Oct 302008

SharePoint Development Best Practices Presentation

I ran my SharePoint Development Best Practices Presentation at the Readify RDN session last night in Perth, Australia. Thanks for the 60+ attendees that turned up to hear me and Hadley Willan present. I have published my slides online and sample code for you to look at if you couldn't make it, or if you could but wanted to read through it at your own pace and take advantage of all the link love in the notes ;-)

I ran demos of STSDEV, SPSource, SharePoint Inspector, PowerShell scripts and the Content Deployment Wizard.

I even got into the curly debates around InfoPath vs ASP.NET forms, SharePoint Lists vs SQL Tables, SharePoint Designer Workflows vs Visual Studio Workflows, and the very topical Site Definations vs Solutions vs Site Templates. It'd be really interesting to hear other peoples opinions on these comparisons!

Download the PDF here

Download the sample code zip here

Published: 10/30/2008 5:46 AM | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Oct 282008

Azure and SharePoint Online

So, unless you've been unplugged from the Internet for the last 24 hours you would have seen all the stuff going on at PDC 08. Ray Ozzie announced Azure, which is basically there solution for Cloud Computer. My interest lies in SharePoint Services which sits as one of the platforms that will be in the Cloud/Azure platform.

The developer centre doesn't have a dedicated Platform Technologies section which is a bit disappointing at this stage and obviously is taking a back seat to SQl Data Services, Microsoft .NET Services and Live Services.

There is a FAQ section on their web site that covers off some things. It basically states that they are not announcing any details as yet. It looks like they're focusing on the other services in the platform first.

SharePoint Editions

The SharePoint Developer Centre has very little on it and links to a blog post by the SharePoint Team. The post links to SharePoint Online link which I'm guessing what's going to be exposed by Azure. SharePoint Online is Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 NOT Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. It will be interesting to see whether they offer MOSS 2007 in Azure. A comment in the post "Microsoft SharePoint Services is a developer service that will be available as part of Azure in the future." makes me assume they'll be yet another Edition of SharePoint specifically for Azure. So we'll have:

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007;
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0;
SharePoint Online; and
Microsoft SharePoint Services (Azure).

The post is confusing as it talks about SharePoint Online and also Microsoft SharePoint Services, maybe they are one and the same e.g. "For example, using the Data View Web Part to surface data from an external source – this could be a web service living in Windows Azure. In fact, later in the week at PDC, there’s a breakout session that walks through the different ways SharePoint Online can be customized.".

Direction for Leveraging the SharePoint Platform

I can see Microsoft pushing to leverage the SharePoint platform even more so now that it's in Azure and is easily deployed and developed against using Visual Studio. Currently there were overheads on deploying WSS along side a ASP.NET application, now the ASP.NET application could be deployed into Azure and Windows SharePoint Services in Azure called also be turned on and used.

Hosting

One of the biggest things I've seen in SharePoint environments is custom code doing all sorts of damage to performance due to purely written and misinformed API usage. It will be interesting to see whether Microsoft let you deploy custom wsp packages up there with signed code...could it be something like Apple where they vet the code for the Platform? Do they have an automated test tool that will highlight issues (Yes PLEASE!).

I'll be blogging more about this, but I'm in the middle of preparing for my RDN presentation tomorrow night so hopefully see some of you there!

Published: 10/28/2008 3:53 AM | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Oct 282008

InfoPath Form Services: Manage Form Templates stuck on Installing

I was having an issue with a InfoPath Form I had deployed wrapped up in a Solution Feature that just wouldn't budge from a FormTemplateStatus of "Installing". I tried deleting it in the UI in Central Administration and also via STSADM and get the old chestnut of 'Object Reference not set to an instance of an Object:

     Object reference not set to an instance of an object.   at Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.Server.Administration.FormTemplate.SolutionDeploymentFailed() 

       at Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.Server.Administration.FormTemplate.get_FormTemplateStatus() 

       at Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.Server.ApplicationPages.FormTemplatePropertiesPage.GetStatusString(FormTemplate template) 

       at Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.Server.ApplicationPages.ManageFormTemplatesPage.AddTemplateToTable(FormTemplate template, DataTable table, SPWeb web)

       at Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.Server.ApplicationPages.ManageFormTemplatesPage.FillDataTable(DataTable table) 

       at Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.Server.ApplicationPages.GridViewPageBase.GridViewDataSourceView.FillDataTable(DataTable table, DataSourceSelectArguments selectArguments) 

       at Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.Server.ApplicationPages.GridViewPageBase.GridViewDataSourceView.Select(DataSourceSelectArguments selectArguments) 

       at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.AdministrationDataSourceView.ExecuteSelect(DataSourceSelectArguments arguments) 

       at System.Web.UI.DataSourceView.Select(DataSourceSelectArguments arguments, DataSourceViewSelectCallback callback) 

       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataBoundControl.PerformSelect() 

       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.BaseDataBoundControl.DataBind() 

       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.GridView.DataBind() 

       at Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.Server.ApplicationPages.GridViewPageBase.RefreshDataGrid() 

       at Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.Server.ApplicationPages.ManageFormTemplatesPage.OnPreRender(EventArgs e) 

       at System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() 

       at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) 

    Troubleshoot issues with Windows SharePoint Services.

