How to Create a Visual Webpart in SharePoint Sandbox Solution

I am sure you must be aware of Visual Webpart is not applicable in Sandbox solution when you try to add it on Visual Studio 2010.

But now you can install a Visual Studio 2010 SharePoint Power Tools to helps you resolve this problem, after installed just insert your new Visual Webpart (Sandbox) as normal.

But as Sandbox solution, this still has limitation which constrained by SharePoint Sandbox framework.

Here the link to download the Power Tools.

http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/8e602a8c-6714-4549-9e95-f3700344b0d9

Create a Page/Item in Ghosted Mode Programmatically

Have you ever encountered pages/items added to SharePoint library/list via feature with custom code is not ghostable? This is because when file or page is created under SP Object Model the SharePoint will save them as instance in content database. But when you provisioning those files via feature module then they will become ghosted. When you need a custom to provision file? Such as page is already existed, that is default page of site or etc.

Some of you may not know what ghosted mean in plain English,

"A ghosted page is a page in SharePoint website which is not stored in the database instead it reference to a file which exists in the server’s file system. These reference files are common for all the website/site collection within that SharePoint server, i.e., if you modify a reference file then that change will reflect in all the websites/site collections within that SharePoint server automatically. So we can say these reference files are used as template."

Reference: http://www.etechplanet.com/blog/ghosted-and-unghosted-pages-in-sharepoint.aspx

As you can see the benefits of having file which is ghosted when you are working in large farm or huge repository that referenced to same file.

The SP Object Model does not support adding file to SharePoint under ghosted mode, therefore after reflected Microsoft.SharePoint assembly and discover that is a way to perform same task as feature module does. "EnableModuleFromXml" in Microsoft.SharePoint.Library.SPRequest.

I had attached a helper class which hope it can help you along with your development.

Here the example when you try to use provision a file.

GhostFile("FullFeaturePathOnServer", [targetWebsite], [targetFolderRelUrl | "Or leave empty"], differentTargetFileNameOrNull, createListItem, mode)

Set createListItem = false when try provision item in list.

The helper class download link https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=fc19b8b8ec05ba70&resid=FC19B8B8EC05BA70!9714&parid=FC19B8B8EC05BA70!9713&authkey=!AOsvhv1OfK18VmU

SharePoint List View (Calendar) Webpart Cross Site/Web Rendering with No Code Hack

These scenarios more likely to happened when working on restricted environment such as no custom development and the SharePoint Designer is only tool available.

For instance,

"Calendar list cannot be shared across other site collection or subsite with Calendar view mode"

Or

"This webpart is only work on current website context and when it used on other website the information is not the same"

If above sound familiar then this little non-coding hack maybe useful to you.

Here the pre-requisites:

• SharePoint Designer (2007 or 2010 depend on your environment)
• Basic Html editing skill.
• A new minified masterpage.
• A new page inherit from new minified masterpage.
• SharePoint Page View Webpart.

Some of you may already aware what have to be done with above pre-requisites. You are right, we are going to create a new webpart page without any branding and loaded with Page View webpart (Iframe).

Here the steps:

1. Create a new masterpage without any branding but leave the main place holder.

2. Create a new webpart page and point it to newly create minified masterpage. This page has to be create on website that you wish to share. e.g. http://yoursharepointsite.com/pages/calendar.aspx

3. Insert the Calendar webpart into page just created in step 2.

4. You are almost there, go to the page that require the Calendar webpart to render and insert the Page View webpart. e.g. http://yoursharepointsite2.com/pages/pagerender.aspx
5. Point the newly inserted Page View Webpart to http://yoursharepointsite.com/pages/calendar.aspx.
6. Walah, done.

Limitation

• The website which consume the content is assume to have same access permission to source website, otherwise credential is require for login.

Node.js

The JavaScript web server framework.

You can re-use existing Javascript skill to write a server side application.

What does that mean to me if I am a SharePoint/ .Net Web developer?

You can write a quick and easy JavsScript application to access backend system, such as MS SQL, MySQL and many more. It is crossed platform!!

Or

You are looking a highly efficient and performance for concurrent application.

Do I need to write everything by myself?

Not really, that is many modules can plug into your application. Visit this for further details

https://github.com/joyent/node/wiki/modules

Debugging?

Build-in debug framework  or third-party tools, e.g.  Node GDB or Node Inspector.

