English

Before we continue, I suggest you read the first part here ; it gives basic idea of how it works. The purpose of part-2 is to make real implementation of Custom Web Service , but it is not the only way to do it. There are some key points that I want to show here:

1. We will put our custom Web Services in a Custom folder under _vti_bin. In this case we will create new folder WSCustom under (12hive/ISAPI for SharePoint 2007 or 14hive/ISAPI for SharePoint 2010)
2. We will need a helper to read SharePoint context (SPVirtualPath) before passing the request to the real ASMX. In this case we will copy WSDISCO.ASPX  and WSWSDL.ASPX from original _VTI_BIN to _VTI_BIN/WSCustom folder
3. We will need custom SPDisco.aspx for our web services, in this case I will name it WSCustomSPDisco.aspx. This is the file, where we will register our web service. (Note the registration is optional, but it is required for truly SharePoint integration)
4. We need an interceptor so that request to SPDisco.aspx will return combination between original SPDisco.aspx and WSCustomSPDisco.aspx. In this case, we will create WSCustomHttpHandler that combine XML from the two files.
5. We need rules to add rules to redirect request to _vti_bin/spdisco.aspx to our WSCustomHttphandler.

In the diagram, the scenario will look like this

1. Create ASPNET Web Services using Visual Studio. 
   You can follow instruction in MSDN here (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd583131(v=office.11).aspx) and stop until “To copy the Web service files to the _vti_bin virtual directory”).

2. Create custom folder for your project under _vti_bin (for example 12hive/ISAPI/CustomWS for SharePoint 2007 or 14hive/ISAPI/CustomWS for SharePoint 2010). In this custom folder, we will put 3 files for every web service (*.asmx) which are:
   • <service>.asmx , where <service> is your web service file.
   • <serviceDISCO>.aspx , where <serviceDISCO> is corresponding DISCO file of your web service.
   • <serviceWSDL>.aspx , where <serviceWSDL> is corresponding WSDL file of your web service.
     
3. Copy ISAPI\spdisco.aspx to ISAPI\spdisco.disco.aspx . We need copy of original spdisco.aspx, since we don’t want to have infinite loop in our HttpHandler later.
4. Create ISAPI\customws.spdisco.aspx. In this file, we will register our custom web service. This is important to avoid modifying SharePoint built-in file.
5. Create HttpHandler to combine content of spdisco.aspx and *.spdisco.aspx.
6. Register HttpHandler in web.config. We will intercept all _vti_bin/spdisco.aspx with our HttpHandler.

More Information

1. Tutorial video, Writing Custom Web Services for SharePoint in Supported Mode.
   [See post to watch Flash video]
    
2. Download source code for this article Visual Studio 2010 + SharePoint 2010 (http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Writing-SharePoint-Web-in-cb9de1be)

English

If you have read my comments on the Writing Custom Web Service for SharePont, Is it supported here (http://blog.libinuko.com/2011/02/16/sharepoint-writing-custom-web-service-for-sharepoint-is-it-supported/) ; you may have already created standard ASPNET web services. It is working, but with some limitation:

1. You can not have path virtualization

   Virtualization is one of SharePoint’s technique provided by SPVirtualPath provider, that enable virtualization of your web service path. For example, list.asmx will be available for http://mysite.com/_vti_bin/lists.asmx , or http://mysite.com/sites/myothersitecollection/_vti_bin/lists.asmx. The site collection has been virtualized by SharePoint.

   Without virtualization any web service consumer will have to access to the same path, usually in the root; for example /_services/mywebservice.asmx">/_services/mywebservice.asmx">http://<webapps>/_services/mywebservice.asmx

2. You can not have SPContext

   SPContext is very powerful object in SharePoint development. Using this context, we can retrieve current SharePoint context without having to instantiate it. For example, you can get current SPWeb by calling SPContext.Current.Web – and you don’t need to dispose it (in fact you’re not suppose to dispose it). Still using SPContext you can have direct access to list and everything under SharePoint.

   Without having direct access to SPContext, you have to instantiate SPWeb or SPSite using normal constructor with URL as parameter. It means new SPSite/SPWeb thread in the server memory, and you have to dispose it once you’ve done working with it.

So, how can we write custom web service for SharePoint in supported mode?

Before we start, we have to understand SharePoint architecture and how does the processing works for web services. I take following picture from SharePoint Architecture in MSDN. It describe how SharePoint process our request. There is SPHttpApplication which has SPRequestModule and any additional ASP.NET Module; and before the request returned back to the user SPHttpHandler is doint the job.

