptions");

    System.Xml.XmlNode xnListData = m_objWSSListService.GetListItems(sListName, null, xnQuery, xnViewFields, null, xnQueryOptions);


    if (!Directory.Exists(strTempLocation))
    {
        Directory.CreateDirectory(strTempLocation);
    }

    foreach (XmlNode outerNode in xnListData.ChildNodes)
    {
        if (outerNode.NodeType.Equals(System.Xml.XmlNodeType.Element))
        {
            foreach (XmlNode node in outerNode.ChildNodes)
            {
                if (node.NodeType.Equals(System.Xml.XmlNodeType.Element))
                {
                    XmlNode FileNameNode = node.Attributes.GetNamedItem("ows_EncodedAbsUrl");
                    SourceDocumentURL = FileNameNode.InnerText;
                    strFileName = SourceDocumentURL.Substring(SourceDocumentURL.LastIndexOf('/') + 1).Replace("%20", " ");

                    /*
                     * ?noredirect=true 
                     * will not open the file in default program (e.g. XSN for InfoPath), instead it will download the file
                     * 
                     * */

                    System.Net.WebClient objWebClient = new System.Net.WebClient();
                    objWebClient.Credentials = CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials;
                    objWebClient.DownloadFile(SourceDocumentURL + "?noredirect=true" ,strTempLocation + strFileName);

                    this.WriteLog("File Downloaded: " + SourceDocumentURL);
                }
            }
        }
    }

}
catch (System.Exception ex)
{

    this.WriteLog(ex.ToString());
}

}

SharePoint 2007 Web Service: Create User Group

Use UserGroup.asmx to create User Group through a desktop application

Below is the C# function to call the UserGroup.asmx MOSS Web Service to create Uer Groups.
Add reference to UserGroup.asmx to your project and use the following code:

private void CreateUserGroup(string strGroupName, string strDescription)
{
try
{

    #region Connect to UserGroup.asmx

    this.objUserGroupService.Url = this.cmbURL.Text.Trim('/') + "/_vti_bin/UserGroup.asmx";

    string sDomain = string.Empty;
    string sUserName = this.txtLogin.Text.Trim();
    if (sUserName.IndexOf("\\") > 0)
    {
        sDomain = sUserName.Split("\\".ToCharArray())[0];
        sUserName = sUserName.Split("\\".ToCharArray())[1];
    }

    this.objUserGroupService.Credentials = new System.Net.NetworkCredential(sUserName, this.txtPassword.Text.Trim(), sDomain);

    #endregion

    this.objUserGroupService.AddGroup(strGroupName, this.txtLogin.Text.Trim(), "user", this.txtLogin.Text.Trim(), strDescription);
    this.WriteLog("Created Group: " + strGroupName);


}
catch (System.Exception ex)
{
    
    this.WriteLog(ex.ToString());
}
}