This document provides an overview of SharePoint development. It defines development as bringing something to a more advanced stage through elaboration or working out details. The document outlines different methods of SharePoint development including out of the box, SharePoint Designer, JavaScript/jQuery, PowerShell, and Visual Studio/.NET. For each method it describes what it is, benefits, disadvantages, and skills needed. It provides a comparison of the development options and emphasizes that the right tool should be chosen for the job.

1. WHAT IS SHAREPOINT
DEVELOPMENT?
SPTechCon San Francisco 2013
Mark Rackley
mark.rackley@summit7systems.com

2. Summit 7 systems is a premier provider of consulting and implementation services specializing on the
Microsoft SharePoint Platform and FAST Enterprise Search.
» Summit 7 Systems was chosen by KMWorld Magazine as one of the top 100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management along with
companies such as Microsoft, Oracle and IBM.
» Summit 7 Systems was named to the 2011 and 2012 CRN Next-Gen 250 List as a company bringing innovative processes, methodologies and
models to the solution provider industry.
» Top 1% of Microsoft Partners Worldwide
» Summit 7 Systems was named #6 on the 2012 CRN Fast Growth 100 based on our 2009 – 2011 growth of over 930% per year.
» ~ 50% of Technical Staff hold US Government SECRET Clearances.
» Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB).

3. SOFTWARE PLATFORMS SERVICES
FAST Enterprise Search SharePoint QuickStart
SharePoint 2007 Information Architecture and Governance Development
SharePoint 2010 Upgrade and Migration
SharePoint 2013 Branding and Design (User Experience)
Office Platform Web Content Management Design and Deployment
Sitecore
SharePoint Search
Custom Workflow or Web Part Development
SOLUTION AREAS InfoPath Forms and Workflows
SharePoint Platform Solutions Performance Baselines and Best Practices Optimization
Enterprise Search Mapping Business Process to Software Platforms
Enterprise Content Management Cloud Services Design and Provisioning
Internet / Web Content Management
Remote Support Contracts
Extranet Solutions
Compliance Quickstart
Intranet Solutions
Business Process Management
Enterprise Project Management
Exchange Server

4. MARK RACKLEY / SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT
• 18+ years software architecture and
development experience
• SharePoint Junkie since 2007
• Event Organizer
• Blogger, Writer, Speaker
• Bacon aficionado
@mrackley http://www.sharepointhillbilly.com

5. AGENDA
• What’s the big deal?
• Define “Development”
• Types of SharePoint Development
• What it is
• Benefits Disadvantages
• Skills needed
• Demos

6. WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?
(CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?)

7. WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?
You need to know the best tool for a job
• Efficiently design solutions
• Avoid unnecessary work
Make sure you are hiring the right person for the job
• Can they do the tasks you need them to do / are they a fit?
• Will they cause more problems than they will solve?
• Know the right questions to ask

8. LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING..
DEFINE “DEVELOPMENT”

9. DEFINE “DEVELOPER”
developer (dɪˈvɛləpə)
—n
a person or thing that develops something

10. DEFINE “DEVELOPER”
develop (dɪˈvɛləp)
— vb
1. to come or bring to a later or more advanced or expanded
stage; grow or cause to grow gradually
2. to elaborate or work out in detail
3. to come or bring into existence; generate or be generated

11. THE #1 MISTAKE
#1 Mistake SharePoint “developers” make?
• Opening Visual Studio
• Development is not necessarily
managed code

12. METHODS OF SHAREPOINT
DEVELOPMENT
(YES… THERE’S MORE THAN ONE)

13. OUT OF THE BOX (OOB)
So easy even your manager
can do it…

14. OUT OF THE BOX (OOB)
• Performed in SharePoint.
• No external tools, little or no code
• Create sites, lists, custom views, alerts, dashboards and
simple applications using web parts and web part
connections

15. OUT OF THE BOX (OOB)
Benefits
• No code
• No external tools
• Even your boss could do it
• Fewest upgrade issues
Disadvantages
• Will rarely be enough
• It’s not idiot proof
• Even your boss can do it

16. OUT OF THE BOX (OOB)
Skills needed
• Understanding of the ins and outs of SharePoint
• Knowledge of the out of the box web parts
Bottom Line
• Essential to understand for all types of SharePoint Development
• Most under utilized development approach by traditional developers
• Always start here first
• Attend some end user sessions

17. SHAREPOINT DESTROYER…ERR DESIGNER
Where’s my design view?

18. SHAREPOINT DESIGNER (SPD)
• Free development tool
• Users SharePoint’s Web Services to communicate with
your site
• Create SharePoint objects, edit forms,
DataViewWebParts, connections to external lists,
essential for developing branding.