How SharePoint process web services?

If we dig into into the process on how SharePoint process request to web services in _vti_bin.

There are 3 scenarios of http request to the web services,

1. Disco request, identified by suffix ?DISCO in the web service address. For example, */_vti_bin/list.asmx?Disco
2. WSDL request, identified by suffix ?WSDL in the web service address. For example, */_vti_bin/list.asmx?Wsdl
3. Web service post request. For example, */_vti_bin/list.asmx?op=GetListItems

Every request will be processed by SPHttpHandler (SharePoint) and ScriptHandlerFactory (system.web.extension), but the SPHttpHandler will be selective only for Disco and Wsdl request.

On disco/wsdl request, SPHttpHandler will transfer the request to wsdisco.aspx or wswsdl.aspx using Server.Execute operation. This operation ensure that wsdisco.aspx/wswsdl.aspx is receiving same request object. wsDISCO.aspx or wsWSDL.aspx will then instantiate SharePoint Context object. Any *.aspx will be successfully instantiate SharePoint context object because they are managed by SPHttpApplication and hence it also impacted by SPVirtualPath provider from SharePoint which will activate path virtualization.

Next, wsDISCO.aspx will transfer the request to the <service>DISCO.aspx and wsWSDL.aspx will transfer to the <service>WSDL.aspx – using Server.Execute operation. So here we have seen 2 transfer operation. At the end, the result is correct WSDL/DISCO request. The correct WSDL/DISCO will point to the correct virtual path of the request. (Remember how do you create <service>disco.aspx / <service>wsdl.aspx)

When a consumer use the contract and tries to consume it. The SPHttpHandler will no longer intercept the request, but the normal ScriptHandlerFactory from System.Web.Extensions. However with the correct path in disco/wsdl, now the asmx now have the ability to look into current context from SharePoint. And hence you will be able to use SPContext.Current.Web in custom web services.

Part-2 is how to start create custom web services. I will need help from my buddy Denni , he will code for me. –

References

1. Writing Custom Web Services for SharePoint Products and Technology (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd583131(v=office.11).aspx)

2. SharePoint Architecture (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb892189(v=office.12).aspx )

3. Architectural Overview of Windows SharePoint Services (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd583133(v=office.11).aspx)

4. Modifying Built-In SharePoint Files (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb803457(v=office.12).aspx)

English:

Some of you may be not aware that we can use SharePoint List for Visio Diagram data source. So how can we configure SharePoint List for Visio Diagram data source?

Following steps demonstrate how to do it using SharePoint 2010 and Visio 2010, however it also applies to SharePoint 2007 or Visio 2007.

Step-by-step

1. Open Visio (.vsd) file.
2. On Data tab, and  Link Data to Shapes.

   

3. On  Data Selector window, choose Microsoft SharePoint Foundation list.

   

4. Type SharePoint website URL

   

   Note: Enter username and password combination if necessary.

   

5. Choose SharePoint list that you want to use, then click Next and Finish.
   
   
6. You will return to the main Visio diagram with data table from SharePoint list. Then you can use the table (linked-to-SharePoint List) as data source for your diagram.

   

Source: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/4225.aspx

English

A few days ago, Microsoft has released Service Packs 1 for SharePoint 2010. As usual, the installation must follow general rules of installation order:

1. SharePoint Foundation
2. SharePoint Foundation Language Packs
3. SharePoint Server 2010
4. SharePoint Server 2010 Language Packs

And if you have SharePoint Server 2010, you can run SharePoint Configuration Wizard after completing installation of all service packs. You can skip SharePoint Configuration Wizard on installation order 1-3.

If you have multiple servers in a farm, make sure that you have perform the installation in all servers before kicking-in SharePoint Configuration Wizard in the server.

More information from the team blog : http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/blog/Pages/BlogPost.aspx?pID=984

English:

Conditional formatting now becomes easier using SharePoint Designer 2010. We can create intelligent view which able to highlight some important pointer in the display. There are 3 types of conditional formatting:

1. Show content , show content based on the pre-specified conditions
2. Hide content , hide content based on the pre-specified conditions
3. Apply formatting , apply formatting based on the pre-specified conditions.

Visual Touch for Easy Reading

Imagine, that you have developed a workflow that uses task list to assign task to the users. The standard task list, may look like this:

Actually there is nothing wrong with the task list web-part. However, since there isn’t any pointer on important information in the task list – then the message may not be conveyed efficiently to the reader.

