Developing GIS WebParts in SharePoint

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Developing GIS WebParts in SharePoint

• Presented by
• Marianne Cardwell, Woolpert, Inc.
• Cheryl Spencer, City of Indianapolis
• February 17, 2009

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Overview

• Introduction to WebParts
• WebParts in SharePoint
• SharePoint development environment
• ESRI options
• Microsoft Virtual Earth

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Introduction to WebParts
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What is a Web Part?

• According to Microsoft, ASP.NET Web Parts
  controls are an integrated set of controls for
  creating Web sites that enable end users to
  modify the content, appearance, and behavior of
  Web pages directly in a browser.
• Why use a Web Part?
• Consistent look and feel
• Ease of use and reuse

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From a Developers PerspectiveWhat is a Web
Part?

• Server-side control running inside context of Web
  Part pages within ASP.NET application or Windows
  SharePoint Services site.

• 2 types of Web Parts
• ASP.NET 2.0
• Built on top of the ASP.NET Web Part
  infrastructure
• Have a dependency on System.Web.dll
• Can be used in SharePoint and other types of web
  sites, making them much more flexible
• SharePoint
• Older and have a dependency on Microsoft.SharePoin
  t.dll
• Can only be used in SharePoint web sites

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Web Part Attributes

• A Web Part-based page allows users to
• Add/remove Web Parts from page.
• Move Web Parts on page.
• Personalization requires database. Default is SQL
  Server Express 2005, but a different database can
  be specified in configuration file.

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Web Part Demos

• Web Parts in ASP.NET web site
• Web Parts in SharePoint

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Web Parts inSharePoint
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SharePoint WebParts

• In WSS3.0, Web Parts based on ASP.NET 2.0 Web
  Part infrastructure.
• In most cases, should develop Web Parts
  inheriting from System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts
  .WebPart.
• Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.WebPart
  provides the following features
• Cross page connections
• Connections between Web Parts outside of a zone.
• Client-side connections (Web Part Page Services
  Component)
• Data caching infrastructure, including ability to
  cache database

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SharePointDevelopment Environment
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Operating System

• No easy way to develop on Windows XP.
• Free Virtual Hard Drive downloadable from
  Microsoft at http//tinyurl.com/8dpwm4.
• Includes WSS 3.0 SP1 and VS 2008.
• Expires Sept 20, 2009.
• About 1.8GB.

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WSS 3.0 Tools VS 2008 Extensions

• Contains VS project templates for Web Parts, site
  definitions, and SP solution.
• Available for download from http//tinyurl.com/5tj
  6er.
• F5 builds and deploys solution, then opens IE.
• Provides ability to debug code.

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SharePoint Project Templates
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SharePoint Item Templates
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ESRI Options
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WebADF

• Possible to create WebADF Web Parts.
• ArcGIS Server blog provides samples for both 9.2
  (http//tinyurl.com/baaajs) and 9.3
  (http//tinyurl.com/djj3oa).
• Limitations
• 64-bit MOSS 2007 requires IIS application pools
  to run in pure 64-bit mode, which means that
  32-bit applications, including the WebADF, will
  not work. (Rex Hansen, ESRI, http//tinyurl.com/bf
  cnwf)
• Potential for additional ArcGIS Server license
  depending on network set-up.

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WebAdf Web Part
ESRI 9.3 sample from http//tinyurl.com/djj3oa
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ArcGIS Server JS API

• Surprisingly powerful and relatively easy to use
  in SharePoint.
• Keep in mind
• Potential for multiple web parts, including
  identical web parts, on a single web page.
  Affects element names.
• Use the _spBodyOnLoadFunctionNames array to add
  JS functions to the window.onload event.
• _spBodyOnLoadFunctionNames.push('Indy.WebControls.
  JSAPI.init()')"
• JS CSS can be added in different ways. Make
  sure you test to see if files already exist.

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Web Part Demos

• JS API SharePoint Web Part

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Virtual Earth
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Virtual Earth API

• Similar logic to using the ArcGIS Server JS API.
• Can use the ArcGIS JavaScript Extension for
  Microsoft Virtual Earth.

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Web Part Demos

• Virtual Earth SharePoint Web Part
• Shows the use of a Web Control within a Web Part

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Questions?