Introduction to Developing Custom Actions within SharePointGeoff Varosky

About MeGeoff Varosky MCP, MCTSSenior Solutions Developer for Grace-Hunt, LLC.Blog: http://www.geoffvarosky.comEmail: gvarosky@grace-hunt.comTwitter: @gvaro

About Grace-HuntFounded in 2004Based in Hudson, MAPresence in North East, Mid Atlantic, and South East RegionsSenior Level StaffMicrosoft Gold PartnerSpecializing in SharePoint and Dynamics (CRM, SL, GP, NAV)Web: http://www.grace-hunt.com

AgendaWhat are Custom Actions?DemonstrationsCreating a Simple Custom ActionAnatomy of a Custom ActionCreating a Slightly More Complex Custom ActionHiding Custom ActionsCustom Action GroupsReferencesQ&A

Just What Are Custom Actions?Per Microsoft –“A custom action represents a link, toolbar button, menu item, or any control that can be added to a toolbar or menu that a user sees. Custom actions can be bound to list type, content type, file type, or programmatic identifier (ProgID).”Source: http://snipurl.com/d8y70

Just What Are Custom Actions?What does that mean?Custom Actions can be bound to List TypesA Custom Action can be bound to a Document Library, but, may not be bound to a Task ListExample: Check In/Check Out

Just What Are Custom Actions?What does that mean?Custom Actions can be bound to File TypesExample: ‘Edit in Microsoft Word’ bound to Word (.doc, .docx, etc.) document types

Just What Are Custom Actions?What does that mean?Custom Actions can be bound to Content TypesExample: Folders, Document Content Types, List Content Types, etc.Programmatic IdentifiersExample: Task List Identifier (107)

What Can Custom Actions Do?Examples of Custom ActionsEdit Control Block (ECB Menu)ToolbarsSite Actions MenuSite Settings PageCentral Administration PagesOperations, Application ManagementShared Service Provider PagesYou get the idea…(hopefully?)

ExamplesToolbars

ExamplesSite Actions Menu

ExamplesSite Settings

ExamplesSite Settings (Custom Action Group)

ExamplesEdit Control Block (ECB)

ExamplesCentral Administration Pages

What Can Custom Actions Do?But wait, there’s more!Create links to pages that really should be there…Example: There is a link to the Site Collection Recycle Bin on the Site Settings page, however, there is no link to the current site Recycle Bin. (Why? Who knows…) Never fear though – you can add one easily (Demo #1)Custom Actions can pass along information to act uponExample: Add a “Complete Task” action to an Edit Control Block, which calls an ASPX page, taking the parameters of the List ID and Item ID, and updating the task item within a list. (Demo #2)

What Can Custom Actions Do?…and moreCustom Actions can also be hiddenExample: You do not want site administrators to be able to delete their sites by using the Delete This Site link on the Site Settings page – so, we can remove it by using HideCustomAction (Demo #3)Create Groupings of Custom Actions by using CustomActionGroupExample: Create a grouping of your Custom Actions on the Site Settings page for all of your Custom Actions… (Demo #4)

What Tools Are Needed?Notepad!What do I use?Visual StudioAndrew Connell’s SharePoint Project Utility for Visual Studiohttp://snipurl.com/d8yv9Requires DevExpress DX Core to be installed (free)WSPBuilder (CodePlex)http://snipurl.com/d8yxvSharePoint Solution Installer (CodePlex)http://snipurl.com/nt6ux

DemoCreating a Simple Custom Action

Anatomy of a Custom ActionFeature Definition (feature.xml)

Anatomy of a Custom ActionScope Web A “sub-site” Only activates the feature on the specific web Site Site Collection Applies to all webs within the site collection Web Application Applies to all site collections and webs within a web application Farm Applies to all web applications, site collections, etc.....

Web

A “sub-site”

Only activates the feature on the specific web

Site

Site Collection

Applies to all webs within the site collection

Web Application

Applies to all site collections and webs within a web application

Farm

Applies to all web applications, site collections, etc.....