Using conditional formatting, we will be able highlight overdue tasks, so that the task will get more attention from the user. In the picture below, we add red hand icon, if the task is overdue.

So, how would we do that?

Following step-by-step will show how to create conditional formatting using SharePoint Designer 2010. I will demonstrate how to add red-hand icon to the overdue task.

1. Open original task list view in SharePoint Designer 2010.

2. Select Title column tag and then create conditional formatting by selecting Apply formatting….

3. Define formatting condition as follows:

Due Date  <  [Current Date]     And

Status      <>  ‘Completed’

and then click Set Style.

4. I have uploaded the icon in Site Assets gallery, so that I can use it as background-image.

And finally I have configure my style to:

background-image: url(‘../../SiteAssets/Pointer_red_22x17.gif’); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: left bottom; text-indent: 20px

5. Save the changes, and you’ve done with the conditional formatting.

Finally, adding visual touch using conditional formatting is also adding more value to the user. It will make the information more knowledgeable than plain presentation.

English

You may already read this following article “Writing Custom Web Service for SharePoint Products and Technologies” (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd583131(v=office.11).aspx) or “Walkthrough: Creating a Custom ASP.NET Web Service” (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms464040.aspx). The steps can be summarized as follows:

1. Create normal ASPNET web service
   In this step you will create ASPNET Web Services using Visual Studio as you always do. From this step, you will have <Service>.asmx, where <Service> is your web service asmx file.
2. Create corresponding .disco file and a .wsdl file
   In this step you will create extract of DISCOvery  file and WSDL of ASPNET web service from step #1, and add reference to Microsoft.SharePoint assembly. From this step, you will have 2 files <Service>disco.aspx and <Service>wsdl.aspx.
3. Copy the 3 files to _vti_bin (12hive\ISAPI)
   In this step you will copy the 3 files (<Service>.asmx, <Service>disco.aspx and <Service>wsdl.aspx) into 12hive\ISAPI. Of course in real deployment, you can use WSP.
4. Register the new web service in spdisco.aspx
   In this step you will modify built-in SharePoint file spdisco.aspx, so that your web service will be recognized by SharePoint.

Until here you will have working custom web service in SharePoint but  are you sure that your SharePoint farm is still supported?

If you read “Modifying Built-In SharePoint Files” (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb803457(v=office.12).aspx) rules, the step #4 is unsupported. Step#4 is to modify spdisco.aspx so that the custom web service will work.

So do you still want to built custom web service using that technique?
My suggestion, think twice! In fact you can still use ASPNET web service without SharePoint integration – it will work but lost SharePoint context. Moreover, you can’t tell WSP to modify spdisco.aspx unless you use event handler – which mean more complexity.

English

Microsoft just released cumulative update package for December 2010. The CU will contains hotfix package for Office 2010 Client and Servers.

See full release from Microsoft in this KB :KB2479673.

English

Today I find a strange behaviour, my Office 2010 can not browse to the SharePoint 2010 document library. In short, I can not save my document directly to SharePoint 2010.  Office 2010 provide Save and Send functionality, which should give me functionality to save directly to SharePoint 2010 as what it does in previous version; so what could be the problem?

Saving to SharePoint 2010 document library requires WebDAV functionality via Web Client service. Unfortunatelly the Web Client service is not enabled by default, and it is part of Desktop Experience features.  So, how can we enable it using PowerShell?

# Open PowerShell console and then type

import-module servermanager
Add-WindowsFeature Desktop-Experience

English

In the previous version, creating cascading lookup field was becoming a problem. At least 2 or more technique have been proposed for example using Javascript , or custom field. In this video cast, I will continue the InfoPath and SharePoint 2010 productivity series by implementing the cascading lookup field using InfoPath. In this video, I will extend Members list with City – Province – Country , information. Province and Country are cascading lookup field.

Update:
See other post on How to create Cascading Lookup Field using Client Object Model.

English

Imagine a business scenario where we have a lookup field in our list. The reference list contains items Title and their status.  Previously it always difficult to create filtered lookup field with minimal development task. But now, we can use InfoPath 2010 to achieve that functionality.

Part III , InfoPath 2010 and SharePoint 2010 Productivity series webcast shows how to create filtered lookup field.  There are two lists in the scenario “Books” and “Members” list.  The Books list contains list of books Title, Author and Status. There are 2 status of books, “Available” , “In-Used” and “Missing”.

“Members” list has Books  , lookup field – which should show only the “Available” books.