19. SHAREPOINT DESIGNER (SPD)
Benefits
• More options than OOB
• More control over look and feel
• Remote development!
• SPD Workflows
Disadvantages
• Still has limitations
• Deployment is messy (or develop in production)
• Customizing (unghosting)

20. SHAREPOINT DESIGNER (SPD)
Skills needed
• OOB Skills
• HTML, CSS, XML, XSL, JavaScript
Bottom Line
• Essential tool for skilled designers, site admins, and quick tweaks in
production.
• Future of the product may be uncertain

21. JAVASCRIPT / JQUERY
With great power…

22. JAVASCRIPT/JQUERY
• Part of that “Client Side Development”
• Great for complicated business logic in tightly controlled
environments
• Communicate with remote servers using Web Services
• Scripts can be deployed in a solution or placed in a
Document Library and linked in a Content Editor Web
Part

23. JAVASCRIPT/JQUERY
Benefits
• Can replace the need for Visual Studio for certain functionality
• Does not create “points” like Sandboxed solutions
• Improved user experience
• It’s the future
Disadvantages
• Can be difficult to maintain and debug
• Anyone can do it
• Can cause performance issues

24. JAVASCRIPT/JQUERY
Skills needed
• OOB Skills
• HTML, JavaScript, jQuery, CSS, XML, XSL
• Traditional developer skills
Bottom Line
• Amazing, essential skill if used correctly
• Becoming more important every day (sometimes only option in the cloud)
• Use it wisely

25. POWERSHELL
Admins are developers too…

26. POWERSHELL
• Administrative Tool Set
• Scripting environment, NOT for creating interactive SharePoint
solutions
• Configure farm, Deploy solutions, Create SharePoint artifacts
• Tools
• PowerShell
• PowerShell ISE
• PowerShell Plus (Idera)
• PowerGUI (Dell/Quest)

27. POWERSHELL
Benefits
• Essential for deploying solutions and doing admin work that
development sometimes requires
• Perfect for “run once” logic that may not make sense to deploy as a
feature
Disadvantages
• Not a tool for creating “business functionality”

28. POWERSHELL
Skills needed
• OOB Skills
• PowerShell syntax
• SharePoint Object Model
Bottom Line
• Might be able to live without as a developer, but can save you a lot
of time and make you a more efficient developer

29. VISUAL STUDIO / .NET
When all else fails, use a bigger stick…

30. VISUAL STUDIO / .NET
• Create solutions that deploy files to the farm
• Sometimes there is no other option
• It CAN do most of what the other options can do… but…
• May not be an option in your environment
• May take a lot longer to develop
• Deployment can add headaches

31. VISUAL STUDIO / .NET
• Create solutions to deploy files to your farm so you aren’t
manually copying them
• Create virtually any SharePoint object including content
types, site columns, lists, sites, workflows, web parts,
event receivers, timer jobs, service applications, etc…
• Remote development using Web Services / Client Object
Model

32. VISUAL STUDIO / .NET
Solution Options
• Sandboxed Solutions
• Client Object Modal
• Web Services
• Farm Solutions

33. VISUAL STUDIO / .NET
Benefits
• Rich development experience
• When all else fails it can get the job done
• Best method for working with large amounts of data
Disadvantages
• Greater skill required (bigger learning curve)
• Must have access to the server to deploy features (aside from Sandbox solutions)
• Can be difficult to debug in production

34. VISUAL STUDIO / .NET
Skills needed
• OOB Skills
• C#, .NET, SharePoint Object Model, CAML, LINQ, XML, HTML
Bottom Line
• Should not always be first choice in development
• By far the most powerful development option

35. DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS COMPARISON*
OOB SPD JavaScript PowerShell Visual Studio
Create SharePoint Objects Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Display information to the user (Dashboards,
Reports, Dynamic information) Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Execute code with elevated privileges No No No Yes Yes
Perform complicated business logic No Limited Yes Yes Yes
Event Receivers, Timer Jobs, Service
Applications, Custom Search No No No No Yes
Create deployable solutions No No No No Yes
Deploy solutions No No No Yes Not in production
Create List Views Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Visual enhancements such as animations Limited It depends Yes No Yes
Can be used in the Cloud? Yes Yes Yes It depends It depends
*Generally speaking

36. SHAREPOINT DEVELOPMENT NIRVANA
It IS achievable…

37. SHAREPOINT 2013 APP MODEL
Wait… What???

38. LEARN MORE AT…
All
• Blogs, books, conferences
OOB & SPD
• http://EndUserSharePoint.com
jQuery & JavaScript
• http://jQuery.com
• The SharePoint & jQuery Guide http://bit.ly/jQueryAndSP
PowerShell
• Gary Lapointe http://blog.falchionconsulting.com
.NET
• Critical Path Training - http://www.criticalpathtraining.com
• MindSharp - http://www.mindsharp.com/

39. DEMOS!
I know… it’s about time? Right?

40. FOR MORE FROM SUMMIT 7 SYSTEMS…
facebook.com/summit7systems
@summit7systems
summit 7 systems
summit7systems
summit7systems.com/blogs