Since Microsoft has released SharePoint 2013 with a whole new application development methodology, there has been some confusion and frustration in the community on what the best approach for customizing SharePoint for developers. In this session, we will look at the options, new and old, and discuss the pros and cons. We may even see some novel approaches you haven’t thought about yet.

1. Talbott Crowell
ThirdM
@talbott
Custom SharePoint
Development in
SharePoint
What are My Options Now?

2. Talbott Crowell
SharePoint Saturday New Hampshire
September 21st, 2013
Custom SharePoint
Development in SharePoint –
What are My Options Now?

3. About Me
• http://about.me/talbott
• Solutions Architect at ThirdM
• A Founder of SharePoint Saturday Boston
• Microsoft MVP
• Blogger and Author
• @talbott

4. About this Talk
• For Developers
• Who want to build Custom Solutions on SharePoint
• For Architects
• Who want to understand options and architecture considerations of
the different options for building applications on SharePoint
• For Anyone
• Who wants to learn more about SharePoint 2013 and previous
versions and what is possible for customization of this great
platform

5. App Development History
• SharePoint 2003 – Web Parts
• SharePoint 2007 – Farm Solutions & SPD
• WSP (A CAB file with deployment assets and
instructions) which may include:
• Server Code (.NET Assemblies for GAC or BIN)
• Client Code (JavaScript Files, CSS, HTML)
• ASP.NET (ASPX, ASCX, Master Pages), Images,
Site templates, List definitions, Content Types
(CAML), Layouts, various other types of content
• SPD (SharePoint Designer)
• Create custom solutions with Workflows, JavaScript,
HTML, jQuery, Master Pages, Layouts stored in
Content Database
• SharePoint 2010
• Sandbox Solutions
• SharePoint 2013
• Apps for SharePoint

6. What are My Options Today
• For SharePoint 2007 and SharePoint 2010
• OOTB Configuration
• CSS, JavaScript, Web Parts
• SharePoint Designer (with designer view)
• Master Pages, Page Layouts, Power Editing
• Visual Studio WSP
• SharePoint Solutions
• Can contain: CAML declarative XML
• Compiled .NET Code (.NET Assemblies)
• Features (Scoped at Farm, Web Application, Site Collection, or Site)
• For SharePoint 2010 only
• Sandbox Solutions
• WSP with Compiled .NET Code and CAML declarative XML

7. What are My Options Today
• For SharePoint 2013
• OOTB Configuration
• CSS, JavaScript, Web Parts
• SharePoint Designer (without designer view)
• Master Pages, Page Layouts, Power Editing
• Visual Studio WSP
• SharePoint Solutions
• Can contain: CAML declarative XML
• Compiled .NET Code (.NET Assemblies)
• Features (Scoped at Farm, Web Application, Site Collection, or Site)
• Sandbox Solutions
• WSP without Compiled .NET Code
• Can contain only CAML declarative XML
• Apps for SharePoint

8. What are My Options Today
• For Office 365 (aka SharePoint Online)
• OOTB Configuration
• CSS, JavaScript, Web Parts
• SharePoint Designer (without designer view)
• Master Pages, Page Layouts, Power Editing
• Sandbox Solutions
• WSP without Compiled .NET Code
• Can contain only CAML declarative XML
• Apps for SharePoint

9. Factors in Choosing
• Size of Development Team
• Just you or a group of people?
• Skillset
• Leverage existing skills: JavaScript, C#, etc…
• Development Environment
• Depending on what you choose, the cost for development
workstations can vary immensely
• Requirements
• Of course this should be #1, what are you trying to accomplish?
• This can be the most important factor on choosing between the
many different API‟s and customization options
• Maintainability/Upgradeability

10. Choose the right API set in SharePoint 2013
http://bit.ly/sp2013api

11. Server Object Model
• The largest set of APIs is in the server object model of
managed classes
• Workflow, Alerts, Web Parts, Search, BCS
• Many more classes are added in SharePoint 2013 for
• Enterprise Content Management (ECM)
• User profiles
• Taxonomy
• Advanced search

12. Client Object Models
• Microsoft Options
• .NET client object model
• Silverlight Client Object Model
• SilverlightWebPart class
• Mobile object model
• REST/OData endpoints
• WCF Data Services Framework
• http://bit.ly/sp2013api
• SPServices

13. REST/OData endpoints
• For non-JavaScript clients
• C#, Java, etc…
• CRUD Operations on SharePoint lists
• Target the client.svc web service
• Accepts a RESTful HTTP Request
• Responds with either Atom or JSON
• Example:
• http://server/site/_api/web/lists(„guid‟)/items?$filter=City eq
„Nashua‟

14. Deprecated API sets
Two API sets are still supported in the SharePoint 2013
framework for backward compatibility, but we recommend
that you not use them for new projects
1. ASP.NET (asmx) web services
2. Direct Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) calls to the
owssvr.dll file

15. SPServices
• Compatible with SharePoint 2007, 2010, 2013
• Based on asmx web services
• Created and maintained by Marc Anderson
• Great client side JavaScript library
• http://spservices.codeplex.com/

16. What is a Provider Hosted App
• SharePoint 2013 Compatible Application
• Hosted outside of SharePoint
• Azure
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Rackspace
• Your Datacenter
• An on-premise server in your customer‟s Datacenter (you provide
the Application, Hardware, and/or VM)
• Written in any language on any platform
• Java, F#, Ruby, Linux, Unix

17. Apps for SharePoint Hosting Options
• Provider Hosted Apps
• SharePoint 2013 on-premise
or Office 365
• Unlimited scaling
• Autohosted Apps
• Typically Azure Web Sites
written in .NET
• Runs only in Office 365 (no
on-premise option)
• Uses the consumers Office
365 Azure resources
• SharePoint Hosted Apps
• Client side only (JavaScript,
jQuery, HTML, CSS)
• Uses CSOM to manipulate
SharePoint object
• http://bit.ly/spapphosting