There are plenty of posts on this recommending using C# code via a console app or Windows Form Application, but I went one further and used good old PowerShell to do this as it's installed on my farm already.

       1: [void][System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SharePoint") 

       2: function global:Get-SPFarm{ 

       3: return [Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm]::Local 

       4: }

You can query all the forms in your farm using:

       1: Get-SPFarm |% {$_.Services} | where {'$_.TYPEName -eq "Forms Service"'} |% {$_.FormTemplates}  |% {Write-Output $_}
  

With the below script you can delete a particular form. Basically just change the second where clause to the form you want to Delete.

       1: Get-SPFarm |% {$_.Services} | where {'$_.TYPEName -eq "Forms Service"'} |% {$_.FormTemplates}  | where {$_.DisplayName -eq "MyForm"} |% {Write-Output $_.Delete()} 
  

For more information on getting started with PowerShell and SharePoint check out my other post. There's a great CodePlex project called PowerShell Building Blocks for SharePoint with more samples here... think I may start adding to this one. Check out all my diigo links.

Published: 10/28/2008 2:32 AM | 103 Comments | 3 Links to this post

Oct 282008

InfoPath Form Services error message

I've built a clean MOSS development environment deployed an InfoPath form using Sahil Malik's technique of wrapping it up in a feature and leveraging the Receiver Class. Works great. It seems to register the form as a fully trusted form.

I then add the generated content type (same name as form) to a Form Library and force it to open in web page. Then I select New | My Form in List View Web Part and get this error:

The form you are about to open supports digital signatures. You must install the Microsoft Office InfoPath Digital Signature Control to be able to digitally sign this form. Do you want to install the signing control?

So I click Yes and get

And then tick 'I accept' and click Next and I get a nice Internet Explorer - Security Warning!

And I don't blame it with a name like $(loc.IPFS_DSIGRES_CABNAME)!

SO I click Install button and wait for something to happen and get this:

Yet another warning about dsigctrl.cab so I click install again.

This then displayed the InfoPath Form in all it's glory in web mode. I wonder whether there is a way to set this up on farm so that the first user doesn't get this...or is this the only way...to deploy a form like this and run through this so someone doesn't have to?!?!

It's kind of walked through in this lab, but it's still a manual process for the form.

Published: 10/28/2008 2:31 AM | 1 Comment | 0 Links to this post

Oct 272008

Microsoft Office activation

So I had some fun today with Microsoft Office and having to ring up to activate the product as it was hosted in a Virtualised Machine and the host was my new Tablet PC.

I couldn't activate online as it didn't like doing this over a proxy that requires authentication!

When I rang and read out the numbers, yes read out - not typed them in like Windows activation...I got told the installation ID is incorrect! They gave me a tech support number to ring that was in US and was closed as I'm in Perth Australia! For reference the correct number for MSDN support is 132058 (option 2, option 2).

I tried to change the registry to change the product key and tried to reactivate again and this was invalid Installation ID too!

Anyway, I uninstalled and reinstalled and then called again and it was still invalid. So the operator then directed me to go to:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\microsoft\office\data

and delete all of the .bpc files and then run Microsoft Office application again. This produced a correct Installation ID and I was able to activate! Hoorah!

Published: 10/27/2008 1:41 AM | 0 Comments | 2 Links to this post

Oct 222008

Perth Special Event - Tag Driven Information – Customising the Document Information Panel in Office

I'm really looking forward to finally getting to meet William Cornwill (aka CodeJedi) when he presents in two weeks for our Perth SharePoint User Group! Should be really good to see him show off the deep integration in Word 2007 with SharePoint! Would strongly advise all spectrums of the SharePoint Community to attend this whether your a business sponsor, administrator or developer to get a better understanding of how far you can go with this technology! Great work from Rick Rosato for organising this one!

CodeJedi has written some great posts on this particular topic, check them out here!

Spread the word! Rick has sent the invite out, but if there's others who haven't heard let them know!

On Friday 31st October at 12:30 at QV1, join William Cornwill from Microsoft as he creates a SharePoint document library, defines a new Site Content Type and customises the Document Information Panel.

William will demonstrate the following;
• Create Word Template
• Create Site Columns
• Create Site Content Type
• Create Document Library
• Add Content Type to Doc Library
• Show default Document Information Panel
• Create a new Document Information Panel
• Extend the Document Information Panel

Published: 10/22/2008 3:31 AM | 1 Comment | 0 Links to this post

Oct 212008

Readify SharePoint RDN RSVPs at 75! and 45+ at Perth SharePoint User Group!