Anatomy of a Custom ActionElement Manifest (manifest.xml)

Anatomy of a Custom Action<CustomActionContentTypeId = "Text" ControlAssembly = "Text" ControlClass = "Text" ControlSrc = "Text" Description = "Text" GroupId = "Text" Id = "Text" ImageUrl = "Text" Location = "Text" RegistrationId = "Text" RegistrationType = "Text" RequireSiteAdministrator = "TRUE" | "FALSE" Rights = "Text" Sequence = "Integer" ShowInLists = "TRUE" | "FALSE" ShowInReadOnlyContentTypes = "TRUE" | "FALSE" ShowInSealedContentTypes = "TRUE" | "FALSE" Title = "Text"> </CustomAction>

Anatomy of a Custom ActionId (optional)Specifies a unique identifier for custom actionMay be a GUID or a unique termExample:DeleteWebGroupID(optional)Identifies the unique group that this element is contained inExample:SiteAdministration

Specifies a unique identifier for custom action

May be a GUID or a unique term

Example:DeleteWeb

Identifies the unique group that this element is contained in

Example:SiteAdministration

Anatomy of a Custom ActionLocation (optional)Specifies the location for this custom actionExample:Microsoft.SharePoint.SiteSettingsRegistrationType(optional)Specifies the list, item content type, file type, or programmatic identifier that this action is associated withExample: List

Specifies the location for this custom action

Example:Microsoft.SharePoint.SiteSettings

Specifies the list, item content type, file type, or programmatic identifier that this action is associated with

Example: List

Anatomy of a Custom ActionRegistrationId(optional)Specifies the registration attachment for a per-item actionExample (List Identifier – Task List): 107 (http://snipurl.com/ntd5g)Title (required)Specifies the name of your actionExample: DeleteWebDescription (optional)Longer description for action which is shown as a tooltip or sub-description (where applicable) for the action

Specifies the registration attachment for a per-item action

Example (List Identifier – Task List): 107 (http://snipurl.com/ntd5g)

Specifies the name of your action

Example: DeleteWeb

Longer description for action which is shown as a tooltip or sub-description (where applicable) for the action

Anatomy of a Custom ActionSequence (optional)The order in which your action will appear.If not specified, displayed in the order it is read by SharePoint by Feature and by order in element listing (XML).

The order in which your action will appear.

If not specified, displayed in the order it is read by SharePoint by Feature and by order in element listing (XML).

Anatomy of a Custom ActionPermissionsRequireSiteAdministrator (optional)Boolean (True or False)Cannot be used on ECB menu list itemsRightsSpecify rights needed for this Custom Action to be visibleExample: “ApproveItems,DeleteListItems”Possible Values http://snipurl.com/ntcz5

RequireSiteAdministrator (optional)

Boolean (True or False)

Cannot be used on ECB menu list items

Rights

Specify rights needed for this Custom Action to be visible

Example: “ApproveItems,DeleteListItems”

Possible Values http://snipurl.com/ntcz5

Anatomy of a Custom ActionUrlAction Tokens~siteReferences the current SPWeb context~sitecollectionReferences the current SPSite context{ItemId}GUID of the item action is called from{ItemUrl}URL of the item the action is called from

~site

References the current SPWeb context

~sitecollection

References the current SPSite context

{ItemId}

GUID of the item action is called from

{ItemUrl}

URL of the item the action is called from

Anatomy of a Custom ActionUrlAction Tokens{ListId}GUID representation of the list{SiteUrl}References the URL of the SPWeb context the action is called from{RecurrenceId}Unsupported in context menus (http://snipurl.com/ntcjc)Source URLThis token is not available, but there is a way to get it via JavaScript, which we will see in Demo #2 http://snipurl.com/d8zb6

{ListId}

GUID representation of the list

{SiteUrl}

References the URL of the SPWeb context the action is called from

{RecurrenceId}

Unsupported in context menus (http://snipurl.com/ntcjc)

Source URL

This token is not available, but there is a way to get it via JavaScript, which we will see in Demo #2

http://snipurl.com/d8zb6

DemoCreating a Slightly More Complex Custom Action

DemoHiding Custom Actions

DemoCustom Action Groups

ResourcesMy Bloghttp://www.geoffvarosky.comClick on SharePoint Saturday category on left side of pageGraceHunt.SharePointCodePlex Projectshttp://codeplex.com/GraceHuntJohn Holliday’s Custom Action ResourcesHiding Custom Actions, and a Utility to get all custom action identifiers http://snipurl.com/d8zea

ResourcesMSDNCustom Action Definitions http://snipurl.com/d8zi7Default Custom Action Locations and IDs http://snipurl.com/d8zkaHow to: Add Custom Actions to the User Interfacehttp://snipurl.com/d8zq2CustomAction Element http://snipurl.com/d9jd4CustomActionGroup Element http://snipurl.com/d9jfxHideCustomAction Elementhttp://snipurl.com/d9jhs

Q&A

About MeGeoff Varosky MCP, MCTSSenior Solutions Developer for Grace-Hunt, LLC.Company: http://www.grace-hunt.comBlog: http://www.geoffvarosky.comEmail: gvarosky@grace-hunt.comTwitter: @gvaro