18. Provider Hosted Apps
SharePoint
2013
Provider
Hosted
app
Provider
Service
Office 365 Data Center
or On-Premise SharePoint 2013 Farm
Application Runtime and Backend
(Can be anywhere: On-Premise or Cloud)
Customer Provider
Provider Data

19. Alternative Using Autohosted
Office 365
(SharePoint
Online)
Autohosted app
Windows Azure
Azure Database
Provider
Service
Office 365 Data Center
(including Azure)
Application Runtime and Backend
(Cloud Service you Host)
Customer Provider
Provider DataCustomer Data

20. Provider Hosted Architecture
• Store or App Catalog – Deployment Manifest .APP file
• App Manifest – Declare App Permission Requests
• Trust Settings – User must “allow” or “trust” your app
• Provider receives Request with Trust Token
• Provider uses CSOM to call back to SharePoint using the
Trust Token
• SharePoint persists changes made by the Provider in the
Content Database (just like SharePoint Designer)

21. Costs of Being a Provider
• Need to maintain and cover hosting cost
• But you can extend your app to other ecosystems outside of
SharePoint
• iPad, Facebook, Kindle, Salesforce
• Changes will affect ALL customers
• May need a versioning strategy for customers in Life Sciences
(long validation lifecycle)

22. Benefits of Provider Hosted
• Does not tax the SharePoint Farm‟s resources as much
as Farm Solution might
• Update 1000‟s of SharePoint Farms with one release
update to the Provider
• Centrally managed at the Provider‟s location
• Develop on any platform using any language leveraging
your existing developer and infrastructure knowledge
• Same App works on Office 365 and SharePoint 2013 on-
premise

23. Development Model
• Get Started using Azure and Office 365 Preview
• Many Blog posts on getting started
• Deploy your Provider Hosted app to your Provider (Azure,
AWS, Rackspace, local server)
• Deploy your .APP file to SharePoint

24. Development System Requirements
• Visual Studio 2012
• On Premise Development Environment
• http://bit.ly/spappdevenv
• Office Developer Tools for Visual Studio 2012
• http://bit.ly/spapptools

25. Developing Apps?
Development Environment Decisions
• Office 365 or On-Premise?
• If Office 365, Visual Studio 2012
• If On-Premise then build your SharePoint 2013 Dev
Server
• Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp161179.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp179923.aspx
• Andrew Connell‟s Critical Path Training
• SharePoint 2013 Setup Guide for Developers
• http://bit.ly/cp2013setup

26. App Packaging
• Start with Visual Studio 2012 Project Template
• .APP
• Contains AppManifest.xml
• Set Permission Requests for your App
• Start Page
• Client ID
• App Icon Image File
• You can unpack the .APP by renaming .ZIP

27. Security
• Client Secret vs Certificate
• Client Secret requires SharePoint is farm connected to ACS
• Azure ACS (Access Control Service)
• Office 365 is already connected to ACS
• AppManifest.xml (.APP)
• Contains permissions
• OAuth
• TokenHelper.cs (runs on the Provider)
• Helps you manage requests for app tokens
• If you are developing in another language you will need to implement
this yourself

28. CSOM
• Client Side Object Model
• Rich improvements over 2010
• .NET version
• JavaScript version
• http://bit.ly/csom2013

29. Scope of Access
• What can you get to from CSOM?

30. Series by Jeremy Thake
• Introducing SharePoint Apps Playbook Series
• http://bit.ly/appsplaybook
• Real world experience building Apps for SharePoint

31. App Model Review
• SharePoint has completely new Development Model
• Leverage existing understanding with CSOM
• Leverage existing other technology knowledge
• Update many customers (or Farms) at once
• Costs and Benefits of being a Provider
• Security with OAuth
• Package and Deploy to Store

32. Development Environment Options
• CloudShare
• http://cloudshare.com/
• Windows Azure
• if you have MSDN
• Stand up a Server with HyperV
• MSDN licenses
• Buy a powerful workstation or laptop with adequate RAM,
etc..
• If you are doing OOTB
• just a Browser
• If you are doing SharePoint Designer
• No need for powerful workstation

33. Session Review
• Many choices in customization
• OOTB, SharePoint Designer, C#, jQuery, Sandbox Solutions, Full
Trust Farm Solutions, Apps for SharePoint
• Factors on Choosing
• Requirements, Maintainability, Upgradability, Development Team
Skillset, Budget, etc…
• Where to Go to Learn more…

34. Resources
• My Blog for Slides, Questions, and Follow up information
• http://bit.ly/tcrowell
• Pluralsight Videos by Andrew Connell
• Over 12 hours of Video
• http://bit.ly/acplural
• Microsoft MSDN Documentation on Apps for SharePoint
• http://bit.ly/spappmsdn
• CloudShare for developer and test hosting
• http://www.cloudshare.com/

35. More Resources
• Jeremy Thake‟s SharePoint Apps Playbook Series
• http://bit.ly/appsplaybook
• Choose the Right API Set in SharePoint 2013
• http://bit.ly/sp2013api
• SPServices for SharePoint 2007, 2010, and 2013
• http://spservices.codeplex.com/
• CloudShare
• http://cloudshare.com/

36. Custom SharePoint Development in
SharePoint – What are My Options Now?
Presented by Talbott Crowell
@talbott
Questions?
Thank You

37. was made possible by the generous
support of the following sponsors…
And by your participation… Thank you!

38. Be sure to fill out your eval
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Join us for the raffle &
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