Wow, we've got over 75 people registered for the Readify RDN on SharePoint! I'm really pleased with this response and am looking forward to the discussions over a pizza and a beer afterwards on my presentation and Hadley Wilan's also.

If you're not registered yet and can make 17:30 in Perth on the 29th October, please register your interest now! If there are people you think may not know about this, please forward this information on to them! Just shows you how big a community there is in Perth right now.

The Perth SharePoint User Group today had 45+ people rock up which is great! The user group just continues to grow and grow! Thanks again to Richard Greene for his efforts in putting together an awesome presentation on BDC. Looking forward to Tommy Segoro's comparing the different SharePoint Development Tools, should lead nicely from my RDN session on SharePoint Development Best Practices!

Published: 10/21/2008 8:11 AM | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Oct 212008

Noticed a drop in my RSS subscriptions

I've noticed a bit of a dive in RSS feed subscriptions and think it is because I was interleaving my diigo social book marking in there. I've deactivated this feature, but if you are still interested in what I'm bookmarking...please take a look at my extensive collection which I update as I read through my 300+ SharePoint feeds daily. I find this a valuable resource to pin point paticular areas of SharePoint for good links especially around things like InfoPath, Performance, Guidelines and Standards as just some examples!

From diigo you can actually subscribe to my links as an RSS feed too!

Published: 10/21/2008 6:47 AM | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Oct 212008

SharePoint Podcasts - Start listening!

I was extremely dubious at first with the whole podcast scene, I'd rather read about it than listen to someone discuss it. But recently I moved closer to the city here in Perth, Australia and walk to work and have found myself listening to some podcasts. I have found them extremely informative and a great way to hear about what else is happening out there in the SharePoint Community.

There are basically two main SharePoint Pod Casts:

The SharePoint Pod Show
Rob Foster, Nick Swan and Brett Lonsdale have done a great job of pulling in some big guests on the show with the likes of the late Patrick Tisseghem, Rob Bogue, Erik Schupps, Mike Fitzmaurice and Andrew Connell.
Nick and Brett specialise in the BDC and are currently writing a book on it as well as producing BDC MetaMan for Lightning Tools.
The most recent interview with Mike Fitzmaurice is unbelievable. I met this guy at the SharePoint Conference in Sydney in 2007...he could evangelise snow to eskimos for sure! He currently works at Nintex and covers off Nintex Reporting, Workflow and Podcast add-on in great detail. The biggest take home for me was his comparisons on Workflow compared to the base product and also to competitors (without mentioning names).
MOSS Gone Wild
Unfortunately no video podcast with Girls Gone Wild intro, but the content is great. They've had some awesome guest speaks on there. JD Wade is an absolute legend and explains SharePoint Updates so thoroughly! JD advises on what he recommends are the minimum updates required and the order and approach in which to install them.
Todd and Justin host the pod cast and the first few are extremely good and cover what I have been discussing around Development Issues. They also did a great one on Workflow too.
Michael Gannotti
Michael also does some podcasts, mainly in a brain type kinda way whilst driving in his car. He's a huge SharePoint evangelist and could easily be a sports presenter if he wanted a change in careers! His podcasts are a lot shorter than the other guys but you'll certainly get some valuable information out of them!

Please let me know if there are any others out there I've not mentioned.

So, most of the World have iPods or other MP3s...there's no excuse not to download these and listen to them on your way to work!

Published: 10/21/2008 6:21 AM | 1 Comment | 0 Links to this post

Oct 102008

Perth SharePoint gurus getting kudos in the big pond

So I woke up this morning and saw a great set of tweets between Joel Oleson and Arno Nel (of SharePointMagazine.net). These mentioned both myself and Paul Culmsee as people to watch in SharePoint space, which is a great honour as I have a lot of respect for all three of these guys! Made my weekend! My missus is away for two weeks in Brisbane so in my lonely nights in I'm hoping to get out some great articles to continue my Solution Development series. As well as a sideline one on Workflow deployment and versioning with some InfoPath forms in there just for fun!

Published: 10/10/2008 5:23 PM | 2 Comments | 0 Links to this post

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Solution Development in SharePoint 2007

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Webcasts

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Tag Cloud

SharePoint Development Best Practices Presentation

Azure and SharePoint Online

InfoPath Form Services: Manage Form Templates stuck on Installing

InfoPath Form Services error message

Microsoft Office activation

Perth Special Event - Tag Driven Information – Customising the Document Information Panel in Office

Readify SharePoint RDN RSVPs at 75! and 45+ at Perth SharePoint User Group!

Noticed a drop in my RSS subscriptions

SharePoint Podcasts - Start listening!

Perth SharePoint gurus getting kudos in the big pond