So, what is the benefits of using the Node.js?

• No extra language to learn but Node’s syntax.
• Scalable and parallel infrastructure.
• Lightweight and memory efficient.
• Crossed platform

To find out more about this great stuff

• http://nodejs.org

Windows 7 with ReadyBoost - Perfect for Virtualization Development.

That is one cool feature in Windows 7 which not many people are aware (actually it existed in Windows Vista), which can improve the performance of VMs and host machine with fraction of cost. Let's me introduce it to you, ReadyBoost. Let me get the quote from Microsoft how they describe this feature.

"Want a simple way to speed up your PC?

Just plug in a USB flash drive or card and let ReadyBoost borrow it. ReadyBoost is designed to help when your PC's memory is running low. Low memory can make your computer sluggish because Windows, which needs a place to stash data, turns to the hard drive. Flash memory offers a speedier alternative.

ReadyBoost works with most flash storage devices. In Windows 7, it can handle more flash memory and even multiple devices—up to eight, for a maximum 256 gigabytes (GB) of additional memory.

"

I am using Windows 7 with ReadyBoost for three Windows Server 2008R2 machines (AD, SQL and SP2010) which configured for SharePoint 2010 and Fast Search. The outcome is very satisfied from results I done in PassMark benchmarking tool.

Here configuration details.

• 8GB DDR3 Memory

• i7 processor

• ReadyBoost (32GB SSD with ESATA)
• 7200RPM HDD
• USB 2 for VMs

This is the result of SP2010 running without ReadyBoosts in host machine. The VM and host system response are very sluggish and in not workable condition.

After activated ReadyBoosts in host machine, the result has obvious improved and overall performance (VM and host) is  noticeable.

Of course experience/result may be vary depend on running applications or hardware configuration, but strongly recommended to try it out if you have any spare flash drive or SSD.

Ajax Toolkit's TabPanel/UpdatePanel and ReportViewer - panelCreated error

You may receive the error when using the Ajax toolkit and ReportViewer on the page, e.g.

This is because the Ajax control is conflict with the ReportViewer, it will works if you using the .Net ScriptManager. But because you need the ToolkitScriptManager for your Ajax controld, therefore this is not an option.

But that is work around/fix for this error, which is just simply change your ToolkitScriptManager to ScriptMode="Release" and it will work like charm.

Good tips for Developing SharePoint 2010 projects

1) All customisation have to be deployable and repeatable, such as using WSPs and features to deploy solution to SharePoint environment. NEVER do manual deployments or fixes, such as create a custom list, modify config file, update SharePoint site. As all these can be done in SharePoint API and scripted in most cases.

2) Implement automate deployment process to reduce possible human error, such as site creation and site configuration. This can be done by PowerShell, batch file, wsp or custom application. Example write a bespoke console application to export site hierarchy and contents, when deploy solution the bespoke application should reuse to create whole SharePoint site.

3) Make sure all SharePoint Services Objects were disposed correctly to avoid memory leak. Reference site http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa973248(v=office.12).aspx. And the tool to check objects were disposed correctly, http://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/SPDisposeCheck.

4) Do not try to customise any SharePoint site definition or template, all design and customization should be done by feature stapling or web provisioning event. Any customisation on SharePoint component is bad and not promised to compatible in future SharePoint release.

5) Custom coding should be done in Sandbox solution and this is because:
a. Better resource monitoring and controlling.
b. Compatible with Office 365.
c. Isolated, better security for farm.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee335711.aspx

6) Minified JS and CSS files, also consolidate them into two files to improve SharePoint rendering performance.

7) Using Model-View-Presenter (MVP), Model-View-Controller (MVC) or similar layer separation pattern to speed up development process. Using mocking framework to perform unit testing on SharePoint object. E.g TypeMock or Nmock. In my opinion the unit test should cover basic function tests with looses code, this will prevent chances to break test classes when code refactoring.

8) Make sure source and destination server are in same version and packages when using the SharePoint's content export/import. Such as same language pack, service pack, hotfixes.

9) Test, test and test before check-in into source control. Developer has full responsibility when check-in codes, he/she must fully tested their code and check-in with meaning comments.

10) Try to use the out-of-box features as much as possible, unless you have very strong reason not to do so otherwise developer should avoid using any custom database, codes or third parties components.